land chapter 14, section 12 how we use land. background california, 1984-1992 (8 yrs), nearly...
DESCRIPTION
Land Use and Land Cover Land cover - what is found on the land (ex. forest, parking lot) Urban land – when land cover is mostly buildings and roads Urban area –contains 2,500 or more people and usually has a governing body Anything else= rural- few people and large areas of open space Most land contains resources humans consumeTRANSCRIPT
Land
Chapter 14, section 1&2How We Use Land
Background• California, 1984-1992
(8 yrs), nearly 210,000 acres of rural land had been converted into urban land
• This is happening all over the world
Land Use and Land Cover
• Land cover - what is found on the land (ex. forest, parking lot)
• Urban land – when land cover is mostly buildings and roads
• Urban area –contains 2,500 or more people and usually has a governing body
• Anything else= rural- few people and large areas of open space
• Most land contains resources humans consume
Primary Land-Use Categories
Land cover type Human use of land
Rangeland Used to graze livestock & wildlife
Forest land For harvesting wood, wildlife, fish, nuts, other resources
Cropland Grow plants for food and fiber
Parks and Preserves Recreation, scenic enjoyment; preserve native species & ecosystems
Wetlands, mountains, deserts, and other
Difficult to use for human purposes
Urban land For houses, businesses, industry, roads
Land Use in the U.S.
Parks & preserves 13%
Urban land 6%
Other 7%
Forest land 28%
Rangeland & pasture 26%
Cropland 20%
Where We Live• Until about 1850, most lived in rural areas• Industrial Revolution changed this• Machinery made it possible for fewer people
to operate a farm or mill• Transportation – could live further away• Jobs were in the cities; urban areas grew
rapidly– Occurred 1880-1950 in developed countries – Currently occurring in developing
Population Living in Urban & Rural Land
Proportion of People Living in Urban/ Rural Areas
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Africa Asia Europe SouthAmerica
NorthAmerica
Oceania
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UrbanRural
The Urban-Rural Connection• People - dependent on
resources from rural areas (ex. clean water, fertile soil, trees)
• Ecosystem services – resources produced by natural and artificial ecosystems
Supporting Urban Areas• Many factors determine the area of rural land
to support one person (ex. climate, standard of living)
• Developed country – avg. person uses ecosystem services from 8 hectares of land and water– Hectare = about 2.6 acres
• U.S. – 12 hectares, Germany – 6 hectares• Developing – could be less than 1 hectare
Urban Land Use
• Urbanization = movement of people from rural to cities
• Rapid urban growth = problems (urban crisis)• Can overwhelm the infrastructure = all things a
society builds for public use• X. roads, sewers, railroads, police and fire
stations, schools, hospitals, etc.• Urban sprawl = rapid urban growth into rural
areas around the urban area– i.e. suburbs
Urbanization
• Cities w/ little room to grow, burbs built on marginal land = land poorly suited for building– X. eroding coastline
• City center trap more heat, different weather patterns
• heat islands = increased city temps• Caused by roads, buildings
Urban Planning
• Land Use Planning = determining in advance how land will be used
• Where houses, business, factories, etc. will be built
• GIS = Geographic informational system• Computerized system for mapping, storing,
viewing, and manipulating
GIS Screen Image
Urban Planning Transportation & Open Space
• Open Space – land set aside for scenic & recreation
• X. public gardens, bike & hiking trails
• Greenbelts = open spaces left in natural condition
• Traffic!!• Problem – most cities built
before cars• Mass Transit = buses, trains,
subways• Save energy, reduce
highway congestion, reduce air pollution