Land Use

Our urban worldForestry management

Parks, Reserves, and WildlandsAgricultural land use

Urban environments Created due to industrialization

Require resources from other places

Need natural land nearby for

ecosystem services: water, air, waste escape from stresses of daily urban life preservation for posterity

Urban environments Includes larger and larger percentages of

the population

1850 – included 15% of US citizens1920 – included more than 50% of US citizensNow – includes more than 80% of US citizens

Chicago area population growth

Portland area population growth

Urban Sprawl Why does this happen?

What are the positive and negative aspects of sprawl?

What makes a city livable?

Examples of livable cities Chicago area

Portland area

Forest management Forests provide many resources and

services In US, management practices have

changed over time

Westward expansion Development of resources – forests,

minerals, rangelands

Originally there was no land use planning

Deforestation began to occur

Natural forests, 1620

Natural forests, 1920

Natural forests today

Management strategies Clear cutting vs. selective cutting

Maximum sustainable yield

Ecosystem based management

Adaptive management

Public vs. private land

US Forest Service Gifford Pinchot

Changing mission Timber for nation Multiple use management

Impact of road building

US Forest Service and fires Changing opinions

on management

Total suppression Let it burn Prescribed burns Influence of climate

change

US federal parks and reserves National parks:

Managed by National Park Service monuments, historic sites, wild and scenic

rivers, parks, and recreation areas Too many visitors?

National forests: Managed by US Forest Service Timber harvests Fire suppression

US federal parks and reserves National wildlife refuges:

Managed by US Fish and Wildlife Service Variety of management styles

Preservation (Sevilleta NWR as example) Active manipulation

(Bosque del Apache NWR as example)

Sevilleta Wildlife Refuge, NM

Sevilleta Wildlife Refuge, NM

Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge, NM

Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge, NM

Wilderness areas Should they exist?

Changing values Resources such as timber, oil, minerals? States rights?

Wilderness Act of 1964 Public lands can be set aside No development allowed

What should parks look like? Many small or one large? Protection of biodiversity Wildlife corridors

What is practical?

Agricultural land use 38% of land world-wide is agriculturally

used 2/3 of this is pasture land 1/3 of this is used for crops

Crop production - feeding the world Industrial agriculture – green revolution

Inorganic fertilizers and synthetic pesticides Fossil fuels Genetically modified crops Monocultures Removal of wetlands

What about sustainable agricultural practices? Soil management Irrigation practices Targeted fertilizer Integrated pest management No-till farming

Livestock grazing ¼ of world land

Sustainable if at low intensity – think about Tragedy of the Commons

Use of public lands

Some additional agricultural issues Feedlot agriculture (factory farming) Aquaculture Organic farming Buy local movement

Making cities livable Planning and zoning Urban growth boundaries Smart growth New urbanism Transit options Parks