Mark Leipnik

Agriculture and Food Production in China and the U.S.

China and America are top producers of many agricultural commodities. Each is a large and diverse nation with a range of climates and agricultural systems. Many crops are grown in similar settings in each country, such as wheat in the Great Plains of America and North China Plain Corn is of greater importance in the U.S. while rice is a major crop in China. The diversity and level of capital investment in many forms of agriculture in particular in the State of California is unexcelled on earth. While the intensity of agriculture on the Lower Yangtze plain is unique. China also has unique agricultural regions such as the silk and tea industries and highly developed aquaculture. This chapter presents a wealth of information about each country’s agricultural capabilities and diversity as well as discussing some pressing issues related to agriculture such as erosion, pollution and obesity.

Use of Geographic Information Systems in Cyber Warfare and Cyber Counterterrorism

Geographic information systems (GIS) are defined and discussed both in general and specifically with reference to their applications in three distinct modalities. These are, firstly, the application of computer mapping and spatial analysis technologies encompassed by the term GIS in counter terrorism. Secondly, the potential for misuse of GIS technologies in both terrorism in general and more specifically the unique vulnerabilities of these suites of complex programs and the huge and sophisticated datasets that are managed by GIS programs to exploitation and damage by cyber terrorists. Lastly the ways in which these terrorist threats to geo-spatial infrastructure can be detected, avoided and minimized will be discussed.

State Registration of Sex Offenders: Public Notification, Web Mapping, and Spatial Issues

State governments in the United States register sex offenders and provide to the public notification of the location, identifying information and criminal history of these registered sex offenders (RSOs). Four fifths of US states use web maps to achieve this goal. The design, content, and maintenance of these RSO web maps vary greatly. This chapter examines the history of registration of sex offenders, similarities and differences among RSO web maps and spatial issues related to them, as well as the use and misuse of these web maps.

The Main Agricultural Regions of China and the U.S.

Most cereal and meat production in both China and America is concentrated in a few regions. The three regions in China discussed are the North-Eastern Plain, the Northern China Plain and the Middle and Lower Yangtze plain. These are centers of corn, wheat and Rice, respectively. The two main cereal production regions of the U.S are the Corn Belt in the North-Central Midwest and the larger Great Plains region farther to the west. The Corn Belt is dominated by corn production but pigs are important and extensively exported including to China. Wheat is dominant in the Great Plains and cattle are an important associated livestock resource. Each of these five regions is vital to world food security and commodity price stability and thus deserve the special attention this chapter devotes to them.