Land, Public and Private Chapter 10

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 (MYP) 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. National Monuments

 National Parks a. 3,400 in the world b. managed for scientific, educational, and recreational use c. not used for extraction of resources

 Managed Resource Protected Areas a. 4,100 sites b. allows for sustained use of biological, mineral and recreational uses c. ex) national forests

 Habitat/Species Management Areas a. 27,600 sites b. actively managed to maintain biological communities c. done through predator prevention, etc.

 Strict Nature Reserves and Wilderness Areas a. 6,000 sites b. established to protect species and ecosystems

 Protected Landscapes and Seascapes a. 6,500 sites b. nondestructive use of natural resources with opportunities for tourism and recreation c. ex) orchards, beaches, etc /

 National Monuments a. 20,000 b. 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 - steep slopes: loss of soil and nutrients - increases sunlight reaching water - replanting * use of herbicides and fire * reduces soil quality, contaminates water, reduces biodiversity

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

 National Parks a. 58 in US b. Goal 1. based on multiple-use principle 2. set aside to protect ecosystems c. human activities 1. air and water pollution 2. lead to destruction of habitats

 Wildlife Refuges and Wilderness Areas a. protecting wildlife b. limited human use and are roadless

 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  Suburban v. Exurban a. suburban 1. surrounds metropolitan areas 2. low population densities b. exurban 1. unconnected to any central city 2. low population densities

 Urban Sprawl a. urbanized areas that have spread into rural areas b. removes clear boundaries between the two c. 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