Why Sustainable Land Management Is So Essential
Sustainable land management is necessary to the quality survival of any organism which depends on it. As with any other consideration of sustainability, the key issue is that no resources must be used up which cannot be readily replaced. Depending on the use to which the land is put, this may be easy to quantify, or extremely difficult. In the case of agriculture, for example, it is often very hard to quantify the extent to which soil nutrient will be depleted by a certain method of farming, unless practical tests have been carried out.
Land which is being used for building is much easier to quantify. The housing which is created needs to have a significant life expectancy, and when it finally needs to be demolished and replaced, the materials need to be biodegradable to the greatest possible extent so that environmental damage can be kept to a minimum. The most effective way to build on lands is by using local materials to produce an aesthetic design which is in keeping with the environment. Any use of local materials reduces the impact of transportation fuel emissions on the environment.
The use of land in producing a sustainable community involves more than just consideration of the materials used, although that is very important factor. When housing estates are designed, they need to be designed in such a way that essential amenities are easily accessed by the people within the community who need them. It sounds obvious, but you would be amazed at how often this consideration is overlooked. The planning of transport routes is especially important as these are necessary to provide access for many people.
When land is being used for farming, it is far harder to know exactly what constitutes sustainable land. After all, no plot of land or soil is exactly the same as any other. The overriding principle is that resources must not be dissipated to a degree beyond which they can be replenished. The major resources of air and sunlight are readily available, of course, but there are many nutrients within the soil which will be drained. The practice of monoculture has led to some disastrous results, and a more diverse system of planting should be used instead.
Nitrogen is another vital factor in producing healthy crops, and that is not easy to obtain from a renewable source. Maybe the best way is to manufacture it from hydrogen, where electrolysis using electricity from renewable sources can be used. A constant supply of nitrogen created in a sustainable way, added to diversity in crop selection, can create a genuinely sustainable use of farming land. Providing enough food for the world's population, even allowing for the corruption and inefficiency in the current system, is becoming one of mankind's most difficult challenges. We need more research to discover ways of creating and using sustainable land.
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