Land Use Concepts and Classification

Question 1

What is the basic premise of the Tragedy of the Commons theory?

Answer 1

The tendency of a shared, limited resource to become depleted because people act from self-interest for short-term gain

Question 2

What is an externality?

Answer 2

The cost or benefit of a good or service that is not included in the purchase price of that good or service

Question 3

What is a positive externality? Give an example.

Answer 3

Is a positive benefit or cost of a product not included in its price. Ex. Honey produced by bees that fertilize crops.

Question 4

What is a negative externality? Give an example.

Answer 4

Is a negative benefit or cost of a product not included in its price. Ex. Pollution, Deforestation, etc

Question 5

Describe the concept of maximum sustainable yield (MSY).

Answer 5

The MSY is the maximum amount of a renewable resource that can be harvested without compromising the future availability of the resource

Question 6

Why do MSY practices strive to keep the resource population at about one half the carrying capacity?

Answer 6

In theory, a population grows at its maximum rate when its at approximately half the carrying capacity

Question 7

Take a good look at figure 29.6 on p.336. What is the majority of land used for in the US?

Answer 7

Grasslands

Question 8

What are rangelands?

Answer 8

A dry open grassland primarily used for grazing of cattle

Question 9

Compare and contrast clear-cutting and selective cutting.

Answer 9

Clear cutting: removes almost or all trees in an area
Selective cutting: the removal of single trees or a relatively small number of trees from among many in a forest

Question 10

Which of the practices above is more profitable? Which is more sustainable?

Answer 10

Clear cutting is more profitable but selective cutting is more sustainable.

Question 11

What are some specific negative consequences of clearcutting

Answer 11

Reduction in biodiversity, destroys forest ecosystems, deprives animals of natural habitats, etc.

Question 12

What are tree plantations?

Answer 12

A large area typically planted with a single rapidly growing species

Question 13

What are the pros and cons of tree plantations?

Answer 13

Can deplete the soil, no biodiversity
Easy cut for commercial purposes

Question 14

Why would forest managers allow certain natural fires to burn? What are the benefits?

Answer 14

Helps reduce risks for future uncontrolled burns, burns dead biomass

Question 15

What is the difference between a wildlife refuge and a national wilderness area?

Answer 15

A national refuge area has a primary purpose of protecting wildlife while a wilderness area have an intent of protecting ecosystems and landscapes

Question 16

Is residential land use increasing or decreasing in the US?

Answer 16

increasing

Question 17

Define urban sprawl and go over the examples given in the book.

Answer 17

Urbanized areas that spread into rural areas, removing clear boundaries between the two.

Question 18

What is urban blight?

Answer 18

The degradation of the built and social environments of the city that often accompanies and accelerates migration to the suburbs

Question 19

What is zoning?

Answer 19

A planning tool used to separate industry and business from residential neighborhoods

Question 20

What is multi-use zoning? How does it decrease automobile use?

Answer 20

allows retail and high-density urban areas to coexist in the same area.

Question 21

What are the characteristics of Smart Growth?

Answer 21

Is a set of principles for community planning that focuses to create sustainable healthy communities.
Characteristics: Mixed land-use, housing opportunities, walkable neighborhoods, attractive communities, compact building design, develop existing communities,

Question 22

What is the energy subsidy?

Answer 22

The fossil fuel energy and human energy input per calories of food consumed

Question 23

Water logging

Answer 23

Soil degradation that occurs when soil remains under water for prolonged period

Question 24

Salinization

Answer 24

Soil degradation that occurs when the small amounts of salts in irrigation water becomes highly concentrated on the soil surface through evaporation