Land degradation and the decline of ranching in the Sierra Nevada Foothills, California
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Authors: D. Smethurst
Date: 1999
Journal: Land Degradation & Development
Volume: 10
Number: 2
Pages: 161-175
Summary of Methods: The progression of land use changes in El Dorado County, California from 1957 to 1997 was summarized by cataloging past and present land management practices in addition to associated political regulations and processes that have led to degradation of hardwood rangelands. Personal interviews of area families were a very important component of the evolving argument. The idea that land use is governed by both biological and political processes, known as “political ecology†was explored here. Improved regulations and protection of valuable grazing land not only for the cattle industry, but also for the improved wildlife habitat and recreation is a necessity.
Article Summary / Main Points: Understanding land use degradation needs to include environmental history to provide historical depth to natural resource use. Documenting natural resource use and environmental discourse can shed light on the perceptions of local inhabitants and institutions. The difference between regulations, laws and taxes for different ecosystems in the Sierra Nevada has resulted in timberlands being better protected than grazing and agriculture lands. Environmental protection of coniferous forest and agriculture land with neglect to hardwood rangelands in and around El Dorado County has increased land degradation. The lack of environmental protection in the Sierra Nevada ecosystem is slowly leading to significant land degradation through loss of critical habitats and biodiversity along with substantial soil erosion.
Vegetation Types: California Grasslands (including all annual grasslands) Intermountain Grasslands (includes Palouse Prairie and Canyon Grasslands)
MLRA Ecoregions: 18 Sierra Nevada Foothills 22A Sierra Nevada Mountains
Agrovoc Control Words: Conservation Rangelands Land management
Article Review Type: Refereed
Article Type: Professional Resource Knowledge
Keywords: conservation, hardwood rangeland, land management, land use, political ecology, ranching, sierra nevada
Annotation: Political bias shape environmental conservation policy within the U.S. where specific ecosystems, such as public grazing lands and agriculture lands are not equally protected through imposing different regulations, laws and taxes on natural resources. However, the argument presented in this article appears to be more or less one sided as several of the stakeholders are not well represented as significantly as the ranching community within the Sierra Nevada.
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