Download Urbanization & Environmental Conservation: Urban Ecosystems & Land Use. and more Study notes Environmental Science in PDF only on Docsity! 1 International environmental protection is largely up to individual countries But, individual countries can try to help Next week: marine resources will have non-book reading. ALL questions for mid-term #1 will be posted by Wed next week (test on the following Monday). THREE files. The first is from book, answers are in that file. October 17, 2007 Term papers, grading guidelines Sources: a literature cited is not required, but there should be some evidence that you looked outside of lecture notes and the book. “According to a recent article in the _____.....” Grading: 50 points 5 points--- on time 10 points--- grammar** 10 points---- cohesive argument** 10 points--- balanced view 15 points--- cover the issues Chapter 6. Environmental Conservation 1. Urban Ecosystems 2. Natural Ecosystems Forest Land Uses; tropical deforestation Rangeland Wetlands 3. Parks and Protected Areas 4. Wilderness, wildlife reserves versus biotic representation 5. Debt for Nature Swaps Wednesday, Friday Urbanization Urban populations are growing and rural populations are shrinking, especially in the developing world. 2 Urbanization Chicago grew faster than almost any other city in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, then declined slightly as residents moved to its suburbs. Frederick Law Olmstead “Invented” landscape architecture Designed many of our classic parks Central Park, NYC Back Bay, Boston Stanford Yosemite US Capital ….. Established in early 20th century The Midwest: Foresight and planning, and now little new protection, more reshuffling of management Two primary issues with land use: 1) Providing livable spaces in and around our urban environments 2) Protecting valuable natural resources, natural legacies and functioning ecosystems 5 Growth and removal of timber Forests are growing back faster than they are being cut on all types of land except timber company land. USA The eastern seaboard: declining agriculture, increasing forest acreage and increasing urban footprint Federal lands U.S. federal agencies own a large amount of land in the western U.S., allowing resource extraction on most of it. National forests = green Logging: Private and public Logging has risen on private land, and has fallen on public land since 1986. Figure 16.13 Methods of logging Design of protected areas How parks and reserves are designed has consequences. Recall how habitat is fragmented by development: Forest fragmentation at Mt. Hood N.F., Oregon, and in Cadiz Township, Wisconsin, 1831–1950. 6 Republican division over global warming And, California’s Agricultural land use –lots more about this in 2 weeks Agriculture now covers more of Earth’s surface than forests. 38% of planet’s land surface = agriculture 26% pasture/rangeland 12% cropland Intensive monocultures completely displace natural ecosystems and have a heavy impact on the land. Agriculture and wetlands Most of North America’s wetlands have been drained, filled, and converted for agricultural use. Monoculture farmland encroaches on prairie pothole wetlands in North Dakota. Rivers Nutrient and sediment plume from the mouth of the Mississippi 7 Rangelands • Livestock grazing: Done badly, it can ruin soils, cause erosion and desertification. Done responsibly, it can sustain grasslands, allow wildlife use. Rangelands Most ranching takes place on federal land managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)—purple in map. Grazing fees are extremely cheap. Figure 16.10
