Classification of Land Use

CLASSIFICATION OF LAND USE

by Anton Antonio

April 2, 2015

The term “land use” is the human use of land that involves the management and modification of natural environment or wilderness into built environment such as settlements and semi-natural habitats such as arable fields, pastures, and managed forest or woodland.  Land use refers to the past, present and future use of the land regardless of the present legal status and use of that particular land.

Land uses can be classified as protection and production uses based on the planned objectives:

1. Protection Land Uses – those that are directed toward the protection of the land itself.  All the resources found in these lands are deemed protected such as natural parks, natural monuments and wildlife sanctuaries.
2. Production Land Uses – refers to uses that are oriented toward the utilization of the land and the resources found there for commerce and profit or for simple daily subsistence.

Production land uses can further be classified into consumptive or non-consumptive uses:

1. Consumptive Uses – also called extractive uses, are those that necessitates the removal of a particular resource or portions of a resource from the land for the purpose such as cultivation, grazing, logging, fuelwood gathering and collection of medicinal and food products.
2. Non-consumptive Uses – also called non-extractive uses, refer to land uses that do not involve the removal of any part or portion of the land.

The primary purpose of classifying land uses is protection and conservation for protection land uses.  On the other hand, the principle of sustainable development is the rule used in production land uses.  Such are the aims and objectives in the classification of land use.

Just my little thoughts…

(Please visit, like and share Pro EARTH Crusaders on Facebook or follow me at http://antonantonio.blogspot.com/)