{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,26]],"date-time":"2026-03-26T11:37:57Z","timestamp":1774525077418,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":52,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,2,23]],"date-time":"2021-02-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1614038400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Remote Sensing"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The environmental impact of shale energy development is a growing concern in the US and worldwide. Although the topic is well-studied in general, shale development\u2019s impact on drylands has received much less attention in the literature. This study focuses on the effect of shale development on land cover in the Permian Basin region\u2014a unique arid\/semi-arid landscape experiencing an unprecedented intensity of drilling and production activities. By taking advantage of the high-resolution remote sensing land cover data, we develop a fixed-effects panel (longitudinal) data regression model to control unobserved spatial heterogeneities and regionwide trends. The model allows us to understand the land cover\u2019s dynamics over the past decade of shale development. The results show that shale development had moderate negative but statistically significant impacts on shrubland and grassland\/pasture. The effect is more strongly associated with the hydrocarbon production volume and less with the number of oil and gas wells drilled. Between shrubland and grassland\/pasture, the impact on shrubland is more pronounced in terms of magnitude. The dominance of shrubland in the region likely explains the result.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/rs13040824","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,2,23]],"date-time":"2021-02-23T20:19:36Z","timestamp":1614111576000},"page":"824","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":10,"title":["The Impact of Shale Oil and Gas Development on Rangelands in the Permian Basin Region: An Assessment Using High-Resolution Remote Sensing Data"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9171-7298","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Haoying","family":"Wang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Business and Technology Management, New Mexico Tech, 801 Leroy Pl, Socorro, NM 87801, USA"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,2,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"335","DOI":"10.1007\/s10708-004-5050-z","article-title":"Land cover change over the last three centuries due to human activities: The availability of new global data sets","volume":"61","author":"Goldewijk","year":"2004","journal-title":"GeoJournal"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"347","DOI":"10.1016\/S0169-2046(03)00152-X","article-title":"Human-caused impact on preserved vegetation","volume":"68","author":"Sukopp","year":"2004","journal-title":"Landsc. Urban Plan."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"054012","DOI":"10.1088\/1748-9326\/ab1a74","article-title":"Change of vegetation cover in the US\u2013Mexico border region: Illegal activities or climatic variability?","volume":"14","author":"Wang","year":"2019","journal-title":"Environ. Res. Lett."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"401","DOI":"10.1126\/science.aaa4785","article-title":"Ecosystem services lost to oil and gas in North America","volume":"348","author":"Allred","year":"2015","journal-title":"Science"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"112","DOI":"10.1111\/ele.12009","article-title":"Characterising the impacts of emerging energy development on wildlife, with an eye towards mitigation","volume":"16","author":"Northrup","year":"2013","journal-title":"Ecol. Lett."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"8321","DOI":"10.1021\/es404647x","article-title":"Review of risks to communities from shale energy development","volume":"48","author":"Jacquet","year":"2014","journal-title":"Environ. Sci. Technol."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jenvman.2016.05.007","article-title":"State of knowledge about energy development impacts on North American rangelands: An integrative approach","volume":"180","author":"Kreuter","year":"2016","journal-title":"J. Environ. Manag."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.gloenvcha.2016.11.002","article-title":"Seeing futures now: Emergent US and UK views on shale development, climate change and energy systems","volume":"42","author":"Partridge","year":"2017","journal-title":"Glob. Environ. Chang."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"944","DOI":"10.3390\/w4040944","article-title":"Soil erosion and surface water quality impacts of natural gas development in east Texas, USA","volume":"4","author":"McBroom","year":"2012","journal-title":"Water"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"10032","DOI":"10.1021\/es4011724","article-title":"An evaluation of water quality in private drinking water wells near natural gas extraction sites in the Barnett Shale formation","volume":"47","author":"Fontenot","year":"2013","journal-title":"Environ. Sci. Technol."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4962","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.1213871110","article-title":"Shale gas development impacts on surface water quality in Pennsylvania","volume":"110","author":"Olmstead","year":"2013","journal-title":"Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1235009","DOI":"10.1126\/science.1235009","article-title":"Impact of shale gas development on regional water quality","volume":"340","author":"Vidic","year":"2013","journal-title":"Science"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"21256","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.0909651107","article-title":"Water, climate change, and sustainability in the southwest","volume":"107","author":"MacDonald","year":"2010","journal-title":"Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"806","DOI":"10.1038\/nclimate3412","article-title":"Weakening of the North American monsoon with global warming","volume":"7","author":"Pascale","year":"2017","journal-title":"Nat. Clim. Chang."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"60","DOI":"10.1016\/j.enpol.2015.08.032","article-title":"The regional economic impact of oil and gas extraction in Texas","volume":"87","author":"Lee","year":"2015","journal-title":"Energy Policy"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101599","DOI":"10.1016\/j.resourpol.2020.101599","article-title":"The economic impact of oil and gas development in the Permian Basin: Local and spillover effects","volume":"66","author":"Wang","year":"2020","journal-title":"Resour. Policy"},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"125","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jeem.2016.12.004","article-title":"There will be blood: Crime rates in shale-rich US counties","volume":"84","author":"James","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Environ. Econ. Manag."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"10903","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.est.7b02185","article-title":"Water issues related to transitioning from conventional to unconventional oil production in the Permian Basin","volume":"51","author":"Scanlon","year":"2017","journal-title":"Environ. Sci. Technol."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"305","DOI":"10.1007\/BF00138373","article-title":"Shrubland encroachment in southern New Mexico, USA: An analysis of desertification processes in the American Southwest","volume":"17","author":"Grover","year":"1990","journal-title":"Clim. Chang."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"474","DOI":"10.1007\/s00267-012-9964-9","article-title":"Adapting to climate change on western public lands: Addressing the ecological effects of domestic, wild, and feral ungulates","volume":"51","author":"Beschta","year":"2013","journal-title":"Environ. Manag."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"95","DOI":"10.1016\/j.agsy.2012.08.004","article-title":"A 2010 map estimate of annually tilled cropland within the conterminous United States","volume":"114","author":"Johnson","year":"2013","journal-title":"Agric. Syst."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1313","DOI":"10.1257\/aer.20151326","article-title":"Geographic dispersion of economic shocks: Evidence from the fracking revolution","volume":"107","author":"Feyrer","year":"2017","journal-title":"Am. Econ. Rev."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2931","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jenvman.2009.04.023","article-title":"Causes and consequences of woody plant encroachment into western North American grasslands","volume":"90","year":"2009","journal-title":"J. Environ. Manag."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1276","DOI":"10.1007\/s00267-014-0440-6","article-title":"Habitat loss and modification due to gas development in the Fayetteville Shale","volume":"55","author":"Moran","year":"2015","journal-title":"Environ. Manag."},{"key":"ref_25","first-page":"199","article-title":"Environmental conditions and vegetation recovery at abandoned drilling mud sumps in the Mackenzie Delta region, Northwest Territories, Canada","volume":"61","author":"Johnstone","year":"2008","journal-title":"Arctic"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Nash, M., Wickham, J., Christensen, J., and Wade, T. (2017). Changes in landscape greenness and climatic factors over 25 years (1989\u20132013) in the USA. Remote Sens., 9.","DOI":"10.3390\/rs9030295"},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Slonecker, E.T., Milheim, L.E., Roig-Silva, C.M., Malizia, A.R., Marr, D.A., and Fisher, G.B. (2012). Landscape Consequences of Natural Gas Extraction in Bradford and Washington Counties, Pennsylvania, U.S. Geological Survey. US Geological Survey Open-File Report 2012\u20131154.","DOI":"10.3133\/ofr20121154"},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1061","DOI":"10.1007\/s00267-012-9841-6","article-title":"Early trends in land cover change and forest fragmentation due to shale-gas development in Pennsylvania: A potential outcome for the Northcentral Appalachians","volume":"49","author":"Drohan","year":"2012","journal-title":"Environ. Manag."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"293","DOI":"10.1002\/jwmg.662","article-title":"Conventional oil and gas development alters forest songbird communities","volume":"78","author":"Thomas","year":"2014","journal-title":"J. Wildl. Manag."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"167","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jenvman.2017.03.045","article-title":"Linear infrastructure drives habitat conversion and forest fragmentation associated with Marcellus shale gas development in a forested landscape","volume":"197","author":"Langlois","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Environ. Manag."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"340","DOI":"10.3955\/046.090.0312","article-title":"The landscape impact of linear seismic clearings for oil and gas development in boreal forest","volume":"90","author":"Pattison","year":"2016","journal-title":"Northwest Sci."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1511","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scitotenv.2016.06.038","article-title":"Land cover changes associated with recent energy development in the Williston Basin; Northern Great Plains, USA","volume":"566","author":"Preston","year":"2016","journal-title":"Sci. Total Environ."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"79","DOI":"10.1002\/ece3.884","article-title":"Quantifying habitat impacts of natural gas infrastructure to facilitate biodiversity offsetting","volume":"4","author":"Jones","year":"2014","journal-title":"Ecol. Evol."},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.3390\/rs3010001","article-title":"Tracking desertification in California using remote sensing: A sand dune encroachment approach","volume":"3","author":"Lam","year":"2011","journal-title":"Remote Sens."},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"619","DOI":"10.1002\/(SICI)1099-1255(199611)11:6<619::AID-JAE418>3.0.CO;2-1","article-title":"Econometric methods for fractional response variables with an application to 401 (k) plan participation rates","volume":"11","author":"Papke","year":"1996","journal-title":"J. Appl. Econom."},{"key":"ref_36","unstructured":"Braun, C.E., Oedekoven, O.O., and Aldridge, C.L. (2002, January 3\u20137). Oil and gas development in western North America: Effects on sagebrush steppe avifauna with particular emphasis on sage-grouse. Proceedings of the 67th North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference, Wildlife Management Institute, Washington, DC, USA."},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2385","DOI":"10.1890\/0012-9658(1999)080[2385:SIOGRI]2.0.CO;2","article-title":"Shrub invasion of grassland: Recruitment is continuous and not regulated by herbaceous biomass or density","volume":"80","author":"Brown","year":"1999","journal-title":"Ecology"},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"458","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jaridenv.2006.10.012","article-title":"Woody vegetation expansion in a desert grassland: Prehistoric human impact?","volume":"69","author":"Briggs","year":"2007","journal-title":"J. Arid Environ."},{"key":"ref_39","unstructured":"Arthur, J.D., Langhus, B., and Alleman, D. (2019, October 08). An Overview of Modern Shale Gas Development in the United States. A Report by All Consulting. Available online: http:\/\/www.ourenergypolicy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/ALLShaleOverviewFINAL.pdf."},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"953","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scitotenv.2016.12.045","article-title":"The impacts of fracking on the environment: A total environmental study paradigm","volume":"580","author":"Meng","year":"2017","journal-title":"Sci. Total Environ."},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"19","DOI":"10.1016\/j.coesh.2018.03.002","article-title":"Understanding and mitigating impacts of unconventional oil and gas development on land-use and ecosystem services in the US","volume":"3","author":"McClung","year":"2018","journal-title":"Curr. Opin. Environ. Sci. Health"},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"805","DOI":"10.1007\/s00267-018-1000-2","article-title":"Comparison of recent oil and gas, wind energy, and other anthropogenic landscape alteration factors in Texas through 2014","volume":"61","author":"Pierre","year":"2018","journal-title":"Environ. Manag."},{"key":"ref_43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Mubako, S., Belhaj, O., Heyman, J., Hargrove, W., and Reyes, C. (2018). Monitoring of land use\/land-cover changes in the arid transboundary Middle Rio Grande Basin using remote sensing. Remote Sens., 10.","DOI":"10.3390\/rs10122005"},{"key":"ref_44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1111\/nyas.12146","article-title":"Risks to biodiversity from hydraulic fracturing for natural gas in the Marcellus and Utica shales","volume":"1286","author":"Kiviat","year":"2013","journal-title":"Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci."},{"key":"ref_45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"750","DOI":"10.2193\/0091-7648(2006)34[750:AAOSUA]2.0.CO;2","article-title":"An assessment of small unmanned aerial vehicles for wildlife research","volume":"34","author":"Pearlstine","year":"2006","journal-title":"Wildl. Soc. Bull."},{"key":"ref_46","first-page":"1614","article-title":"Small unmanned aircraft systems for low-altitude aerial surveys","volume":"74","author":"Watts","year":"2010","journal-title":"J. Wildl. Manag."},{"key":"ref_47","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"124011","DOI":"10.1088\/1748-9326\/9\/12\/124011","article-title":"Will water scarcity in semiarid regions limit hydraulic fracturing of shale plays?","volume":"9","author":"Scanlon","year":"2014","journal-title":"Environ. Res. Lett."},{"key":"ref_48","unstructured":"Davis, T. (2019, October 08). State Joins NMSU to Research Produced Water. Available online: https:\/\/www.abqjournal.com\/1365495\/state-joins-nmsu-to-research-produced-water-ex-aim-is-to-turn-a-waste-product-into-a-commodity.html."},{"key":"ref_49","unstructured":"Boffey, D. (2019, October 08). Gas Field Earthquakes Put Netherlands\u2019 Biggest Firms on Extraction Notice. Available online: https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/2018\/jan\/23\/gas-field-earthquakes-put-netherlands-biggest-firms-on-extraction-notice."},{"key":"ref_50","unstructured":"Gernon, T. (2019, October 08). Earthquakes from the Oil and Gas Industry Are Plaguing Oklahoma here\u2019s a Way to Reduce Them. Available online: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/earthquakes-from-the-oil-and-gas-industry-are-plaguing-oklahoma-heres-a-way-to-reduce-them-91044."},{"key":"ref_51","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"120","DOI":"10.1016\/j.euroecorev.2015.08.011","article-title":"A shaky business: Natural gas extraction, earthquakes and house prices","volume":"80","author":"Koster","year":"2015","journal-title":"Eur. Econ. Rev."},{"key":"ref_52","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"9253","DOI":"10.1002\/2017JB014946","article-title":"Seismicity during the initial stages of the Guy-Greenbrier, Arkansas, earthquake sequence","volume":"122","author":"Yoon","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Geophys. Res. Solid Earth"}],"container-title":["Remote Sensing"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2072-4292\/13\/4\/824\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T05:27:17Z","timestamp":1760160437000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2072-4292\/13\/4\/824"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2021,2,23]]},"references-count":52,"journal-issue":{"issue":"4","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,2]]}},"alternative-id":["rs13040824"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/rs13040824","relation":{},"ISSN":["2072-4292"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2072-4292","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2021,2,23]]}}}