Name of course Land use planning and Environmental

Management

Course code FAM 105

Programme and level Diploma in Agriculture, Part 1

Course units 10

I. Course Description

This course will review the basic scientific, technical and institutional concepts about land
resources inventory and evaluation, mapping, planning and management. An overview of
techniques that are used to asses and evaluate agricultural landscape resources for crop
and animal production planning and environmental management will be explored. Summary
of main topics to be covered include remote sensing and aerial image interpretation;
Geographic Information System and mapping of land resources; Evaluation of soils,
vegetation and water for crop, animal, soil conservation and water resources planning and
The principles of environmental management. Theoretical, computer based, laboratory and
field techniques will be used.

2. Learning Outcomes

The course has been designed to acquaint students with the basic scientific, technical and
institutional knowledge to assess, evaluate, plan and manage agricultural landscape
resources as to maximise crop and animal and environmental sustenance. Students who
successfully complete this course would be able to;

a) Analyse landscapes’ soils and vegetation and to classify the land in terms of arable
homogeneous areas and the non arable land classes.
b) Analyse remote sensing products (images) as to compile and map out the given area
to understand using Geographic Information System software.
c) Classify of erosion and plan conservation layout and farm road alignment
d) Enable dam site and weir site selection
e) Undertake linear and area measurements from aerial images
f) Assess landscape vegetation, soils and topography and to carryout land capability
classification
g) Carry out crop and rangeland planning
h) Understand key issues and concerns pertaining to the management of environmental
resources
i) Understand key environmental components of agricultural landscapes in Zimbabwe
j) Apply various techniques to mitigate the impacts of agricultural activities on the
environment
k) Apply best practices for environmental management of agricultural landscapes
l) Solve challenges of sustainable environmental management of agricultural
landscapes
m) Understand national, regional and international obligations and arrangements for
environmental management
3. Teaching Methods

Compulsory formal classroom lectures, presentations/seminars by students, computer based

practicals; field practicals and visits, assignments, class tests and quizzes will form part of
delivery of course material.

4. Course Content

Topic/time allocated Content

Introduction (1 hr) Definitions of Remote Sensing (RS), Aerial Photo

Interpretation (API), Geographic Information System (GIS),
Land Use Planning (LUP), agricultural landscape and their
components and environmental management.

Remote sensing and Air Remote sensing: active and passive remote sensing system,
photo interpretation (6 hrs) sensors, electromagnetic radiation and reflectance properties
of soil, water and vegetation.
Satellite image: acquisition and data characteristics, image
bands, resolution and pre-processing
Contact prints; acquisition and data characteristics, types,
principles of production and pre-processing.
Satellite and contact prints image: types of interpretation,
basic interpretation factors, extraction of features using a
stereoscope, digital image classification and extraction of
features using GIS software.
Mapping and GIS (8 hrs) Maps: coordinate systems, reading, map projections, scaling,
area measurement and data transfer.
Geographic information system: spatial data, models of
representing spatial data (raster and vector), data input:
georeferencing and digitising, spatial data analysis
(neighbourhood and overlay analysis), Global Positioning
System and map production,
Mapping: present land use, proposed land use, land classes,
slope vegetation classes.

Land use planning (8 hrs)
Environmental management
of Agricultural landscape
(9 hrs)
Introduction; General principles of land use planning,
sources of information for land use planning.
Factors affecting production: natural and artificial factors.
Land capability classification; Soil coding, vegetation
coding and Land classes.
Land use planning; annual cropping area calculations, Crop
planning, Erosion and mechanical conservation works, Range
planning, Communal, resettlement and small scale
commercial area planning.
Introduction: and Environmental stewardship at the local,
national, regional and global scale.
Topical environmental issues: Introduction to the
Millennium Development Goals concept, Loss of biodiversity,
Global climate change, Desertification, Limited freshwater
resources, Human population problems, Human pandemics.
Agro ecosystems: Ecosystem concept, Energy flows,
Nutrient cycling, Ecosystem services, Drivers of ecosystem
change, Agro ecosystems definition, characteristics, and agro
ecosystems in Zimbabwe.
Biodiversity: Introduction, definition, Hierarchies of
biodiversity, Nested biodiversity, Importance of biodiversity in
human wellbeing and agriculture, United Nations, Convention
on Biological Diversity, Impacts of agricultural practices on
biodiversity.
Aquatic ecosystems: Introduction, aquatic systems of
Zimbabwe, distribution, Wetlands definition, ecological
importance, Integrated Water Resources Management
Catchment approach, ZINWA water management role and
delineations of catchments, Impacts of agriculture on aquatic
systems, Provisions of Water Act, Aquaculture.
Climate change and variability: Introduction to weather and
climate, Global climate trends, Climate change scenarios for
Zimbabwe: changes in temperature, rainfall patterns,
droughts, floods, Greenhouse gas (GHG) effects, Causes of
increased GHG emissions, Effects of agriculture on GHG
emissions, Climate change mitigation, Climate change
adaptation.
Agricultural sustainability: Introduction, definition,
importance of sustainable agriculture, Poverty and
unsustainable agriculture, Sustainability factors: economic,
social, ecological, Interlinkages of sustainability factors,
Indicators of agricultural sustainability, Good agricultural
practices for sustainable agriculture, Barriers to sustainable
agriculture.
Environmental health: Introduction, human health,
environmental health, Agriculture related environmental
health concerns: food safety, chemical, pollution of air and
water, food contamination by manure, ground water,
contamination, Options for addressing problems, Reduced
and safe pesticides use through crop rotations, integrated
pest management, crop diversity, environmentally friendly
pesticides, safe handling of pesticides, safe disposal,
Improved soil management –cover crops, no/low till, proper
grazing management, Proper hygiene standards during food
production, transportation, processing and marketing, safe
use of animal antibiotics and observance of withdrawal
periods.
Waste management and pollution control: Introduction to
waste definition: waste, by products, pollutants, Categories of
agricultural waste, Effects of waste on the environment,
Principles of waste management -4Rs: reduce, reuse,
recycle, and recover, Agricultural waste management animal
waste, crop waste, human waste, workshop waste, chemical
waste.
Environmental Policies, strategies and legislation:
Historical background to environmental legislation in
Zimbabwe, Legal framework governing agricultural use of
natural resources in Zimbabwe, International and regional
environmental management frameworks, Conventions,
 treaties, agreements and strategies.

5. Practicals
Compulsory, Students have to individually perform the entire practical and hand in write ups
on results obtained, possible practicals:
 Map reading and the magnetic compass
 Scaling and area measurement
 Object identification on a stereogram
 Extraction of drainage, crest, vegetation and non-arable land from aerial photos
 Pit coding and land capability classification
 GPS and point mapping
 Extraction of land features from satellite images: georeferencing and digitising
 Spatial data analysis
 Image classification
 Mapping on contact prints, satellite images and topographic maps
 Dam site selection on areal images
 Map designing

6. Course Assessment

Continuous assessment: written practical reports and assessment, assignments, seminars

tutorials and in class tests. And the following weighting will be used
1. Inclass tests 10 %
2. practical: 35 %
3. assignments 5%

Examination: theory examination and the following weighting will be used

4. examination: 50 %

Students who do not achieve 20% in continuous course assessments will not be
allowed to sit for the final theory examination

7. Reading Material
1. Carver A.J. 1981 Air photography for land use planning, department of conservation
and extension Harare
2. Environmental Systems Research Institute 1999. Getting to know ArcView GIS
3. Mitchell R. J. Air photography for land use planning department of conservation and
extension Harare
4. SADC, IUCN, SARDC 1994. The state of environment in southern Africa
5. Soil survey staff 1993. Soil survey Manual. Agricultural handbook18. USDA. US