1. Chapter 14, Section 3: Land Management & Conservation
Standards: SEV1c, 5c, 5d

2. What types of land are used to provide resources?
Farmland
Rangeland
Forest land
National & state parks
Wilderness

3. Farmlands Land used to grow crops & fruit.
100 hectares of prime farmland are found in U.S.
1 hectare is a little less than 2 football fields.
This land is threatened by urban development.
Farmland Protection Program- helps state, county, & local governments protect farmland
What will happen if we lose farmland to development?
Less food
Food becomes more expensive

4. Rangelands Land used to support non-food crops
Ex: grasslands, shrublands, deserts
Land is used for grazing livestock & wildlife
Ex: cows, sheep, goats
Threats:
Overgrazing- allowing more animals to graze than the range can support.
Leads to desertification- land becomes more like a desert.
If fewer plants then no roots to hold soil- leads to erosion.

5. Rangelands (continued)
Management:
Most rangeland is public land and is managed by federal government.
Government leases land to ranchers.
Land is fenced & herds must be rotated to prevent overgrazing and give plants a chance to recover.
Herd size may also be limited.

6. Forest Lands Harvesting Trees Used for:
Paper
Lumber
Furniture
Fire wood as fuel source
Maple syrup
Turpentine
Ecosystem services provided by trees:
Remove CO2 from air.
Add O2 to the air
Temperature regulation

7. Forest Lands 3 types of forest lands: 2 methods to harvest trees:
Virgin forest- never been cut
Native forest- trees planted & managed
Tree farms- planted in rows & harvested like crops
2 methods to harvest trees:
Clear cutting- remove all trees from an area of land
Causes erosion & loss of wildlife habitat
Selective cutting- cutting only middle-aged or mature trees.
More expensive but less destructive

8. Forest Lands Deforestation Clearing trees without replacing them.
Reduces wildlife habitats
Causes soil erosion when tree roots removed from soil
Especially bad in rainforest where soil is thin and high level of rainfall washes soil away.
Positive feedback loop:
Farmers slash & burn forest.
Loss of tree roots and heavy rain causes soil erosion
Farmers slash & burn some more trees.
Cycle continues.

9. Forest Lands Reforestation
When farms abandoned, area of land will regenerate forests through secondary succession.
Some reforestation projects required when trees harvested from public land.

10. Parks & Preserves
1870’s first national park created- Yellowstone National Park.
50 national parks across the US- most are out west
Public lands owned by the government can be leased to private companies and used for
Logging
Mining
Ranching
Government can also maintain these public lands as
Wildlife refuges
Hunting & fishing areas
First picture is waterfall in Yellowstone. Second picture is hot spring in Yellowstone. Colors in the hot spring from bacteria.
Most national parks are out west because the east was already urbanized before 1870s when the idea to conserve land was first proposed.

11. Wilderness Areas Land is protected from ALL exploitations.
Cannot build roads, buildings, or use motorized equipment in these areas
Used for hiking, fishing, camping, non-motorized boating (canoe or kayak)

12. Benefits of Parks/Preserves/Wilderness Areas
Protecting ecosystems will preserve species & prevent extinctions
Provide recreational areas for people to relieve stress
Outdoor classrooms & research facilities where we can learn more about natural world

13. Threats to Parks/Preserves/Wilderness Areas
When there are too many visitors at one time…
Leave litter behind
Cause traffic jams (air pollution)
Trample plant life
Climate change can alter the plant life & hibernation cycles of animals
Invasive species crowd out native wildlife/plants
Measures taken to protect these areas include:
Limiting # of visitors
Closing areas during animal mating seasons
Volunteer programs to help clean & maintain parks

14. You should be able to…
Explain what reforestation is and why it is important.
List & explain two methods of managing rangelands sustainably.
Describe the function of parks & wilderness areas.
Describe the environmental effects of deforestation.
Explain the benefits of preserving farmland.