Land use and land cover vary with time, and often in
relation to one another. As an abandoned field reverts to its original
forested state, it goes through a series of land covers, and often
a pattern of changes referred to as succession.
Habitats experience this process until they reach
a balance between the reproductive and nutrient input, and the outflow
that allows for a long term stability. This state is refereed to
as the climax stage and usually results in a high level of species
diversity relative to the previous stages.
Habitats can also experience natural and man made
disturbances at any point in the successional process. The intensity,
frequency and scale of the disturbance will determine how remedial
the disturbance will be. Some common disturbing factors are fire,
weather events, forest harvesting, and crop cultivation.
Because of the extensive commercialization of the
land use during the 20th. century natural habitat restoration and acquisition
- the creation of islands and corridors - has become a most important action
toward the preservation of species. This is an excellent point
for your students to interface environmental science content with community
activism and planning. It also allows them to explore their
values about and relationships with the other organisms with which they
share our planet.
Climax
Land cover
Land use
Seral stages
Species diversity
Succession
1. Environmental impact statement: students can review and comment on environmental impact statements or other public permit applications which are relative to land use or cover.
2. Master plans: students can review current community master plans, regional master plans such as those produced by the U.S. Forest Service or BLM. They might also suggest plans where they don't exist.
3. Interview local environmental groups. Students can find information by working with local land trusts or environmental groups
4. Butterfly garden: students might establish a butterfly garden on campus or another appropriate location.
5. Nature trail: students might build or maintain a nature trail.
6. Succession plots: students establish plots of a permanent nature to study local habitat succession.
7. Exclosure plots: Students establish plots that exclude grazing animals such as deer and study the effects on land cover.