The document discusses land use and land cover, highlighting how land is managed for various purposes and the physical features present on the land. It identifies factors affecting land use, including population growth, economic uncertainty, and increasing land values, which lead to land fragmentation and loss of agricultural productivity. It also addresses the effects of land use on water management and the importance of conservation tools like TRIMS and wildlife management associations to mitigate fragmentation.

2. What is land use?
 How the land is managed, whether it is for
agriculture, wildlife, industry, timber, or
urbanization

3. 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

6. 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%)

8. 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

9. Factors That Affect Land Use
 Agricultural economic
uncertainty
 Drought
 Supply and Demand
 Estate Taxes
October 11,
2011

10. Factors That Affect Land Use
 Increasing land
values leads to
greater
fragmentation
 Dividing up of
land into smaller
patches
 More landowners
= Different
management
perspectives

11. No Fragmentation

12. Fragmentation

13. Fragmentation
 5,000 new properties in the 1-100 size class
 Resulting problems
 Loss of sustainable wildlife habitat
 Reduced agricultural productivity

14. Fragmentation
 Reduced economic sustainability for landowners

15. 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

16. 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?

17. 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

23. Land Use Effects on Water
 Surface runoff = 24%
 Infiltration = 75%
 Wildlife habitat!
Bunchgrasses Sodgrasses
 Surface runoff = 45%
 Infiltration = 54%
 Fertilizers?

24. Land Use Effects on Water
 Maintain vegetation in riparian areas
 Reduces erosion, benefits water and wildlife

25. Land Use Effects on Water
 Riparian soils can hold more water and greater forage
production can be periodically grazed

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

27. Land Use Effects on Water
 Less erosion = Less sediment filling lakes

28. Land Management Tool - TRIMS
 TRIMS

29. Conservation Easement

30. 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

31. Texas Land Trends
 IRNR