Chapter 6 - Land Resources

Question 0

Define: Countryside Council for Wales

Answer 0

The equivalent organisation in Wales to Natural England.

Question 1

Define: Honeypot Site

Answer 1

An area that is particularly attractive to visitors.

Question 2

Define: National Parks

Answer 2

Designated areas for informal public recreation, wildlife conversation and maintenance of the rural economy.

Question 3

Define: National Park Authority (NPA)

Answer 3

The organisation that runs a National Park.

Question 4

Define: AONB

Answer 4

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Question 5

Define: Heritage Coast

Answer 5

A coastline protected from development for its scenic or environmental value.

Question 6

Define: National Trails

Answer 6

Long-Distance routes for walking, cycling and horse-riding.

Question 7

Define: Long-Distance Footpaths

Answer 7

Long-distance routes for walkers, most of which are also National Trails.

Question 8

Define: Country Park

Answer 8

An area of countryside managed for public enjoyment. Most are near urban areas and are run by local authorities.

Question 9

Define: Urban Park

Answer 9

An area of semi-natural land in an urban area used for public resources and relaxation.

Question 10

Define: Neptune Coastline Campaign

Answer 10

The National Trust campaign to buy and protect important coastline landscape.

Question 11

Define: Green Belt

Answer 11

A designated area around an urban area to restrict urban expansion.

Question 12

Define: Space Zoning

Answer 12

A method of avoiding land-use conflicts by allocating different areas to different uses.

Question 13

Define: Time Zoning

Answer 13

A method of avoiding land-use conflicts by allowing different uses at different times.

Question 14

Define: Leopold Matrix

Answer 14

A grid that is used to assess and compare the environmental impacts of proposed developments.

Question 15

Define: EIA

Answer 15

Environmental Impact Assessment

Question 16

Define: CBA

Answer 16

Cost Benefit Analysis

Question 17

How can important landscape be protected for informal public recreation?

Answer 17

• Landscape Protection
  > Conserving aesthetic appeal
• Landscape Enhancement
  > Restoration and development of countryside features
  > e.g. planting small woodland areas, replacing conifers
• Visitor Management
  > Careful provision of facilities that do not damage character
  > e.g. paths made of sand, signs made of rough wood

Question 18

What are the aims of National Parks?

Answer 18

• Conserve/enhance natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage.
• Promote opportunities for understanding/enjoyment so special qualities.
• Maintain rural economy.

Question 19

What are some of the controversial developments/proposals in National Parks?

Answer 19

• Military training
• Reservoirs
• Quarrying (china clay, limestone)
• Conifer plantation
• Tourism developments
• Energy (HEP stations, wind farm, nuclear power stations)

Question 20

What are the conflicts of interest and competing of interests within National Parks?

Answer 20

• Erosion (cycling, horse riding, walking)
• Congestion (traffic increases pollution)
• Disturbance of Wildlife (trample vegetation, ground-nesting birds disturbed)
• Litter (wildlife injured, broken glass causes fires on sunny days)
• Displacement of Local Community (House prices increase)
• Conflicts between Recreational Users (quiet against loud activities)

Question 21

What is the purpose of an AONB?

Answer 21

• Conserving and enhancing natural beauty
• More intensively used than National Parks (agriculture, rural industry, residential areas.
• E.g. Cotswolds

Question 22

What is the purpose of a Heritage Coast?

Answer 22

• Protecting undeveloped coastlines from development for their scenic amenity value.
• E.g. North Northumberland

Question 23

What is the purpose of National Trails?

Answer 23

• To establish public rights of way through landscape of great scenic value.
• E.g. Cleveland Way

Question 24

What are the major causes of land-use conflict?

Answer 24

• Urban expansion (increase residential areas)
• Transport developments
  > Road schemes (A34 Newbury Bypass)
  > Proposed/Enlarged airports (Heathrow Terminal 5)
  > Port developments (container port at Dibden Bay, Southampton)
• Mining/Quarrying (deposits destroy landscapes)
• Harnessing energy
  > Wind farms (noisy, unattractive, habitat loss, bird deaths)
  > HEP stations (unattractive, large in scale)
  > Tidal barrages (change in water level, currents and turbidity)
• Recreation/Tourism (increasing number of people)
• Waste disposal (landfill sites take up land and release methane)

Question 25

What are the methods of resolving land-use conflicts?

Answer 25

• Planning controls (development permitted if permission granted)
  > National Parks (no new urban development permitted)
  > Green Belts (planning permission not usually granted)
• Space zoning (different parts if an area to activities)
• Time zoning (different time periods to activities)

Question 26

What are the aims of Green Belts?

Answer 26

• Protect surrounding countryside from encroachment
• Stop adjacent urban areas from merging to form conurbations
• Reduce congestion and loss of character
• Encourage urban regeneration of derelict ‘brownfield’ sites

Question 27

What are the problems that Green Belts cause?

Answer 27

• Increasing price of land (developments expensive)
• Green space development (increase population density)
• New developments ‘leapfrog’ Green Belt and grow in nearby towns (increase travel)

Question 28

What are the methods for assessing environmental impacts?

Answer 28

• Leopold Matrix (considering aspects separately rating them from 1 - 10 e.g. biological, physical and social)
• EIA (consider possible environmental impacts in planning process)
• CBA (giving financial value to all components of a development scheme)

Question 29

What are the main stages in an EIA?

Answer 29

1) Description of proposal.
2) Description of environment.
3) Description of impacts of project on environment (Leopold Matrix).
4) Modifications that reduce environmental impact.
5) Possible alternative to proposal.
6) Non-technical summary.
7) Summary understood by public.