Land, Public and Private

Human Activities Affecting Land and Environment  Extensive logging – mudslides  Deforestation – climate change  Paving – water runoff, “heat islands”  Overuse of farmland – soil degradation, water pollution

Tragedy of the Commons Land viewed as a common resource Garrett Hardin a. Tragedy of the Commons - shared, limited resource becomes depleted due to people acting on self-interest for short-term gain More common when there’s no land use agreement or regulation

Result of negative externality - can lead to serious environmental problems - no one be held legally or financially responsible Solution - private ownership - regulation

Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) a. maximum amount that can be harvested without compromising the future availability of that resource b. keeps the resource population at ~1/2 carrying capacity of environment c. permits an indefinite use without depletion of resource

Public Land Use  ~ 11% of Earth’s land area is protected  International Categories of Public Lands a. National Parks b. Managed Resource Protected Areas c. Habitat/Species Management Areas d. Strict Nature Reserves and Wilderness Areas e. Protected Landscapes and Seascapes f. Natural Monuments

 National Parks a. managed for scientific, educational, and recreational use b. not used for extraction of resources

 Managed Resource Protected Areas a. allows for sustained use of biological, mineral and recreational uses ex) national forests

 Habitat/Species Management Areas a. actively managed to maintain biological communities b. done through predator prevention, etc.

 Strict Nature Reserves and Wilderness Areas a. established to protect species and ecosystems

 Protected Landscapes and Seascapes a. nondestructive use of natural resources with opportunities for tourism and recreation b. ex) orchards, beaches, etc /

 Natural Monuments a. protect unique sites of natural and cultural interest

Public Land in the US  Owned by federal, state, or local govnt’s  Federal is the largest (~25% of country)  Classification a. include - rangelands, national forests, national parks, wildlife refuges, and wilderness areas

 Multiple-Use Lands a. used for recreation, grazing, timber, and mineral extraction

 Federal Agencies a. Bureau of Land Management - grazing, mining, recreation, timber b. United States Forest Service - timber, grazing, mining c. National Park Service - recreation and conservation d. Fish and Wildlife Service - wildlife conservation, hunting, recreation

Land Management Practices  Rangelands a. dry, open grasslands b. primarily used for cattle grazing c. Grazing 1. benefit - uses less fossil fuel then feedlots 2. consequence - leaves land exposed to erosion

 Forests a. dominated by trees b. used for commercial logging - pulp and wood c. harvesting techniques 1. clear-cutting - removing all trees in an area - forests are replanted all at once

2. selective-cutting - removes single tree among many - creates small openings - trees of different ages - shade-tolerant 3. Impacts of both types of harvesting - logging roads to carry equipment * destruction of habitats * compaction of soil  loss of nutrients and ability to infiltrate water /blog-post-3-environmental-history-and-worldviews/

d. Fire Management - natural process for nutrient cycling - provides openings for early-successional species - prescribed burn * fire set under controlled conditions

 Federal Regulation a. National Environmental Policy Act - assesses all projects b. Environmental Impact Statement - analyzes environmental impact c. Environmental Mitigation Plan - how will the impact be addressed d. Endangered Species Act - designed to protect species

Expanding Residential Land Use  Urban Sprawl a. urbanized areas that have spread into rural areas b. causes 1. automobiles and highways 2. living costs 3. urban blight 4. government policies - highway trust fund - zoning

 Smart Growth a. strategies that encourage development of sustainable, healthy communities basic principles - mixed land uses - range of housing choices - walkable neighborhoods - collaboration in development decisions - compact building design - attractive communities with a sense of place - preserve open space - variety of transportation - direct development towards existing communities - cost-effective decisions