LandSamir Al-Ali, Jake Mitchell, Christian Thorsberg, Brett Wicklund

Section 8.1: The City Vocabulary Urbanization: Movement of people

from rural areas to cities. (pg.199) Infrastructure: the necessary

structures, including roads, buildings, bridges, and sewers, that a society builds for public use. (pg. 199)

Urban Crisis: land area with dense population and with the housing and infrastructure necessary for citizens’ wellbeing. (pg. 199)

Suburban Sprawl: low-density development that spreads out around cities. (pg.200)

Land-use Planning: determining the location of homes, businesses, and protected areas before an area is developed. (pg.201)

“A skyscraper could be viewed as a symbol of big-city life [urbanization].” (p.199)

Section 8.1: The City (cont.) In 1982, California officials decided to find out

how land was being used in their state. Over the next few years, after careful measurements, 210,000 acres of land were converted into cities, and classified.

A city is classified as a place with at least 5000 people per square mile. 80% of Americans live in urban areas, and in 2025, 2/3 of the world will live in a city.

Because of the important resources that big cities need, non-urban areas must be cared for.

Modern farm equipment has reduced the number of farming jobs resulting in urbanization.

Many cities haven’t been coping well with their ever-growing populations.

Infrastructure is all of the things a society builds for public use.

Land use of the US: Rangeland/Grassland 29%, Cropland 17%, Forest/Woodland 30%, Urban 2%, Wetlands/Tundra/Deserts 13%, Wilderness and Wildlife Refuges 9%.

Urban crisis is the term used for when a society grows too large for the right infrastructures.

Suburban Sprawl is land taken up by new developments outside the cities. Generally, the suburbs offer living for less money, with lower crime rates.

The Infrastructure of a city highway in California.

Suburban Sprawl is land taken up by new developments outside the cities. Generally, the suburbs offer living for less money, with lower crime rates.

2.5 million acres of land in the U.S. are suburbs. A “wedges and corridors” system was developed around big cities to space out the land. This allowed urban areas to be separated from recreational, open land, and separated growing populations.

The “wedge and corridors” helps in placing and operating electrical lines as well as roads and streets.

In 1993, the average American spent $1700 on gas. Most Europeans use mass transit.

Mass transit is an efficient way of transportation, decreasing air pollution and increasing the amount of open space. This is important for an urban city, and helps reduce the suburban sprawl.

However, not all cities are capable of having, or paying for a subway station or bus system.

Some people have brought their businesses to the suburbs, leaving their former building in the city vacant and in need of renovation. These buildings are called urban-renewal projects.

Most urban-renewal projects have been carried out because of government grants and taxes.

The open spaces in the “wedge and corridors” are used for parks, pools, trails, and gardens. It is important for people to escape the noisy cities, and keep the air clean. Also, the high vegetation of open spaces act as drainage, preventing floods in the urban areas.

Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Chicago’s main mass transit system.

Section 8.1: The City (cont.)

Section 8.2: How We Use Land

Vocabulary Deforestation: clearing trees from an area

without replacing them (pg.205) Clear Cutting: method of harvesting trees in

which all of the trees are removed from a land area, as opposed to selective cutting (pg.205)

Selective Cutting: method of harvesting only middle-aged or mature trees individually or in small groups (pg. 206

Reforestation: process of replacing trees that have died or been cut down (pg.206)

Overgrazing Mineral: damage to grassland caused by too many animals eating in a limited area; often so harmful that the grass cannot recover (pg. 208)

Mineral Resources: minerals that have economic value and are useful to humans in some way (pg. 210)

Open-pit Mining: method of mining in which large holes is dug in the ground to remove materials such as ore, sand, gravel, and building stone (pg. 210)

Strip Mine: method of mining in which huge machines clear away large strips of the Earth’s surface, as in phosphate mining (pg.210)

A fairly successful Reforestation effort.

Section 8.2: How We Use Land (cont.)

Most of the resources needed in urban areas come from the world’s non-urban and rural areas.

Non-urban lands include forests, rich grasslands, and mining sites.

Unfortunately, many of these non-urban lands are destroyed or damaged because of overuse.

We harvest trees to make paper and furniture, and the average person uses enough of these to add up to a thirty meter tall tree.

Firewood is needed by many people; in fact 1.5 billion people in developing countries depend on firewood as fuel.

In other countries, the trees are disregarded and cut down, because the people want to use the fertile soil and land to harvest and farm. Also to make roads and businesses.

Deforestation is clearing trees from an area without replacing them, and is a big problem. Rain Forests are being cut down and the ground is used only for a short time, because the soil is not fertile enough for permanent farming.

When people harvest trees, the majority clear-cut, which means remove all the trees from a certain areas. Not only does this destroy the trees and land but it kills wildlife.

Another and preferred method of cutting down trees is called Selective Cutting, which results in only chopping down a specific type of tree or trees in an area, leaving others alone.

Deforestation is a global environmental issue.

Selective Cutting allows the trees to grow back naturally.

Reforestation is the process of replacing already chopped down trees, but can only be done with trees cut down from Selective Cutting.

90% of the world’s lumber comes from forests not monitored by the government.

Many governments are working to protect the forests, creating different programs and laws.

Rangelands consist of shrubs and grasses, and are home to many livestock that are important to the world’s food.

The dangers of the rangelands include their susceptibility to grass-fires and droughts. However, this is only a danger to humans because these plants can keep growing right throw the hard times.

Even though the grasses are adaptable, overgrazing is one thing that can instantly limit their amounts.

As the grasses die, their roots decay, and this process leads to desertification, which converts rangeland to wasteland.

The Public Rangelands Improvement Act of 1978 has helped manage rangelands, but still rangelands find themselves victim to overuse and overgrazing.

Section 8.2: How We Use Land (cont.)

A Timber Forest after Selective Cutting.

A very large amount of land is used for mining minerals, which can be formed into many of the different materials we have today.

There are two types of methods of mining: open-pit mining and strip mining.

In open-pit mining, machines dig large holds into the ground and remove the ore and other minerals.

In strip mining, huge bulldozers and other machines clear away large strips of the Earth’s surface. Many raw materials are found this way.

Mining leaves long-lasting effects on Earth, and causes environmental damage. While habitats are cleared away for a mining spot, the mines leave behind a lot of waste and the area’s ecosystem is ruined.

Every year the amount of waste increases because the miners have to dig deeper and deeper to find the right resources.

In an effort to maintain the damages caused by mining, a system called reclamation has been developed. After the land has been used for the mining and work needed, the mining company must fill the hole back up and replace the earth, while planting trees and plants again.

Another way to reduce mining is to limit the need for more minerals. This can be achieved through recycling and reusing.

Section 8.2: How We Use Land (cont.)

An example of an open-pit mine.

Section 8.3: Public Land in the United States

Vocabulary Wilderness: designated natural area

where the land and the ecosystems it supports are protected (pg.215)

(only one vocabulary term for this section)

A well-preserved wilderness site at Eagle Creek.

In the 1870s, a group of explorers proposed to Congress that an area of land in the Northeast be set aside for the public. The Congress agreed, and Yellowstone National Park was born.

Today there are 55 official national parks in the United States. 40% of land in the United States is publically owned and managed

by the federal, state, and local governments. Because land resources are so valuable, the federal government

allows public land to be used in many ways. Some include: Hiking, camping, boating, wildlife conservation, recreation, industry, logging, grazing, mining, firing ranges.

Private individuals and corporations pay money to use the public lands for any of these reasons. However, more than one corporation or person can use the land. This is called: multi-use management.

Wilderness areas are areas which the land and the ecosystems it supports are protected from all development. These areas are open to camping, fishing, and hiking, but not for building or using motorized equipment.

More and more people are visiting the wilderness each year, and leaving garbage, chemicals, and trampled paths.

In addition, many factories, grazing, and logging areas are very close to the wilderness areas, leading to air pollution and other forms of pollution.

To protect the wilderness areas from any more damage, limits have been set as to how many hikers can be on a trail at one time, and certain areas have been changed to off-limit camping areas. Many volunteer programs are now active in wilderness areas.

The Great Fountain Geyser in Yellowstone National Park.

Section 8.3: Public Land in the United States