6 - Degradation pressures from non-agricultural land uses

Summary

Non-agricultural land uses which may exert pressures on the land resource include forestry, various reservations for special purposes, tourism and recreation, mining, industry, urban and peri-urban development, transport and communications and coastal. These nonagricultural activities do not occupy a substantial proportion of the continent, but they are potentially more important economically and socially than rural land use and are capable of exerting pressures which may lead to intense land degradation. The degrading pressures arising from each of these land uses will now be identified and briefly discussed.

Forestry

Forests are much more than land on which trees are growing. They are remarkably complex ecosystems in which climate, soil and water determine which grasses, herbs, shrubs and trees will develop. The vegetation, in turn, determines the animal life that can exist and the land uses that can be applied by human beings. Forests are the source of many products and services, ranging from timber and paper products to sites for various forms of recreation. They provide clean water supplies, soil and watershed protection, conservation of wildlife and plants and, in some cases, grazing for domestic animals. Multiple land use is common and often encouraged by forestry authorities.

Land degradation may be minimal under established undisturbed forest, but once the forest is put to use there may be an increase in some forms of land degradation.