Services are pending for Howard F. Gregor, an internationally known agricultural geographer and professor emeritus at the University of California, Davis, who died Thursday in his Davis home from complications that followed a fall two years ago. He was 80 years old. Born in Two Rivers, Wisc., Professor Gregor earned bachelor's and master's degrees in geography from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and a doctoral degree in geography from UCLA. Following graduation, he worked one year as an instructor at Indiana University, Bloomington; two years as a researcher and writer in the area of economic geography for the Central Intelligence Agency; one year as a visiting professor at the University of Oregon; and a brief time as an assistant planner for the Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission. He taught geography at California State University, San Jose, from 1955 to 1960, then in 1960 joined the geography department at UC Davis. Professor Gregor's research focused on the impact of the physical and social environment on the economic activities of different populations. He did pioneering work on the changing patterns of agriculture in California, studying water use and the influence of urbanization on the state's agricultural industry. In the early 1960s he predicted that most of California's prime coastal agricultural lands would eventually be lost to urbanization. He also tracked the development of industrial or factory farming as a phenomenon of U.S. agriculture. "Howard was a very kind individual with a great sense of humor and curiosity about the world," said Janet Momsen, a UC Davis geographer. "He was well known internationally as an agricultural geographer and was the leading exponent of the agricultural geography of California." He wrote the books "Environment and Economic Life: an Economic and Social Geography" in 1963, "The Geography of Agriculture" in 1970, "An Agricultural Typology of California" in 1974 and "The Industrialization of U.S. Agriculture" in 1982. He also translated and wrote an introduction for a book by Bernd Andrea, titled "Farming, Development and Space -- A World Agricultural Geography." Throughout his career he taught undergraduate and graduate courses in agricultural geography, retiring in 1990. He was a member of the Association of American Geographers and American Geographical Society and a past president of the Association of Pacific Coast Geographers. He is survived by his wife, Marjorie Gregor of Davis and daughter, Marsha E. Gregor and her husband Eric J. Splaver, both of Los Angeles. He also leaves three grandchildren, Garrett, Ethan and Gabriella Gregor Splaver, all of Los Angeles. In lieu of flowers the family requests that any memorial contributions be sent to the Salvation Army or the Yolo Hospice.