However, most agricultural land is not in danger of urban intru­sion. This does not mean that rural land conversion is of no consequence. Unquestionably, rural areas adjacent to urban areas are being developed. In cer­tain areas of the country, loss of rural land, includ­ing prime agricultural land, is a significant problem. For example, more than three-fourths of the agricultural land in the Northeast is near urban areas and is therefore in danger of being developed.

The most important thing to remember regarding land resources and urbanization is that the support of cities and suburbs requires much more than simply the land they occupy. The needs of people in urban areas for food, drinking water, energy and minerals are met by large areas of agriculture land rangeland, forests, wilderness, and wetlands.