Ecological and economic considerations in land use planning
Abstract
The object of the present study is to demonstrate the co-ordinate
roles of ecological and economic considerations in. land-use
planning by means of classification of land capability. Most of the
past studies in this field suffer in varying degrees from a lack of
appreciation of the integrated approach to the problem; being either
purely ecological investigations ignoring economic significance
of land utilization or the other way round. The present study is an.
attempt to point out this anomaly and illustrate a practical integrated
method of classification by its application to a sample area.
The purpose of land-use planning is to promote the optimum
management of the available land resources; such a system of
management should be suited not only to the economic and social
needs of the community or owners of the land, but also to the inherent
nature of the land. The basic ecological tasks are to assess
the productive capacity of land and to safeguard against any depletion
of soil fertility. The social and economic problems are to
choose between the various ecological possibilities in order to
obtain the maximum profit and well being of the community.
The patterns of land-use in the different parts of the
world have been evolved gradually during the course of civilisation.
It is paradoxical that this gradual shaping of land-use patterns has,
not led, in the majority of cases, either to the most appropriate
of the land-uses for the site or to the most profitable one for the
people themselves. The choice of a land-use is almost everywhere
more due to conformity with traditional practices than to considerations
of land capability.
In the past few decades, however, the need has been felt for
rational land-use policies', based on thorough scientific studies.
During the post-war period, these investigations have received much
attention. The chief reasons for the increased research activity in
this field are connected with the increase of human population and
pressure on land resources for:
(i) greater food production,
(ii) urban and industrial expansion, communication and recreation,
(iii) larger quantities of raw material for industries; and
(iv)coupled with the above development is the greater awareness
of the need for conservation of resources for prosperity, rather
than their exploitation during a limited period, which
includes preservation of wild life.
There has been a greater understanding and wider application
of ecological methods and principles of economics to these problems
in recent years than in the past.
There is a wide range of factors: influencing land-use,
which can be grouped under five main heads --- ecological, economic
social, technological and historical.
Ecological or environmental factors constitute the biggest
group and comprise climate, geomorphological and biological factors.
It is generally accepted that under natural conditions, the sum total
of all the ecological factors, or the ecosystem, is in a dynamic
equilibrium and a slight displacement in one factor may cause the
movement of the state of equilibrium to a new stable position. The
various factors are interdependent and cannot act separately. The
use to which man may put his land is severely limited by the
combined influence of the total environment. On purely ecological
considerations, uses that lead to site deterioration by adversely
upsetting the balance are unacceptable.
Economic or financial factors include the economics of production
and management of land under existing conditions of demand,
wages and costs, in relation with possible future changes. On purely
economic grounds the best use is the one that results in maximisation
of sustained profits from a piece of land.
Social factors depend on the social needs of the community
concerned, or of the nation as a whole. Social. factors, which include
institutional and legal factors, tend to be more biased than
ecological and economic factors but sometimes may override all
others.
Under technological factors are included the system and intensity
of management and use of different techniques and equipment
to improve the site or its utilisation. In the absence of any ameliorative
process, many sites have a very limited range of uses. With
increasing use of fertilisers and mechanised farming, the productive
capacity of agricultural land can be improved considerably.
Historical factors are concerned with the interactions of all
the other factors over a period of time. These factors represent
the trends which land-use has followed with changes in social conditions
and scientific progress. The pattern of land-use at a particular
time exerts a considerable influence on development.
It is difficult to establish the superiority of any of' the,
above factors over the others. All are connected and none can be
disregarded completely. The relative importance of any factor in a
particular study depends on the purpose of that study. Ecological
and economic factors are capable of quantification, or at least
some values may be assigned to them. On the other hand, the rest of the
factors are only quantitative and impossible to measure in numerical
terms.
The classification. of land into distinct units is a basic
requirement of any land-use planning programme. Land has been
classified in various ways· in the past. Geographers have classified land
according to the present land-use. Plant geographers. have mapped
the distribution of plant communities; and individual species.
Soil surveyors distinguish areas according to such features as the
colour, depth and texture of the soil. Some ecologists have tried to
distinguish different areas according to the whole ecological
(environmental) complex. These methods of approach are related to
visible features of land and its use. The economist's approach is
of a different nature inasmuch as economic productivity of land
is viewed in relation to alternative investment opportunities in
the existing socio-economic pattern.
In the present study, attention has been confined to the ecological
and economic factors only. This has been done to achieve
useful results, within the available time, on an assessment of land
capability. It is stressed, however, that parallel studies of
other factors would be essential for development purposes.
In Part I, some of the literature on studies made in the
past on land classification and other aspects of land-use in Britain
and other countries is reviewed. Part II deals with the investigations
carried out in the study area at Bowhill Estate in Selkirkshire,
Southern Scotland, and the results achieved therein.