Land maybe uppermost layer of the earth’s crust on which agriculture and non-agricultural activities are carried out. In other words, land can also be defined as the solid part of the earth’s surface which has as it’s components water, air, soil, rock, minerals, natural vegetation and animal life, and it is suitable for agricultural production.
Characteristics of Land
- Land is a natural gift.
- Land can appreciate or depreciate in value.
- It is abundant in some areas and scarce in other areas.
- It is heterogenous in quality, differing from one place to another in topography, soil texture as structure, soil facility, etc.
- Because of its limited supply land is also subject of law of diminishing returns.
- Reward for land is rent.
- Availability is subject of Land Use Act/Law.
- It’s Suitability influences outputs.
- Its value is determined by its location.
- It can be used as collateral for loans.
Land Use Policy
Land use demands care for planning in order to ensure increase agricultural production. In order to use land most efficiently, there is the need to ensure a continuous land use policy which must not change a government changes. Current demands on land centres on agriculture, forestry, wildlife conservation, industry , housing, decoration, transport, etc. However, it is agriculture, forestry and wildlife that make the greatest demand for land.
Classification of Land Based On Uses
There are two major classifications of land based on uses. These are:
Agricultural Land
Agricultural land are used for crop production, livestock production, fishery, forestry, wildlife conservation, bee keeping, snail farming.
Non-agricultural Land
Non-agricultural lands are used for industrial or factory use, construction of buildings (Residential purposes), mining, sports centres e.g stadia, race courses, golf courses, recreational purposes e.g parks, markets, worship places, e.g churches, mosques, shrines, transportation e.g railway, airports, and roads, cemeteries, commercial purposes, e.g banks and warehouses.
Uses of land for agricultural purposes
Production of crops
Land is used for the production of food crops like yam, rice, maize, cassava and copier as well as production of cash crops like cotton, rubber, cocoa and groundnut.
Importance or merits of crop production
- It provides foods like maize yam and cassava.
- It provides employment to many people.
- It provides income to farmers.
- It provides raw materials for industries, e.g cassava, maize, rubber and cocoa.
- It aids the development of towns where commercial agriculture is practiced.
- Some crops are sources of foreign exchange for the nation.
Livestock Production
Land is also used for natural grazing for livestock like cattle, sheep and goats. Large areas of land are set aside in savanna belts where there are abundant grasses for grazing by livestock.
Importance or merits of livestock
- Livestock provides food in the form of protein e.g meat and eggs.
- It provides feed for farm animals.
- It provides employment e.g cattle rearers and poultry farmers.
- It also provides hides and skin for making musical drums, belts and shoes.
- It can provide foreign exchange for the nation when livestock or eats products are exported.
How agriculture land appreciates in value
Farmland may appreciate in value through the following:
- fertilization, manuring and living.
- Through reclamation, and drainage.
- Through fallowing.
- proper cultivation method e.g crop rotation.
- Proper erosion control.
- Irrigation.
- Through rotational grazing.
Forestry
Land is used for forestry which involves the management of the forest and its resources for man’s use. Forest reserves are established where there is no pressure for cultivation or low population density, and where they land seems not to be suitable for agriculture.
Some forests are especially kept by government for specific purposes. Hence, they are called forest reserves.
Some forest reserves in Nigeria are
- Mamu river forest reserve in Anambra state.
- Omo forest reserve in Ogun state.
- Afi river forest reserve in Cross river state.
- Okomu forest reserve in Edo state.
- Anara forest reserve in kaduna state.
- Shasha river forest reserve in Ogun state.
- Sakpoba forest reserve in Edo state.
- Zamfara forest reserve in Zamfara state.
- Sanga river forest reserve in plateau state.
- Awba hills forest reserve in Oyo state.
Importance or merits of forest
- Provision of food, e.g. fruit, bush meat.
- Provision of fuel, e.g. firewood.
- Provision of medicinal herbs.
- Provision of employment, e.g. forest guards.
- Formation of rain.
- Prevention of soil erosion.
- Forest is the home of wild animals.
- Forest serves as tourist centres.
- Provision ofb foreign exchange for the nation.
- Provision of timber for furniture.
- Provision of pulp used for tissue and paper making.
- Forest beautifies the environment.
- Forest reduces atmospheric pollution by removing carbon dioxide and replacing it with oxygen.
Wildlife conservation
Land is also used for wildlife conservation. What do I refers to animals and birds found in the bush. Wildlife is conserved in game reserves which are centres of tourist attraction. Land which is not suitable for agriculture and forestry may be used for game reserve, located in sparsely populated areas.
Game reserves are places where wild animals are conserved to avoid extinction while they are carefully and wisely exploited.
Poaching or the indiscriminate king of animals in a game reserve should be prohibited. Also, forest fires and fishing with chemicals should be avoided.
Examples of game reserves in Nigeria are
- Yankari game reserve in Bauchi state.
- Kainji national Park in Kogi state.
- Zugurman game reserve in Niger state.
- Borgu game reserve in kwara state.
Some animals conserved in game reserves include: elephants, tigers, lions, zebras, giraffes, monkeys, snacks, leopards, birds and turtles
Importance or merits of wildlife game reserves
- Wildlife is haunted to provide meat for food.
- Game reserves are centres of tourism.
- Game reserves provide employment to many people.
- Game reserves also generate income for the government.
- Hides and skin from wildlife like zebra, giraffe and tiger are useful for domestic purposes.
- Prevention of wildlife from extinction.
- Promotion of education and research works on wildlife.
- Encouragement of micro-climate of a locality with respect to rainfall.
Fishery
Some portion of land is set aside for the production of fish through fish farming. It involves establishment of fish ponds we are fishes are reared artificially to provide the necessary sources of protein and income for the people.
Importance or merits of fish farming
- It provides fish which serves as a source of food (i.e protein) to man and livestock.
- It provides a means of increasing the availability of protein to people at a reduced cost.
- It provides a means of recycling wastes, e.g animal dungs from farm, factories and sewage disposal system.
- Fish can be processed into fish by products such as fish meal, fish oil or skin.
- It provides employment and income to many people.
- A better use of land and water in our environment is also insured through fish farming.