Chapter 18: Land Resources
A. Land Use
• Relate at least four ecosystem services provided by natural areas.
• Describe world land use and summarize current land ownership in the United States.
• Contrast the views of the wise-use movement and the environmental movement regarding the use of federal lands.
B. Wilderness, Parks, and Wildlife Refuges
• Describe the following federal lands, stating which government agency administers each and current issues of concern: wilderness, national parks, and national wildlife refuges.
• Define natural regulation.
C. Forests
• Define sustainable fore s t r y and explain how monocultures and wildlife corridors are related to forestry.
• Describe national forests, stating which government agencies administer them and current issues of concern.
• Define deforestation, including clear-cutting, and relate the main causes of tropical deforestation.
• Relate how conservation easements help private landowners protect forests from development.
D. Rangelands and Agricultural Lands
• Describe public rangelands, stating which government agencies administer them and current issues of concern.
• Define desertification and explain its relationship to overgrazing.
• Discuss trends in U.S. agricultural land, such as encroachment of suburban sprawl.
Wetlands and Coastal Areas
• Describe the current threats to freshwater and coastal wetlands, and explain why the definition of wetlands is controversial.
• Discuss national marine sanctuaries and relate current issues of concern.
Conservation of Land Resources
• Name at least three of the most endangered ecosystems in the United States.
Key Terms:
1. Ecosystem services
2. Wilderness
3. Natural regulation
4. Monoculture
5. Sustainable forestry
6. Wildlife corridor
7. Clear cutting
8. Deforestation
9. Conservation easement
10. Rangeland
11. Overgrazing
12. Desertification
13. Wetlands
14. National marine sanctuary
Questions:
15. What is the relationship between the National Park Service and private users? How might this relationship change over time?
16. What are some of the ecosystem services provided by rural and undeveloped lands? Give as many examples as possible.
17. How do scientists use undisturbed lands?
18. What percentage of the world’s total lands are used for agriculture?
19. Roughly what percent of the US is owned by private citizens? Where is most of the government owed land? What agencies manage these areas?
20. What are some of the dilemmas facing land use and planning?
21. How can taxes play a role in whether or not land is protected or not?
22. When planning land use, what are the factors that need to be considered both before and after development?
23. What is the wise-use movement and what is their agenda?
24. What is the environmental movement and what is their agenda?
25. How are these agendas similar? Different?
26. What is the purpose of the Wilderness Act of 1964? What is the role of the National Wilderness Preservation System?
27. In 1975, what happened so that more areas in the eastern US could be protected?
28. How has recreation (people in the parks) become a problem and how have government agencies decided to solve it?
29. How could invasive species become a problem in wilderness areas? Give a few examples.
30. What percentage of the lower 48 states is designated wilderness? How could this potentially become a problem? ( Who opposes increasing the amount of lands in NWPS and why?)
31. Do you think additional federal lands should be added to the wilderness system? Why or why not?
32. What monies were used to purchase some of the more recent lands?
33. How can national parks and protected lands be an asset for the US?
34. List some of the threats to the NPS? Include in your examples human and natural threats?
35. What is natural regulation and how has this practice been implemented?
36. Describe some of the criticism of the plan?
37. How has the National Park in Cameroon proved to be successful? List the some of the plans the Korup Group put in place to ensure its success.
38. What is the purpose of the National Wildlife Refuge System? When was it established?
39. What are the practices of traditional forest management?
40. A newer method of forestry management has gained popularity. What are the practices of ecologically sustainable forest management?
41. What is a wildlife corridor?
42. Study the chart on page 408. Make a chart comparing the different types of timbering practices?
43. What is ecologically Certified Wood? How is using wood products of the nature better for our forests and our economy?
44. How is deforestation a problem on a global scale?
45. Describe at least three trends in the US forestry industry.
46. What happened in the Tongass National Forest? How do changes in administration leave natural areas and forests vulnerable?
47. How do the problems facing tropical rain forests compare to those problems with forests in the US?
48. How is plantation style agriculture sustained in the once forested area?
49. How are rangelands and desertification different?
50. What is the relationship to overgrazing and carrying capacity?
51. Approximately how many people are in danger of being displaced by desertification?
52. About 30% of total land area in the US is rangelands. What percent is private and what percent is public? How might this play a role in whether or not land is protected?
53. What is the economic connection with public rangelands?
54. How is prime farmland being protected in the US?
55. What was the annual loss of wetlands between 1975-1985? Where has the greatest decline occurred?
56. What 2 factors complicate Wetlands Policy: List and explain.
57. What is a wetland? What three ecosystem services do wetlands provide?
58. What are the 4 purposes of national marine sanctuaries?
59. Should private landowners have control over what they wish to do to their land? Why or why not?
· Study the tables on pages 420 and 424. Be familiar with these endangered and threatened areas. Be able to give justification as to why these lands are critical.
· Study the Trout Creek Mountain Working Group
Acts, Programs, and Laws to Know
1
1. Wilderness Act 1964
2. Land and Water Conservation Fund Act 1965
3. National Wildlife Refuge System 1903
4. Forest Legacy Program of the Farm Bill 1990
5. Tongass Land Management Plan of 1997
6. Taylor Grazing Act 1934
7. Federal Land Policy and Management Act 1976
8. Public Rangelands Improvement Act 1978
9. Farm Bill 1996
10. Clean Water Act 1972
11. Emergency Wetlands Resources Act 1986
12. Wetlands Reserve Program under the Food Security Act 1985 (amendments 1990, 1996, and 2002 Farm Bills)
13. National Marine Sanctuary Program
1