Objective: Describe three major ways in which humans use land.
Sam recalls subsistence as the natural way of life, where land was primarily used to travel on. People traveled to where they could find food. Alaska natives were considered Nomadic, in fact, they traveled on land or more so on water, the rivers, lakes, streams and sloughs, so they followed the available food the land provided. It is inclusive, fish from the rivers, moose, and caribou from the land as main examples. So, we traveled back and forth, but also always exploring new areas. (Demientieff)
Objective: Describe the urban crisis, and explain what people are doing to deal with it.
The problem with living only in an urban setting is that people are disconnected from the land. Humans evolved in relationship with the land. Development cycles are based on connections to land and environment. If not engaging with the environment than we are not developing appropriately. Urban environment does not provide the same stimulation and support that is found when engaging in the natural world. We need to be challenged by the environment to grow. (DeWitt)
Objective: Explain how urban sprawl affects the environment.
Often habitat is reduced by urban sprawl (DeWitt). Traditional hunting areas have also often been turned into protected areas where indigenous people are no longer allowed to cultivate species on that land.
Objective: Explain how open spaces provide urban areas with environmental benefits.
The human brain loves puzzles, if it doesn’t have things to figure out people get neurotic. The human mind is geared to read environment: where we are, what we’re doing, where resources are. We need new stimuli to adapt to and understand our environment. There are too many repetitive things in our world today. We have circadian rhythms that get set by seasons and light. Hormone and endocrine release set by seasons, light, and color. Earth has rhythms and we need to stay in sync. We need to spend time in nature to reset our rhythms. (DeWitt)
Objective: Describe two ways that rangeland can be managed sustainably.
Rangeland and cows are not sustainable. There is an issue of which species are prioritized. It should be bison, moose, etc. – the species that have more compatibility of living on their own. Cows release large amounts of methane, enough so that they are a significant factor in climate change. Mono-cropping can be heavily impacted by disease and it is easier to have a breakdown in the whole population. (DeWitt)
Objective: Describe the environmental effects of deforestation.
With deforestation, there is lower oxygen output. Forests are the lungs of the planet, they filter air, taking in carbon and release oxygen as a byproduct. They also help stop erosion. There is a death and birth cycle which cycles nutrients and fertilizes the area around them. We need an overall healthy biome for all species in it. (DeWitt)
Objective: Explain the function of parks and of wilderness areas.
Parks and wilderness areas serve for conservation, biodiversity, and access for humans to engage with nature. There is a problem with these areas though. Often aboriginal rights to use land for traditional practices are ignored or made illegal. They need to still have access to utilize the environment that they coevolved with. (DeWitt)