Resource Extraction & Land Use Mitigation

Resource Extraction & Land Use Mitigation

Sprawl

• Sprawl is described as a city growing, causing its boundaries to be pushed outward, infringing on the land around the city.

• Sprawl has negative impacts on the environment, such as soil erosion and flooding, increased use of automobiles leading to more pollution, destruction of native habitats, and thriving of invasive species.

• To prevent land use problems from sprawl people have implemented the use of zoning regulations, permits for construction, and use of conservation easements.

Multiple Choice

True or False: sprawl is described as the shrinking of cities, confining them to a small space and not allowing people to move into rural lands, thus protecting the environment.

• True

• False

Multiple Select

How does human sprawl negatively impact the environment. Choose 3.

• Destruction of native species and thriving of invasive species.

• Soil erosion and flooding.

• None of these

• Decreased pollution

• Increased use of automobiles leading to more pollution.

Multiple Select

Choose 3 methods that people are using to prevent problems relating to land use.

• Zoning regulations

• Permits for construction

• Conservation easements

• Elimination of public transportation (buses, trains, etc.)

• Increased city taxes

Multiple Choice

Analyze the graph. Which statement explains how sprawl impacted the size of U.S. urban areas between 1954 and 2007?

• The size of urban areas caused by sprawl increased in some regions and decreased in other regions.

• Sprawl caused the size of urban areas to more than double in 53 years.

• Sprawl caused the size of urban areas to be halved in the past 53 years.

Bloede Dam Project

• In Patapsco Valley State park the Bloede Dam Project has recently been completed. The city removed a dam from Patapsco river to address public safety and environmental concerns.

• Removal of the dam increased biodiversity by allowing more fish to migrate and return to the water, improving conditions for aquatic insects. The migrating fish include shad, American eel, and herring.

• Removal of the dam also provides cooler, oxygen-rich waters that improve the habitat for fish.

Multiple Choice

How will removal of the dam impact biodiversity within the Patapsco River?

• Removal will not impact biodiversity, but it will be replaced over time with a rocky, more natural cascading river environment and setting that is more appealing to park visitors.

• Removal will decrease biodiversity because of the long-term impacts from the explosion and deconstruction of the dam.

• Removal will increase biodiversity of the river, allowing more species of migratory fish to return and improving conditions for aquatic insects.

Multiple Choice

How will removal of the dam impact the water quality of the Patapsco River?

• Removal of the dam will provide cooler, oxygen-rich, waters that improve the habitat for fish.

• Removal of the dam will pollute the river, making it inhabitable for fish.

• Removal of the dam will have no impact on the water quality of the Patapsco River, it will only impact the volume of the river.

Multiple Select

Which species' migration will benefit from the removal of the Bloede Dam? Select the three (3) correct answers.

• Shad

• American eel

• White tailed deer

• Blue crab

• Herring

What Would You Do?

You have gotten a new job as a city planner. Your first task is to review the plan for a new city. There is farming land, a factory district, a business center, and a housing development in the proposed new plan.

Multiple Select

Choose the 3 statements that are correct about the new city plans.

• Suburban sprawl has occurred since the majority of housing is outside city limits.

• The downtown business center is very far from the housing causing many people to commute to work by car, which will increase air pollution.

• There is open space which is not necessary in land usage plans.

• There are roads cutting through the wetlands which could divide habitats and decrease biodiversity.

Multiple Select

After the initial city development, the factory district wants to expand. Which of the following could be required before expansion could begin? Choose 3.

• zoning regulations around wetland areas

• development permits specifying where the factory district could expand and fees for expansion

• higher city taxes and lower suburban taxes

• Creation of a conservation easement to protect the wetlands and open space.