What is land use? How the land is managed, whether it is for

agriculture, wildlife, industry, timber, or

urbanization

What is land cover? Land cover refers to the biological or

physical features on the land

Crop fields, native rangeland, improved

pasture, lakes, forests, pavement

2006 NLCD Land Use/Land Cover

Cropland (< 1%)

Forest (20%)

Developed: High (<1%)

Developed: Low (5%)

Grassland (8%)

Wetlands (21%)

Open Water (2%)

Pasture/Hay (42%)

Factors That Affect Land Use

Population growth

For every 1,000

new residents,

Texas loses 149

acres

In top 50 growth

counties, 270

acres are lost for

every 1,000 new

residents

Texas’ top 25 growth counties from 1997-

2007

Factors That Affect Land Use

Agricultural economic

uncertainty

Drought

Supply and Demand

Estate Taxes

October 11,

2011

Factors That Affect Land Use

Increasing land

values leads to

greater

fragmentation

Dividing up of

land into smaller

patches

More landowners

= Different

management

perspectives

No Fragmentation

Fragmentation

Fragmentation

5,000 new properties in the 1-100 size class

Resulting problems

Loss of sustainable wildlife habitat

Reduced agricultural productivity

Fragmentation Reduced economic sustainability for landowners

Fragmentation in the Trinity?

71,600 acres

added to 1-100

size class

140,500 acres

added to 2000+

size class

More evidence of

consolidation than

fragmentation in

the middle Trinity

Fragmentation in the Trinity?

Fragmentation more

severe north of

Houston and

moderate north of

D/FW

Significant

consolidation in the

middle basin

How about your

area?

Trinity Basin Land Use Trends Loss of 257,000

acres of native

rangeland

Gain of 334,000

acres of non-native

pasture

Loss of 231,000

acres of cropland

Gain of 82,000

acres in wildlife

Land Use Effects on Water

Surface runoff = 24%

Infiltration = 75%

Wildlife habitat!

Bunchgrasses Sodgrasses

Surface runoff = 45%

Infiltration = 54%

Fertilizers?

Land Use Effects on Water Maintain vegetation in riparian areas

Reduces erosion, benefits water and wildlife

Land Use Effects on Water Riparian soils can hold more water and greater forage

production can be periodically grazed

Land Use Effects on Water Roots anchor soil and reduce flood damage

Land Use Effects on Water Less erosion = Less sediment filling lakes

Land Management Tool - TRIMS

TRIMS

Conservation Easement

Wildlife Management Associations

Landowners working

together under

guidance of a biologist

Large area under

same general

management

Lessens the effect of

fragmentation

10 in middle basin for

95,000 acres

Texas Land Trends

IRNR