Environmental Effects of Rural Land Use

Abstract

ECONOMIC growth in the United generates various phenomena, one of which is its urbanizing effect on the entire society. This urbanization process likewise affects rural communities and the use of land resources in rural areas. National attention has been focused recently on social and economic conditions in rural America [11]. Economic growth brought also much greater interdependence of people, regions and resources. The economic hinterland of fundamental community of 1968 is about 50 miles and its area is about 5,000 square miles ... the functional economic areas of 1968 include from 100,000 to 200,000 or more people [5, p. 1139]. The term rural land use, might be subject to different interpretations because the differentiation between urban and rural land use has recently become blurred, especially when analyzed from sociological and economic point of view [1]. The use of land resources is frequently associated with the resource oriented industries such as agriculture, forestry, mining, and, in coastal areas, the fishing industry. Rural land use is sometimes used as synonym for sparsely populated areas of the United States. I wish to define rural land use as the physical and economic supply of natural resources in non-urban areas, where urban is to include the urban fringe area. Rural land use, or somewhat rephrased, the use of the open country, currently receives national attention as by-product of the emphasis placed on the quality of environment. Several trends are affecting the current use of land resources in rural areas. Clawson observed in this respect that a major but unplanned and unguided redistribution pattern of the population on land is underway in the United States [4, p. 65]. Rising disposable income generated an increase in demand for large number of outdoor recreation opportunities, as well as for seasonal (or second) homes. The location of these homes has an impact on the land use pattern in rural areas. The interstate highway system provides easy access to rural areas and connects these areas with metropolitan regions. It, too, is major factor affecting the use of land resources in these areas.