1. LAND use, MANAGEMENT, and its effects on fertility

2. Land Use Humans have been utilizing the land since the beginning of time, building settlements where there was access to water and fertile soils. Over time developments have been made in order to properly manage land use. Agriculture has been the driving force behind land use, but today there are more needs than just agriculture. Needs such as municipal, transportation, energy, recreation, and waste management.

3. Land Use/Management In order to use land we must know what terrain we are dealing with. Land Cover – refers to the landscape. Is it forest, is it grassland, is it open water, is it mountainous, etc. Land Use – shows how people use the landscape. Agriculture, municipal, mixed use, infrastructure, etc. Land cover data and mapping are major tools for land developers.

4. Land Uses Here are some of the General Categories for Land Use: Agriculture Residential Commercial Institutional Industrial Transportation Recreational Governmental Utility Open Space Note: Each category will have subcategories

5. Zoning Urban Land Use Planning is crucial to help minimize the degradation of air, water, land, biodiversity, and natural resources. Zoning is the most widely used approach. It designates certain parcels of land for certain use. What is Zoning? Philadelphia Parks and Open Space

6. Land Uses All categories of Land Use can contribute to erosion, pollution, and fertility problems; even open space land use if not managed correctly. Maintaining and managing the factors of soil/land fertility need to be considered for all types of Land Use.

7. What are the Factors of Soil/Land Fertility? soil organic matter (including microbial biomass) soil texture soil depth nutrient content storage capacity (absorption capacity) soil reaction absence of toxic elements Vermicomposting (Soil Biology and Microbiology)

8. Agriculture Agricultural use is the only Land Use that utilizes techniques to manage soil fertility. Agriculture uses large quantities of fertilizers and pesticides. Erosion becomes more prominent with modifying landscapes to accommodate crops. Erosion leads to loss of nutrients for soil fertility and causes water pollution due to the accumulation of sediments. Use of cover crops and conservation tilling help to maintain and improve soil fertility. Cover Cropping and Conservation Tillage

9. Other Land Uses Urban development typically is not focused on having fertile soil. However, it contributes drastically to the reduction of soil fertility.

10. References NOAA - http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/lclu.html http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/lclu.html IFIA - http://www.fertilizer.org/ifa/HomePage/FERTILI ZERS-THE-INDUSTRY/What-is-soil-fertility http://www.fertilizer.org/ifa/HomePage/FERTILI ZERS-THE-INDUSTRY/What-is-soil-fertility