1. Bellringer Why does wilderness need to be preserved?
Why shouldn’t we consider the needs of humans first?
Why don’t we consider only our short-term needs and worry about the consequences later?

2. Land Management and Conservation Section 14.3
Objectives:
Describe ways to preserve farmland, rangeland, and forest land.
Explain the functions of parks and wilderness areas.
Land Management and Conservation Section 14.3

3. Main Categories of Rural Land
Farmland
Rangeland
Forest land
National and State Parks
Wilderness

4. Farmland Used to grow crops and fruit
Provides an important oxygen source
Moderates temperatures
National Farmland Protection Program helps protect farmland in danger of being paved over or developed.

5. Rangeland
Land that supports different vegetation types and that is not used for farming or timber production (anything from deserts to swamp land)
Most common use is for grazing of livestock, so essential for world’s food supply

6. Rangeland (cont.) Problems
Overgrazing – allowing more animals to graze than the land can support
Once plants are gone (due to overgrazing), soil can erode.

7. Rangelands (cont.) Maintaining the Range
Public Rangelands Improvement Act of 1978: aims to improve land management practice.
Leave land unused to let vegetation recover.
Limit herd sizes to prevent overgrazing.
Killing invasive plants and replanting native plants
Dig several small watering holes to spread herds out over larger areas.

8. Forest Lands Harvesting trees
Clear-cutting: removing ALL trees from an area of land
Destroys wildlife habitats
Causes soil erosion
Selective cutting: cutting and removing only middle-aged or mature trees
More expensive
Less destructive – minimizes impact on the forest

9. Forest Land (cont.)
Deforestation: clearing trees from the land and not replacing them
Reduces wildlife habitats
Soil erosion
Local climate change
Usually happens as populations expand and need more land for homes, businesses, and roads
Reforestation: replanting to re-establish trees that have been cut down in a forest land

10. Parks and Preserves 1870 – Yosemite became the first national park
Wilderness: an area in which the land and its ecosystems are protected from ALL exploitation
These protected areas are still threatened by growing populations:
trash from visitors
water and air pollution from surrounding areas
climate changes