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Land Resources

Chapter 18. Land Resources. Many ecosystem services provided by rural lands enable the majority of humans to live in urban environments.

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Land Resources

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  1. Chapter 18 Land Resources Many ecosystem services provided by rural lands enable the majority of humans to live in urban environments. Examples: wildlife habitat, flood and erosion control, groundwater recharge, breakdown of pollutants, recycle wastes, maintain biological diversity, protect endangered and threatened species, recreation, education, aesthetic value, help us recover from stresses of urban life

  2. Land Use 38% of the world’s land area is for agriculture • World Land Use 29% of land surface is for natural ecosystems

  3. Land Use • Land Use in the US 7% 35% 55% 3%

  4. Land Use • Federally managed land Note: predominance of federal lands in the western states and Alaska

  5. Land Use • Administration of Federal Lands U.S. Department of the Interior: Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Services, National Park Service U.S. Department of Agriculture: U.S. Forest Service

  6. Land Use • Pollution, population issues, preservation of our biological resources, mineral and energy requirements and production of food are all tied to land use. • Managing Public and Private Land • – largely controlled by economic factors • Public Planning of Land Use • Development planning should be comprehensive • Consider housing, businesses, agricultural, undeveloped, etc. • Zoning regulations

  7. Land Use • Management of Federal Lands • Wise-Use Movement vs. Environmental Movement Managing Public and Private Land Environmental: Views federal lands as a legacy of U.S. citizens Wise-Use: The government has too many regulations protecting the environment and property owners should have more flexibility to use natural resources

  8. Wilderness, Parks, and Wildlife Refuges • Wilderness • Land completely set aside; no development permitted (no roads) Wilderness Act of 1964: Set aside lands that retain its primeval character. National Parks, National Forests, National Wildlife Refuges -These areas are given the highest protection of any lands -more than ½ of the lands in the National Wilderness Preservation System lie in Alaska

  9. Wilderness, Parks, and Wildlife Refuges • National Parks ( 1872-Yellowstone) • Land set aside for recreation and preservation • (limited development permitted, such as roads) NPS created in 1916 -Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 Provided funds for purchase of new lands

  10. Wilderness, Parks, and Wildlife Refuges • National Parks • Most popular

  11. Wilderness, Parks, and Wildlife Refuges • National Parks • Threats to US Parks During peak season use, the same problems plaguing urban areas are found in popular national parks: crime, vandalism, litter, traffic jams, pollution of soil, water and air -imbalance of wildlife populations ( elk in Yellowstone) -pollution from out of park boundaries -ecologists have found that when environmental stressors occur, several small “island” populations are more likely to become threatened than single large population in a sizable range

  12. Wilderness, Parks, and Wildlife Refuges • National Parks • Natural Regulation Letting nature take its course Fires not controlled (unless buildings threatened) Animals not culled (except invasive)

  13. Wilderness, Parks, and Wildlife Refuges • National Parks • A Representative National Park in Africa World Wildlife Fund, Cameroon government, and other agencies managing Korup National Park

  14. Wilderness, Parks, and Wildlife Refuges • Wildlife Refuges • Lands managed for conservation of fish, wildlife, and plants • Recreation (including hunting and fishing) are permitted if such activities do not impede conservation efforts

  15. Forests • Role of forests in the hydrologic cycle:

  16. Forests • Forest Management • Traditional forest management vs.Ecologically sustainable forest management • Typical tree plantation • Monoculture • Heavy use of pesticides • Very low biological diversity

  17. Forests Clearcutting • Forest Management • Harvesting Trees

  18. Forests Shelterwood cutting Selective cutting • Forest Management • Harvesting Trees

  19. Forests • Forest Management • Harvesting Trees http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-us&vid=b3d1d631-bfd0-4efc-9d50-23b48c15ae59&playlist=videoByUuids:uuids:7d2f0eea-f512-4946-a97b-9b2619e99d7a%2C9c061c0e-efad-41fb-833c-a977fe370893%2C5ebdf576-b611-4764-874f-1d85d10fc1b6&from=MSNHP&tab=m1189615355928&GT1=42006 Seed tree cutting

  20. Forests • Deforestation • World forests shrinking by 22 million acres each year • Many causes (drought, agricultural expansion, construction, tree harvest, etc.) • Results in soil infertility, warmer climates, disrupted hydrologic cycle

  21. Forests Forest Legacy Program in 1990 Farm Bill assists . . . • Forest Trends in the US

  22. Forests • Forest Trends in the US • US National Forests Managed for multiple uses (hunting, mining, recreation, timber harvesting, etc.)

  23. Forests • Forest Trends in the US • US National Forests • Case-in-Point: Tongass National Forest

  24. Forests • Trends in Tropical Forests

  25. Forests • Why Are Tropical Forests Disappearing?

  26. Forests • Why Are Tropical Forests Disappearing? • Subsistence Agriculture • Commercial Logging • Cattle Ranching and Agriculture for Export

  27. Forests • Why Are Tropical Dry Forests Disappearing?

  28. Forests • Boreal Forests and Deforestation

  29. Rangelands and Agricultural Lands • Rangelands

  30. Rangelands and Agricultural Lands • Rangeland Degradation and Desertification • Many rangelands consistently overgrazed • Overgrazing coupled with extended droughts = desertification • Worldwide desertification rate = 1,374 mi2 per year

  31. Rangelands and Agricultural Lands • Rangeland Trends in the US • Rangelands comprise 30% of land in US • 1/3rd public, 2/3rd private • Issues Involving Public Rangelands • Grazing permit fees • Wild horses and burros

  32. Rangelands and Agricultural Lands • Agricultural Lands • US has 300 million acres of prime farmland • Main problem: suburban spread onto agricultural land

  33. Wetlands and Coastal Areas • Wetlands

  34. Wetlands and Coastal Areas • Human activities that threaten wetlands: • Draining for agriculture or mosquito control • Dredging for navigation • Channelization • Construction of dams, sea walls, dykes • Filling in for solid waste disposal, roads, residential / industrial development • Conversion to aquaculture

  35. Wetlands and Coastal Areas • US legislation has attempted to maintain a “no net loss” of wetlands Reconstructed wetland in San Diego

  36. Wetlands and Coastal Areas • Coastlines • Severely degraded or destroyed in US by filling and draining • Residential and industrial development common • Resulting problems:

  37. Wetlands and Coastal Areas • Coastlines • Coastal Demographics • In US, 19 of 20 most densely populated areas along coast. • Worldwide, coastal management plans rarely integrate land and offshore water concerns • Results in overdevelopment and pollution

  38. Wetlands and Coastal Areas • Coastlines • National Marine Sanctuaries • US has 12 • Managed for multiple uses, including conservation, recreation, education, etc. • Commercial fishing permitted, though there are “no take” zones

  39. Conservation of Land Resources • Most endangered ecosystems in the US

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