The total increase was 320 − 200 = 120 km². Over 10 years, the annual increase is 120 ÷ 10 = 12 km² per year.

Sun, 03 May 2026 19:42:07 +0000

Understanding Long-Term Land Expansion: A Case Study on Area Growth Over a Decade Land management and environmental monitoring rely heavily on tracking spatial changes over time. One clear example of measuring regional growth is analyzing total land area increase, expressed through simple arithmetic over a defined period. In this case, we observe a total area expansion of 320 km² subtracted from 200 km², resulting in a net growth of 120 km² over a decade. To understand the annual rate of this expansion, we divide the total increase of 120 km² by the 10-year span:
120 km² ÷ 10 years = 12 km² per year. This means the region experienced an average annual increase of 12 square kilometers throughout the decade. Understanding annual growth rates like this provides valuable insights for urban planning, ecological conservation, and resource allocation, enabling decision-makers to anticipate future spatial needs and environmental impacts.