THE PLAN
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In identifying our natural resources, we can better understand how to conserve, protect, or improve upon them in the years to come.
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WHAT ARE THEY, AND WHY DO THEY MATTER?
Natural resources are all around us, even in the urban core. The air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, and the places we play outside are all resource-driven. Natural resources provide clean air, water, food, habitat, opportunities for recreation and tourism, and help mitigate extreme weather events. |
A recent Clemson study found that natural resource-based sectors contribute $33.4 billion in economic activity to the state's economy and are responsible for 218,719 jobs.Greenville Business Magazine January 24, 2018 |
Illustrative map of commercial impervious surfaces and road rights-of-way in downtown Columbia
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URBAN HEAT ISLANDS:
THE NEW SOUTHERN HOT SPOTS Urban areas tend to be hotter than than nearby rural areas because they contain more impervious areas than vegetative natural areas. These urban areas become "heat islands" because they are warmer than their surroundings. According to the USEPA, heat islands affect communities by increasing summertime peak energy demand, air conditioning costs, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, heat-related illness and mortality, and water quality. |
Impervious surfaces are areas which rainwater cannot penetrate - surfaces made of concrete or asphalt, roofs, and highly compacted urban soils cannot support vegetative growth or help filter rainwater. This map shows (in gray) commercial impervious areas and roadways in a section of Columbia's urban core.
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RESOURCES, ECOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS, & HUMAN VALUE
In considering natural resources, we tend to think of resources individually instead of as part of a system. The interaction between resources and their functions makes up the natural environment. Ecological functions are defined in terms of ecosystem services - for example, trees can provide clean air, water, and shade. However, the value of those services to people is difficult to quantify. What value do you assign to tree-lined streets, clean rivers, and sustainable local agriculture? While we often forget about ecological functions, without them the human value would not be present. |
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WE ALL LIVE DOWNSTREAM
A watershed is a defined area of land that channels rainfall (and snowmelt) to creeks, streams, rivers, and eventually to outflow points and to the ocean. Water that is not absorbed into the soil travels across land areas (including impervious surfaces) and through creeks and streams, often picking up pollutants along the way. The size of a watershed (also called a drainage basin) is defined on different scales - the City of Columbia falls within six different watersheds and 16 different subwatersheds. |
