Land Chapter 14, section 1&2 How We Use Land

Background California, (8 yrs), nearly 210,000 acres of rural land had been converted into urban land This is happening all over the world

Land Use and Land Cover Land cover - what is found on the land (ex. forest, parking lot) Urban land – when land cover is mostly buildings and roads Urban area –contains 2,500 or more people and usually has a governing body Anything else= rural- few people and large areas of open space Most land contains resources humans consume

Primary Land-Use Categories Land cover typeHuman use of land Rangeland Used to graze livestock & wildlife Forest land For harvesting wood, wildlife, fish, nuts, other resources Cropland Grow plants for food and fiber Parks and Preserves Recreation, scenic enjoyment; preserve native species & ecosystems Wetlands, mountains, deserts, and other Difficult to use for human purposes Urban land For houses, businesses, industry, roads

Land Use in the U.S.

Where We Live Until about 1850, most lived in rural areas Industrial Revolution changed this Machinery made it possible for fewer people to operate a farm or mill Transportation – could live further away Jobs were in the cities; urban areas grew rapidly – Occurred in developed countries – Currently occurring in developing

Population Living in Urban & Rural Land

The Urban-Rural Connection People - dependent on resources from rural areas (ex. clean water, fertile soil, trees) Ecosystem services – resources produced by natural and artificial ecosystems

Supporting Urban Areas Many factors determine the area of rural land to support one person (ex. climate, standard of living) Developed country – avg. person uses ecosystem services from 8 hectares of land and water – Hectare = about 2.6 acres U.S. – 12 hectares, Germany – 6 hectares Developing – could be less than 1 hectare

Urban Land Use Urbanization = movement of people from rural to cities Rapid urban growth = problems (urban crisis) Can overwhelm the infrastructure = all things a society builds for public use X. roads, sewers, railroads, police and fire stations, schools, hospitals, etc. Urban sprawl = rapid urban growth into rural areas around the urban area – i.e. suburbs

Urbanization Cities w/ little room to grow, burbs built on marginal land = land poorly suited for building – X. eroding coastline City center trap more heat, different weather patterns heat islands = increased city temps Caused by roads, buildings

Urban Planning Land Use Planning = determining in advance how land will be used Where houses, business, factories, etc. will be built GIS = Geographic informational system Computerized system for mapping, storing, viewing, and manipulating

GIS Screen Image

Urban Planning Transportation & Open Space Open Space – land set aside for scenic & recreation X. public gardens, bike & hiking trails Greenbelts = open spaces left in natural condition Traffic!! Problem – most cities built before cars Mass Transit = buses, trains, subways Save energy, reduce highway congestion, reduce air pollution