Land Use and Agriculture

THINK! How Do We Use Land? Humans use land for many purposes.

THINK! What is “Land Cover”?

Land Cover and Land Usage Land cover is what you find on a patch of land, and it often depends on how the land is used. For example, land cover might be a forest, a field of grain, or a parking lot.

Land Cover Scramble Compare the diagram to the right to the puzzle your group constructed. Sketch the pie chart with the correct labels in your journal.

Land Cover and Land Usage Rangeland- Used to graze livestock and wildlife. Forest Land- Used to harvest wood, wildlife, nuts, and other resources. Cropland- Used to grown plants. Parks- Used for recreation or preservation. Urban Land- Used for housing, businesses, industry, and roads. Other- Land that is difficult for human use like wetlands, mountains, and deserts.

THINK! Urban versus Rural

Urban Land Land mainly covered with buildings and roads. Also, typically contains 2,500 or more people and usually has a governing body, such as a city council

Rural Land Land with relatively few people and large areas of open space. Typically has areas of open land that are used for farming.

Ecosystem Services: The Urban-Rural Connection Ecosystem services – Resources produced by natural and artificial ecosystems, that all people depend upon, regardless of where they live. THINK! What are some examples of ecosystem services?

Ecosystem Services: The Urban-Rural Connection End

HOW is land use determined and WHO determines how it is used?

Urban Land-Use Planning Used to determine, in advance, how land will be used. Involves using GIS technology- a computerized system for storing, manipulating and viewing geographic data. Federal, state, and local governments require developers to prepare detailed reports on environmental impacts Developers, federal and state governments, local businesses, and citizens often disagree about land-use plans.

The Beauty of GIS The software allows a use to enter different types of data and create maps, in which layers of information about an area can be viewed

GIS Maps

Today’s Lab: Land-Use Planning In groups of TWO You will plan and create a simulated land-use model of a community You will evaluate other communities Must include required elements Must abide by state laws

Urban Land Use

THINK! Urban or Rural Living Around the Globe Consider the following countries: Africa, Asia, Europe, South America and North America, and Oceania. Do you think most of the people live in urban or rural areas?

Urban versus Rural Living Around the Globe

Pre-Industrialization Until about 1850, most people lived in rural areas. Farmed Managed the forests Worked in local mines or mills. Manufactured the necessities of life for the town.

Industrialization The Industrial Revolution changed this pattern. Thousands of rural jobs were eliminated, and many people had to move to cities to find jobs. As a result, urban areas grew rapidly during the 20th century and spread over more land.

THINK! What is Urbanization?

Urbanization An increase in the density of people living in urban areas rather than in rural areas Why does urbanization occur?

Urbanization Why does urbanization occur? More plentiful jobs Better paying jobs Better schools Recreational areas To find things they want/need Urbanization can lead to a “megalopolis”. What do you think this means?

Urbanization  Metropolis or Megalopolis As urban populations have grown, many small towns have grown together and formed large urban areas called metropolitan areas. What are some examples of metropolitan areas or a megalopois?

THINK! What are some problems with rapid urbanization?

What are some problems with rapid urbanization? The urban crisis! Population overwhelms infrastructure- all of the things society builds for public use. Roads Sewers Railroads Bridges Canals Fire and police stations Schools Hospitals Water mains Power lines

Infrastructure Collapse The Urban Crisis! When more people live in a city than its infrastructure can support, the living conditions deteriorate

THINK! The Urban Crisis! How could you identify urban crisis? What are indicators of urban crisis? Think about articles you might read about in the newspaper. How might a particular news story indicate urban crisis? Think & be ready to share your ideas.

Urban Crisis in the News! Indicators of urban crisis include: Living conditions deteriorate Increasing crime Homelessness Tax increases Traffic congestion Urbanization can also lead to urban sprawl. THINK! What do you think that means?

Urban Sprawl & “The Burbs” Urban sprawl – the rapid spread of a city into the adjoining countryside. Usually caused from building suburbs. Suburbs – housing and associated commercial buildings on the boundary of a larger town

So…What do we know about Urbanization? Urbanization, the movement of people into cities, can lead to the urban crisis & urban sprawl. Urbanization can also cause something called “The Heat Island” effect…

THINK! The Heat Island Effect Environmental conditions differ between cities and the countryside. Cities usually have increased temperatures. Why?

The Heat Island Effect Heat Island – an area in which the air temp is generally higher than the temp of surrounding rural areas Roads and buildings absorb and retain heat longer than vegetation Increased temps Increased rainfall

Mass Transit In most cities mass transit systems have been constructed Buses Trains What are some advantages of mass transit?

Advantages of Mass Transit Move many people at one time Save energy Reduce highway congestions Reduce air pollution Limit the loss of land to roadways and parking lots End

Open Space In many cities, open spaces have been built into urban plans. Open spaces refer to land within urban areas that is set aside for scenic and recreational enjoyment. Parks Public gardens Bicycle paths Hiking trails What environmental benefits do open spaces provide?

Environmental Benefits of Open Space Absorptions of CO2 Production of O2 Filter pollutants from the air and water Reduce drainage/flooding problems Regulate temperatures

Self Test: Land Use Vocab Accounts for higher temps in cities What you find on a piece of land Caused when infrastructure is overwhelmed due to overcrowding Resources all people depend on regardless of where they live Mostly open land with few people Migration of people into cities Spread of a city into adjoining countrysides Land with many people and buildings All of the things society builds for public use Urban Rural Urbanization Urban Sprawl Urban Crisis Infrastructure Ecosystem Services Land Cover Heat Island Effect

Self Test: Land Use Vocab Accounts for higher temps in cities What you find on a piece of land Caused when infrastructure is overwhelmed due to overcrowding Resources all people depend on regardless of where they live Mostly open land with few people Migration of people into cities Spread of a city into adjoining countrysides Land with many people and buildings All of the things society builds for public use UrbanH RuralE UrbanizationF Urban SprawlG Urban CrisisC InfrastructureI Ecosystem ServicesD Land CoverB Heat Island Effect A

Self Test: Urban or Rural?

Self Test: Urbanization or Urban Sprawl?

Rural Land Use and Conservation

Farmlands Land used to grow crops and fruit. The U.S. contains more than 247 million acres of prime farmland. National Farmland Protection Program, 1996

“Home, Home on the Range”lands Land that supports different vegetation types like grasslands, shrublands and deserts Not used for farming or timber production The most common human use of rangeland is for the grazing of livestock

Problems on the Range Overgrazing – the depletion of vegetation due to the continuous feeding of too many animals Loss of vegetation = Soil erosion THINK! How can this be avoided? .

Improving & Maintaining Rangelands The Public Rangelands Improvement Act; 1978 Improving rangeland that has been degraded by overgrazing often includes methods such as: Limiting herd size Planting native vegetation Fencing areas to let them recover to the state they were in before they were overgrazed Multiple water holes

Forest Land Land used to harvest trees Three categories of forests: Virgin forests: forests that have never been cut. Native forests: forests that are planted and managed. Tree farms: areas where trees are planted in rows and harvested like other crops.

Harvesting Trees Two methods for harvesting trees: Clear-cutting is the process of removing all of the trees from an area of land. Selective cutting is the process of cutting and removing only middle-aged or mature trees. THINK! What might be some advantages and disadvantages of each method?

Clear Cutting: Less expensive than selective-cutting, but very destructive with high rates of erosion Selective Cutting: More expensive than clear-cutting, but much less destructive

Deforestation Clearing of trees without replacing them Why would forests be cleared? To convert the land into farmland To make space for roads, homes, factories, and office buildings What are the environmental impacts of clearing forests? Reduces wildlife habitat Increased soil erosion Increased levels of CO2

Reforestation The re-establishment and development of trees in a forest land where they were lost. Some governments require reforestation after timber has been harvested.

Parks and Preserves 1870’s Congress agreed to protect land in Wyoming and Montana The first National park, Yellowstone, was created in 1872. 1916 National Park Service was signed into existence. Now ~50 National Parks.

U.S. Wilderness Act;1964 Wilderness – a region that is not cultivated and that is not inhabited by humans. Designated certain lands as wilderness areas- areas in which the land and ecosystems it supports is protected. 474 regions covering 32 million acres in the US Used for hiking , fishing, boating (non motor) and camping. Roads or structures requiring motorized equipment are not allowed.

Parks and Preserves Wilderness areas serve as research labs where people can learn more about the natural world. These protected areas also provide recreation, such as hiking and camping. THINK! What are the benefits of and threats to these areas?

Self Test: Rural Land Use Vocab Rangeland Farmland or Cropland Clear-Cutting Selective-Cutting Deforestation Virgin Forests Reforestation Wilderness Overgrazing Cutting down trees without replacing them Region that is not cultivated or inhabited by humans Land used to grow crops Forests that have never been cut Removing some trees, while leaving others Land used for grazing animals Re-establishment of trees in an area where they were once lost Loss of vegetation, caused by too much feeding, that can result in soil erosion Removing all trees in a particular area

Self Test: Reforestation or Deforestation? B. ________________________

Self Test: Clear vs. Selective Cutting B. ________________________