Land Management and Conservation /08

Keeping rural lands free from urbanization and in good shape is important because of the environmental services they provide

Farmland US 100 billion hectares of prime farmland Much of it was at one time prairie or forest Threats – urban development and erosion

Farmland Protection 1996 Farmland Protection Program Williamson Act – California 1965 specifies land as agricultural for less taxes

Rangeland Includes grassland, shrublands and deserts Most commonly used for grazing

Threats Overgrazing Results in erosion Changes in the plant community Desertification

Conservation Public Rangelands Improvement Act 1978

Methods Kill invasive plants Plant Native species Manage livestock Provide for dispersed watering for livestock Fence riparian areas

Forest Lands Provide Wood products and paper Habitat for many species Produce Oxygen and use carbon Dioxide

Worldwide – 1800 cubic centimeters of wood used per day In US almost 3.5 times that amount

Classification of Forest Lands Virgin forest – never cut

Native Forest – Planted and Managed

Tree Farms – Land cleared and trees planted in rows

Harvesting Methods Clear Cutting Selective cutting

Deforestation Forest cleared to make farmland or to expand urbanization Loss of habitat and erosion of soil Amazon deforestation

Reforestation Replanting of trees or allowing natural succession to take place

Parks and Preserves 1850 Yellowstone – first National Park

In United States National Parks National Forests National Wildlife Refuges Bureau of Land Management State Parks, Forests and Preserves Private Conservancies

Worldwide United Nation – Man and the Biosphere Program Set up hundreds of preserves worldwide – include people

US Wilderness Act 1964 Ecosystems protected from all exploitation Benefits – species diversity Recreation Science