Rural land resources

1
Rural land resources

• Karst landscape
• The Yorkshire Dales

2
Introduction to the Dales

• The Yorkshire Dales is the 3rd largest national
  park in England (1760 km2).
• The area also contains stunning limestone
  landscapes which draw vast numbers of visitors to
  the area every year.
• The area has many opportunities such as tourism,
  but also has many limitations and consequences
  due to the number of people it attracts.

3
Opportunities

• Farming
• Quarrying
• Water Supply
• Conservation
• Recreation-Active/Passive
• Tourism-Jobs
• Military Training
• Forestry
• Business Opportunities-Equipment
  hire/crafts/guides.

4
Economic opportunities

• Quarrying- Swinden quarry
• The Yorkshire Dales provides massive exports of
  limestone for use in agriculture and industry as
  lime.
• Gritstone is also mined as it has the ability to
  resist skidding, this makes it useful on roads
  and runways.
• The quarry provides 7 of all jobs in the
  national park. It also generates 6 million to
  the local economy.

5
Farming

• Farming in the Yorkshire Dales is characterised
  by
• 1. Sheep grazing on the uplands.
• 2. Cattle fed from hay meadows in the valley
  floors.
• 3. A landscape of dry stone walls and stone
  barns.
• However, the traditional system is under threat
  due to-falling meat prices and increased
  competition from more intensive units both in
  this country and abroad.
• Within a National park, it is important to
  maintain the traditional system, so local
  Governments offer a CSSs (countryside
  stewardship scheme) which gives grants to farms
  to use traditional methods.

6
Economic opportunities

• Tourism
• Tourists to the Yorkshire Dales spend 45 million
  a year.
• Many take part in leisure activities or active
  ones but most people come to see the landscape

7
Recreation

• Visitors have been coming to the Yorkshire dales
  since the 18th century, where writers and artists
  sought out the dramatic scenery.
• The growth of the rail network in the 19th
  century brought increased numbers , but the most
  dramatic growth came in the late 20th century as
  a result of the rise in car ownership .
• More than 90 of todays visitors come by car.

8
Why tourists visit
9
Limitations

• Climate- A short growing season and a wet and
  windy climate make the area unpleasant .
• Seasonal jobs- With jobs only available during
  peak season many people may be without work
• Lack of Job opportunities- with tourism being the
  best money making service most people are
  employed in this area, few other services are
  provided.
• Relief- With poor soils and high steep land the
  area is bad for farming ect.
• Remoteness- Due to the remote area journeys are
  long and roads are poor

10
Honeypot Sites

• Yorkshire Dales
• Malham Cove

Yorkshire Dales Malham Cove
11

• Honeypot Site An area of attractive scenery to
  which tourists swarm in large numbers. The
  problems are how to preserve the honeypots
  natural beauty and its unspoilt quality, while
  providing facilities for the hordes who arrive at
  the peak summer periods.

12
Malham Area

• Honeypot site in the Yorkshire Dales
• The importance of the area has recently been
  recognised by English Nature which has designated
  it a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
  and the area around Malham Tarn as a National
  Nature Reserve (NNR).
• Malham Cove is a natural limestone formation
  which was originally a large waterfall. The cove
  is a well known beauty spot 1km north of the
  village of Malham. Malham Cove is a large, curved
  limestone cliff at the head of a valley with
  limestone pavement at the top.

13

• The Malham area has been popular with visitors
  for over 200 years and although Malham village
  had a population of only 134 at the last census,
  the huge numbers of visitors have helped to
  maintain local services, including hotels, shops,
  cafes and pubs which may have otherwise closed.
• However as 90 of all visitors to the area travel
  by car or van during the summer the levels of
  traffic and car parking can reduce the appeal of
  the village.

14
Benefits

• Honeypots are frequently used by cities or
  countries to manage their tourism industry
• The use of honeypots can protect fragile land
  away from major cities (e.g the construction of
  parks to prevent tourists from damaging more
  valuable ecosystems)
• Honeypots have the added benefit of concentrating
  a large number of income generating visitors in
  one place, thus developing that area and in turn
  making the area more appealing to tourists
• Tourists visit the area for walking, camping,
  climbing and for the scenery. Over 9 million
  visitors to the Yorkshire Dales National Park
  provide employment and an important boost to the
  local economy

15
Problems

• Due to the large numbers of tourists arriving in
  cars during the summer there are great levels of
  traffic congestion, pollution and parking
  problems
• Ramblers can cause conflict with farmers when
  they drop litter and leave gates open
• Damage to plants and trees
• Severe footpath erosion on the walk to the cove
• Increased commercialisation of traditional
  villages
• Disturbance to farm livestock and wildlife
• Overcrowding

16

• Pressure for new developments to provide for and
  to attract visitors (e.g 1974 National Park
  Centre opened)
• Increase in crime
• Strain on facilities and transport networks
• Some tourists buy second homes which can push
  property prices up, therefore the outward
  migration of young people has increased
• General encroachment on the lifestyle of local
  people is becoming commonplace, through
  increasing noise, disturbance and loss of privacy

17
Solutions

• Due to the severe footpath erosion many of the
  paths leading to the cove have had to be
  re-surfaced.
• To try and prevent the litter problems there is
  now a policy not to provide litter bins in the
  area to encourage visitors to remove their own
  litter.
• In the early 1990s an experimental traffic
  management scheme was introduced however it was
  soon abandoned due to pressure from local people.

18
Environmental problems

• Over 35 of the Dales are areas of special
  scientific interest (SSSIs).
• Because of this the area also suffers from great
  pressures such as Modern agriculture, quarrying
  and recreation.

19
Quarrying

• In Swinden Quarry there are rich and valuable
  sources of raw materials.
• But due to the area being a national park
  quarrying is hard to do.
• The problems associated with quarrying in this
  area are plentiful.
• -Modern sites create a visual intrusion
• -They threaten surrounding landscapes and
  wildlife
• -Transport of materials causes noise and
  pollution
• In 1996 planning permission was given for the
  quarry to continue until 2020. After 2020 it will
  close and be turned into a nature reserve.

20
Solutions to the quarries problems

• Landscape problems- The majority of the
  aesthetically displeasing qualities of the plant
  have been overcome by moving the plant within the
  quarry itself.
• Materials can now be extracted and processed
  onsite. This means that transport of the
  materials has decreased by 23 (173 less lorries
  a day) reducing road pressures, noise and air
  pollution.

21
Environmental concerns

• Tourism- Severe footpath erosion
• Disturbance to farms and livestock
• Disturbance to wildlife
• Parking problems lead to off-road damage
• Public pressure on roads
• Increases commercialisation of traditional
  villages
• Pressure for new development to provide for and
  attract visitors.

22
Solutions

• Disturbance to wildlife- use of gates and fences
  to protect specific wildlife
• Instalment of litter bins on walk routes
• Visitor education on the damage they can cause
• Disturbance to farms- use of keep out signs
• Livestock being moved to more isolated fields
• Employment of park watchers