Land and Water Use

Topics Rangeland Urban Land Development Public and Federal Lands Mining Fishing Global Economics

Rangeland

Rangeland Vast natural

landscapes with different vegetation including tall and short grasslands, chaparral, scrubland, woodlands, and wetlands

Covered in natural vegetation and often used as grazing lands

Rangelands Rangelands are about 40% of the land in the US

Nearly 80% of the land in the west Only 7% on the east coast

Value of Rangelands Source of grazing for livestock and wildlife

Low input, fully renewable food production Source of high quality water, clean air, and

open space Setting for recreation

Fishing, hunting, camping, hiking, nature experiences

Used for agriculture, mining, and living communities

Habitat for many game and non-game animals

Habitat for diverse array of natural plants

Overgrazing Occurs when plants are exposed for too

long without sufficient recovery periods. Plants that are overgrazed lose their

stored energy and die Root dieback can add nutrients to the soil and

improve water retention Plants are over grazed when it is regrazed

before the roots recover Overgrazing slows root growth by 90%

Consequence of overgrazing Pastures are less productive Soils have less organic matter and are less

fertile Soil porosity is decreased Infiltration and moisture holding capacity

of the soil drops Desired plants become stressed and

weedier species thrive Biodiversity decreases by reducing native

vegetation

Consequence of overgrazing Erosion can occur Riparian (river banks, stream beds) can be

destroyed and increase silting Eutrophication due to cattle waste Balance of ecosystem is threatened

through predator control programs Diseases can thrive Sustainability of the land is threatened

Desertification Conversion of marginal rangeland or

cropland to more desert type land Caused by:

Overgrazing Soil erosion Prolonged drought Climate change

Steps of desertification1. Overgrazing results in animals eating all

available plant life2. Rain washes away trampled soil3. Wells, springs, and other water sources dry up4. Remaining vegetation dies or is taken for

firewood5. Weeds unsuitable to grazing take over6. Ground becomes unsuitable for seed

germination7. Winds and dry heat blow away the topsoil

Federal Rangeland Management Jurisdiction through Forest Service and

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Before 1995: policies determined by

rancher advisory boards After 1995: resource advisory council was

formed by member of many groups with many interests

40% of federal grazing permits are owned by 3% (~2000) of all livestock operators True cost =~$10 - $20 per animal per day

Methods of rangeland management1. Controlling the number and distribution of

livestock so that the carrying capacity is not exceeded

2. Restoring degraded rangeland3. Moving livestock from one area to

another to allow the rangeland to recover4. Fencing off riparian areas to reduce

damage to these sensitive areas5. Suppressing the growth of invasive plant

species

Methods of rangeland management6. Replanting barren rangeland with native

grass seed to reduce soil erosion7. Providing supplemental feed at selected

sites8. Locating water holes, water tanks, and

salt blocks at strategic points that do not degrade the environment

Conservation concerns Land administered by the BLM is inhabited

by 219 species of wildlife

Livestock grazing is the fifth rated threat to endangered plant species, fourth leading threat to endangered wildlife, and number one threat to endangered species in arid regions

Urban Land Development

Planned Development In US

76 million residential buildings 5 million commercial buildings

Use: 1/3 of the energy 2/3 of the electricity

Energy needs ½ of sulfur dioxide 1/4 of nitrous oxide 1/3 of carbon dioxide

Green buildings and cities Focus on systems approach Include:

Energy conservation through government and private rebates, tax incentives, and other less-polluting forms of energy

Resource-efficient building techniques and materials

Indoor air quality Water conservation through use of xeriscaping Designs that minimize waste while utilizing

recycled materials

Green buildings and cities Include:

Placing buildings whenever possible near public transportation hubs that use a multitude of venues such as light rail, subways, and park and rides

Creating environments that are pedestrian friendly by incorporating parks, green-belts, and shopping areas in accessible areas

Preserving historical and cultural aspects of the community while at the same time blending into natural feeling and aesthetics of a community

Suburban sprawl and urbanization Urbanization = the movement of people form

rural areas to cities and the changes that accompany it

Greatest urbanization in Asia and Africa Reasons for the move:

Access to jobs Easier access to health care Mechanization of agriculture Access to education

Nations with most rapid increase in urbanization are those with the most rapid economic growth

Pros of urbanization Uses less land – less

impact on the environment

Better education delivery system

Mass transit systems reduce reliance on fossil fuels – shorter commute

Better sanitation Recycling systems are

more efficient

Large numbers of people generate higher tax revenues

Urban areas attract industry due to availability of raw materials, distribution networks, customers, and labor pool

Much pollution comes from point sources – enables focused remediation techniques

Cons of urbanization More concentrated

impact on the land Overcrowded schools Commuting times are

longer because infrastructure cannot keep up with growth

Sanitiation systems have greater volumes of waste to deal with

Solid-waste build up is more pronounced – landfill space is scarce and costly

Large number of poor strain social services – wealthier people move to suburbs and decreases the tax base

High population densities lead to higher crime rates

Population increase may be greater than job growth rate

Pollution levels are high

Transportation and Infrastructure Transportation can be via roadways or

water channels

Areas without transportation infrastructure suffer ecosystem impacts Degraded environment due to off-roading People take multiple paths through the

environment instead of just one

Federal Highway System ~160,000 miles of roadway important to

nations economy, defense, and mobility Receive federal funding but are owned,

built, and operated by the states Taxes

18 cents/ gallon of gas 25 cents/ gallon of diesel Tax on heavy vehicles

Federal Highway System Continued Serves all major US cities Interstates go through downtown areas

and facilitate urban sprawl Virtually all goods and services go involve

the highways system at some point in time

Impact of an efficient and well maintained highways system Less pollution: less stop and go traffic = less

pollution Reduced green house gasses: reduced congestion

= less greenhouse gas emissions Improve fuel economy and reduce dependence

on foreign oil: fueled economy (mpg) is reduced in traffic Modest improvements would save 1 billion gallons of

fuel each year Improve the economy: interstates return $6 for

every $1 invested Improve the quality of life: allow products to be

distributed more efficiently

Canals and Channels Channel (straight) –

narrow body of water that connect two larger bodies of water

Can be natural or constructed Need dredging because

of silting

Channels Channels frequented by ships are

maintained by the Department of the Interior

Monitored and policed by the Coast Guard

Smaller channels are maintained by state and local governments

Suez Canal 163 mile canal

connect the Red Sea and the Mediterranean

Allows water transport between Europe and Asia without going around Africa

8% of the world’s shipping goes through the Suez Canal

Panama Canal 48 mile canal

connecting the Pacific Ocean with the Atlantic

Allows water transport without going around South America

Lake Gatun An artificial lake created to help traffic on

the Panama Canal Deforestation has lead to rapid run off of

rain and erosion of the slopes The lake needs to be dredged to maintain its

depth Shortfall in the dry season threatens the lake’s

capacity

Roadless Areas and Ecosystem Impact Roadless areas are a haven for fish and

wildlife interior species that have suffered habitat loss in other areas

Provide habitat to 1600+ threatened or endangered species

Protects watersheds Roadless rule protects 60 million acres or

31% of National Forest systems – 2% of total land area

Public and Federal Lands

Management – BLM Manages:

1/8 of the United States (262 million acres) 300 million acres of subsurface mining

resources Wildlife management and preservation on 400

million acres Mostly in western US and Alaska Grasslands, forests, high mountains, arctic

tundra, deserts Resources: energy, mineral, timber, forage,

wild horse and burro populations, fish and wildlife habitats, wilderness, areas, archeological, paleontological, and historical sites

National Parks World wide: over 1,100

Most do not receive protection from poachers, loggers, miners, and farmers due to cost involved

U.S. National Parks 84 million acres (4 million in private

ownership) Threatened by:

large numbers of visitors Congestion eroded trails noise pollution pollution from autos and visitors introduction of invasive species off road vehicles commercial activities

Solution to national park issues Reducing amount of private land within national

parks Providing education programs to the public Setting quotas on attendance through advanced

reservation Adopting a fee that covers costs Banning off-road vehicles Banning autos and providing buses to control traffic Providing tax incentives to property owners near

parks to use land grants Conducting periodic and detailed wildlife and plant

inventories

Laws relevant to national parks Wilderness act (1964) Wild and scenic rivers act (1968) Food Security Act (1985): a.k.a

“Swampbuster” contains provisions to discourage the conversion of wetlands into non-wetland areas. Also created system for farmers to regain lost federal benefits if they restore converted wetlands.

Wildlife Refuges 1st: Pelican Island, 4-acres off the coast of

Florida in 1903 to protect breeding birds First created to protect wildlife that was

over hunted Bison, birds

System developed piecemeal in response to wildlife crisis

National Wildlife Refuge Consists of:

547 refuges 93+ million acres

Managed by Fish and Wildlife Service

Wetlands Areas that are covered

by water and support plants that can grow in water-saturated soil

High plant productivity Support rich diversity

of animal life Countries with most:

Canada Russian Federation Brazil

Value of wetlands Natural water purification systems Stabilize shorelines and reduce damage by

storm surges Reduce the risk of flooding Reduce salt water intrusion Habitat for many species during all or part

of their life cycle

Types of Wetlands Fen

Has a continuous source of ground water rich in magnesium and calcium (alkaline or basic)

Water is from glacial deposits Ground is impermeable to water so water sits

on the surface Bog

Accumulates acidic peat In cold and temperate climates Low in nutrients and highly acidic Carnivorous plants adapted

Habitat Loss In US, wetlands used to cover 10% of the

land; now they only cover 5% Most in Louisiana and Florida

90% of habitat loss is due to conversion to agriculture or urban development

1/3 of all endangered species in US spend part of their life in a wetland

Wilderness areas Wild or primitive portions of national

forests, parks, and wildlife refuges where little to no human activity occurs

Wilderness Act created National Wilderness Preservation System

Encompasses a wide variety of ecosystems throughout the country