StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Environment, soil survey and land suitability assessment for conservation management - Coursework Example

Cite this document
Summary
The paper operates mainly based on research questions which can be stated as follows: For the specified kind of land use, which particular areas of the land are best suited? For the given area what kind of use will it be best suited? …
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER91.4% of users find it useful
Environment, soil survey and land suitability assessment for conservation management
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Environment, soil survey and land suitability assessment for conservation management"

? ENVIRONMENT, SOIL SURVEY AND LAND SUITABILITY ASSESSMENT FOR CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX Date: XXXXX In evaluating the land suitability for multiple land use which includes grassland production, forestry, footpaths and the potential/actual wildlife habitats within the specified area, the following are some of the questions that should be addressed. First, for the specified kind of land use, which particular areas of the land are best suited. Secondly for the given area what kind of use will it be best suited? The procedure followed in evaluating the land suitability hence is as follows: Description of the promising land-use types For the given land-use type, determine the requirements for water, nutrients, erosion avoidance etc Conduction of surveys necessary to map the land units as well as description of their physical properties. Comparing requirements for the given land-use types with the properties of the given land units Any given land cannot be graded from “best” to “worst” irrespective of the particular kind of use since each particular use has a special requirement. For instance a stony and rocky ground my not be suitable for grassland production but may be a suitable home for some particular wildlife habitats. Description of land-use types A land-use type is defined as a kind of land use which is described in terms of its products as well as management practices. For efficient reconnaissance surveys being conducted at the national levels, highly generalized descriptions may be adequate i.e. “wildlife habitat”, “forestry conservation”. At district as well as lower levels, it is vital to specify the use in more details. For example will forest conservation b managed by the government forestry service or by the local community? Will grassland production be mechanized or based on animal traction? Such descriptions usually serve two purposes. First they are the basis of determining the requirements for use. Secondly, the management specifications can be used as the basis for the extension services as well as the planning for the necessary inputs. Selection of land qualities and land characteristics The particular land use requirements are usually illustrated by the land qualities required for the sustained production. A land quality is a very complex attribute of land which usually has a direct effect on the land use. The various examples are the availability of water, nutrients, rooting conditions and erosion hazards. Most of the given lands qualities are determined by the interaction of the several land characteristics as well as measurable attributes of a land. For example, the quality “availability of water” is usually determined by the potential balance between the water demand as well as the water supply. The water demand is the potential evaporation from the surface of the crop as well as the soil whereas the water supply is determined by the rainfall, infiltration, water storage in the soil and the ability of the grassland to extract the stored water. After selection of the relevant land qualities, it is vital to decide which particular land characteristics are to be used for measuring them. For instance, the quality “erosion hazard” demands information on rainfall intensity, slope angle as well as soil properties. A compromise is then reached between the characteristics that most define the given land quality with those that are less precise. Land evaluation can also at times be conducted directly in terms of the land characteristics i.e. by using rainfall as opposed to water availability, slope angle instead of erosion hazards. Despite the above, the following are the land suitability constraints that are imposed by the interaction of the soil, climate, topographic, hydrological as well as the geological factors. Mapping of land units and their characteristics The land is first identified as a basis for diagnosis of problems. The given units are then mapped into more details i.e. by dividing the land systems into land facets or rather complex soil mapping units into soils series. The criterion for a given choice of land units is that they are expected to respond to the management in a similar manner at the scale of study. This therefore means that district-level planning will require at least a semi-detailed survey which is at scale of 1:50000. S SUITABLE The land can support the land use indefinitely and benefits justify inputs S1 Highly suitable Land without significant limitations. Include the best 20-30% of suitable land as S1. This land is not perfect but is the best that can be hoped for S2 Moderately suitable Land that is clearly suitable but which has limitations that either reduce productivity or increase the inputs needed to sustain productivity compared with those needed on S1 land S3 Marginally suitable Land with limitations so severe that benefits are reduced and/or the inputs needed to sustain production are increased so that this cost is only marginally justified N NOT SUITABLE Land that cannot support the land use on a sustained basis, or land on which benefits do not justify necessary inputs N1 Currently not suitable Land with limitations to sustained use that cannot be overcome at a currently acceptable cost N2 Permanently not suitable Land with limitations to sustained use that cannot be overcome Constraints for land use requirements The limiting values are the given values of a land quality or rather land characteristics that usually determine the class limits of land suitability for a particular use. The land should be able to support the land use on a sustained basis. This implies that progressive use should not degrade the land. Many land changes will cause an initial loss of land resources, for example when a forest is cleared for grassland, there is always a loss of forest habitat and wildlife as well as of soil and the accumulated plant nutrients The use should yield benefits to justify the inputs. The user has to make reasonable living from the land. Local experience can be the best guide; however a financial analysis can be of significant help. It is now possible to distinguish up to the given three classes of suitability. Land classified as highly suitable is the best land for the intended use; moderately suitable land is clearly fit for use but has limitations; while the marginally suitable land falls near to the limit of a given suitability. Land which is still not suitable may be subdivided into permanently not suitable, where there may be limitations to the sustained use that are clearly impractical to overcome or rather currently not suitable where such limitations could be overcome but are not at a currently acceptable cost. TABLE 2 Example of land requirements for a specified land-use type (grassland) Land qualities Land characteristics Limiting values for land characteristics S1 S2 S3 N Sufficiency of energy Mean annual temperature, (°C >24 21-24 18-21 1800 Sufficiency of water 75% probability rainfall (mm) >1300 900-1300 500-900 80 60-80 40-60 10 The elevation has been used to assess sufficiency of energy where the temperature data are not available. The values described above apply to Sri Lanka. The above construction of the table of limiting values for a given land suitability class (Table 2) is a central operation in land evaluation practice. For efficient performance of the above, information is needed on the performance of a land-use type over a range of sites. References Davidson, D.A 1992, The Evaluation of Land Resources. Longman, Harlow. Dent, D. and Young, A. 1981,Soil Survey and Land Evaluation. Chapman & Hall, London. FAO 1976, “ A Framework for Land Evaluation”. FAO Soils Bulletin 32, Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome. Jarvis, R.A. et al 1984, Soils and Their Use in Northern England. Soil Survey of Great Britain. Jarvis, M.G. & Mackney, D 1979, “Soil Survey Applications”. Soil Survey of England and Wales Technical Monograph No.13. Harpenden, England. Jones, R.J.A. and Thomasson, A.J. (1985). An Agroclimatic Databank for England and Wales. Soil Survey of England and Wales Technical Monograph No.16, Harpenden, England. The Meteorological Office (1989). Climatological Data for Agricultural Land Classification: Gridpoint datasets of climatic variables at 5 km intervals for England and Wales. HMSO, London. Payton, R.W. (1987). Soils of the Lingy Hill SSSI, Upper Teesdale. Soil Survey and Land Research Centre, Silsoe. Payton, R.W. (1988). Soils of the Rock Estate, Northumberland. Soil Survey and Land Research Centre, Silsoe. Payton, R.W. and Palmer, R. (1990). Soils of the Alnwick and Rothbury District. Sheet No.81. Memoir of Soil Survey of Great Britain. Soil Survey and Land Research Centre, Silsoe. Smith, L.P. (1976). The Agricultural Climate of England and Wales. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Reference Book 435 (formerly Technical Bulletin No.35, HMSO, London. Smith, L.P. and Trafford, B.D. (1976). Climate and Drainage. MAFF References Book 434 (formerly Technical Bulletin No.34), HMSO, London. Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Environment, soil survey and land suitability assessment for Coursework”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/agriculture/1394036-environment-soil-survey-and-land-suitability-assessment-for-conservation-management
(Environment, Soil Survey and Land Suitability Assessment for Coursework)
https://studentshare.org/agriculture/1394036-environment-soil-survey-and-land-suitability-assessment-for-conservation-management.
“Environment, Soil Survey and Land Suitability Assessment for Coursework”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/agriculture/1394036-environment-soil-survey-and-land-suitability-assessment-for-conservation-management.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Environment, soil survey and land suitability assessment for conservation management

The Need for Sustainable Development in Nigeria

Global perspective of energy and economic growth: The need for sustainable development in Nigeria Declaration The contents of this paper are a product of my research and are not a copy of anyone's work.... I hereby declare that this is my work and that the sources quoted are properly and rightly referenced according to the University's referencing style and method....
31 Pages (7750 words) Dissertation

Investigation of Financial Conservatism in the United Kingdom and China

This means therefore that the particular indicators which served as tremendous financial assessment tools in a previous study can bear different meanings thereafter, hence many factors die and are born so as to maintain limits of time variations (Ahmed, A.... nbsp; CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION In considering the business world, it is worth noting that its environment of microeconomic activities lies within an unvarying state of transformation.... Prospective macroeconomic productivity cannot take into account the unexpected determinants such as supply and demand or environment, all of which give a represent the highs and lows of life itself....
32 Pages (8000 words) Dissertation

How Does Rainfall Influence the Stability of Natural Slopes

rdquo; looks at slope stability problems, which will likely develop after timber cutting on steep slopes where most of the soil strength is provided by the binding action of roots.... It also helps strengthen the soil shear strength.... The mechanical properties of the soil must be evaluated in order to estimate the tensile strength of the soil.... Slope changes are caused by erosion and soil movement.... Erosion can be caused by the wearing away of soil, or weak soil, the breaking, and moving of rock, and the movement of water....
40 Pages (10000 words) Dissertation

Environmental Management Plan

hellip; The success of any environmental management plan or risk mitigation strategy in the case of the Mutton cove project is primarily dependent on extensive community involvement from all possible quarters including local residents, experts, companies and government agencies.... Community involvement is a key factor of the Mutton Cove management plan.... Hence, the project has devoted considerable time to undertake a thorough risk assessment and the development of an environmental management plan which will be discussed in the coming sections of this paper....
12 Pages (3000 words) Term Paper

Environment Management and Sustainable Development When Constructing in a Seismic Zone

he construction layout should give guidance on how to explain and to prepare a land survey and landscape assessment.... "Environment management and Sustainable Development When Constructing in a Seismic Zone" paper covers the ways of minimizing the consumption of natural resources in the environment as well as energy during the construction phase and throughout the life of the project in a seismic environment.... This article covers the systems in place in minimizing and protecting the immediate and surrounding man-made and natural environment, ways of control wastes emitted during the construction process, and site waste management plan....
12 Pages (3000 words) Coursework

My Attachment at Ammico Contracting Company in Doha, Qatar

This report "My Attachment at Ammico Contracting Company in Doha, Qatar" sheds some light on the activities and observations that occurred during the last 30 days of my attachment at Amico Contracting Company in Doha, Qatar.... hellip; The last 30 days of my attachment program were spent learning the technical details of civil engineering, as I was now fully attached to the working division of the company....
13 Pages (3250 words) Report

Land and Soil Capability

The impact that results from the lack of management of the limitations should also be put into consideration.... A good example is the case of marginal cropping land, where as a result of lack of management of water erosion limitation; there is significant water erosion that degrades soil on-site, which would lead to sedimentation and turbidity off-site.... However, on this type of land, water erosion limitation can be put to control the use of acceptable land management practices that are readily available....
6 Pages (1500 words) Case Study

Rsns of Nturlizd and ndmi i Grmlsm in Suth-Wst ustrli t Slt Strss

This plant species is found in ferruginous soil and tropical dry climate with a mean annual rainfall of about 70mm.... This Acacia species is multipurpose since the leaves can be added to the soil surface as mulch and the branches can be used as firewood.... This input improves soil characteristics.... The Australian species depends on mycorrhizas to be able to absorb minerals from the soil and fix nitrogen into the ecosystem (Duponnois, Founoune, Masse & Pontainer, 2005)....
25 Pages (6250 words) Literature review
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us