Land & Ag

1. C H A P T E R 1 4 , S E C T I O N 3 : L A N D
M A N A G E M E N T & C O N S E R V A T I O N
S T A N D A R D S : S E V 1 C , 5 C , 5 D
Land

2. What types of land are used to provide resources?
 Farmland
 Rangeland
 Forest land
 National & state parks
 Wilderness

3. Farmlands
 Land used to grow crops &
fruit.
 100 hectares of prime
farmland are found in U.S.
 1 hectare is a little less than 2
football fields.
 This land is threatened by
urban development.
 Farmland Protection
Program- helps state, county,
& local governments protect
farmland
 What will happen if we lose
farmland to development?
 Less food
 Food becomes more expensive

4. Rangelands
 Land used to support non-
food crops
 Ex: grasslands, shrublands,
deserts
 Land is used for grazing
livestock & wildlife
 Ex: cows, sheep, goats
 Threats:
 Overgrazing- allowing more
animals to graze than the
range can support.
 Leads to desertification- land
becomes more like a desert.
 If fewer plants then no roots
to hold soil- leads to erosion.

5. Rangelands (continued)
 Management:
 Most rangeland is public
land and is managed by
federal government.
 Government leases land to
ranchers.
 Land is fenced & herds
must be rotated to prevent
overgrazing and give
plants a chance to recover.
 Herd size may also be
limited.

6. Forest Lands
 Harvesting Trees
 Used for:
 Paper
 Lumber
 Furniture
 Fire wood as fuel source
 Maple syrup
 Turpentine
 Ecosystem services
provided by trees:
 Remove CO2 from air.
 Add O2 to the air
 Temperature regulation

7. Forest Lands
 3 types of forest lands:
1. Virgin forest- never been cut
2. Native forest- trees planted
& managed
3. Tree farms- planted in rows
& harvested like crops
 2 methods to harvest trees:
1. Clear cutting- remove all
trees from an area of land
• Causes erosion & loss of
wildlife habitat
2. Selective cutting- cutting
only middle-aged or mature
trees.
• More expensive but less
destructive

8. Forest Lands
 Deforestation
 Clearing trees without
replacing them.
 Reduces wildlife habitats
 Causes soil erosion when tree
roots removed from soil
 Especially bad in rainforest
where soil is thin and high
level of rainfall washes soil
away.
 Positive feedback loop:
 Farmers slash & burn forest.
 Loss of tree roots and heavy
rain causes soil erosion
 Farmers slash & burn some
more trees.
 Cycle continues.

9. Forest Lands
 Reforestation
 When farms abandoned,
area of land will
regenerate forests through
secondary succession.
 Some reforestation
projects required when
trees harvested from
public land.

10. Parks & Preserves
 1870’s first national park
created- Yellowstone National
Park.
 50 national parks across the
US- most are out west
 Public lands owned by the
government can be leased to
private companies and used
for
 Logging
 Mining
 Ranching
 Government can also
maintain these public lands as
 Wildlife refuges
 Hunting & fishing areas

11. Wilderness Areas
 Land is protected from
ALL exploitations.
 Cannot build roads,
buildings, or use
motorized equipment in
these areas
 Used for hiking, fishing,
camping, non-motorized
boating (canoe or kayak)

12. Benefits of Parks/Preserves/Wilderness Areas
 Protecting ecosystems
will preserve species &
prevent extinctions
 Provide recreational
areas for people to
relieve stress
 Outdoor classrooms &
research facilities where
we can learn more about
natural world

13. Threats to Parks/Preserves/Wilderness Areas
 When there are too many
visitors at one time…
 Leave litter behind
 Cause traffic jams (air
pollution)
 Trample plant life
 Climate change can alter the
plant life & hibernation cycles
of animals
 Invasive species crowd out
native wildlife/plants
 Measures taken to protect
these areas include:
 Limiting # of visitors
 Closing areas during animal
mating seasons
 Volunteer programs to help
clean & maintain parks

14. You should be able to…
 Explain what reforestation is and why it is
important.
 List & explain two methods of managing rangelands
sustainably.
 Describe the function of parks & wilderness areas.
 Describe the environmental effects of deforestation.
 Explain the benefits of preserving farmland.