forestry

Why should we protect our FORESTS? Absorbs & stores carbon Source of food Source of medicine Sources of jobs Building materials/furniture/paper Fuel/firewood Habitat...home to 2/3 all terrestrial species; 300 million people Control erosion Prevent flooding Regulate climate Natural beauty/recreation 1 billion people depend on forests for survival

Threats to FORESTS Acid rain Insect epidemics Air pollution Droughts deforestation

DEFORESTATION Temporary or permanent removal of large expanses of forests For agriculture For development Almost half of our virgin forests have been lost...most within last 60 years CONCERNS... Water pollution (concentration of nitrates & silt) Soil degradation Accelerate flooding Habitat loss Increase in CO2 Local extinction of specialized species

Forest Structure OLD GROWTH FORESTS SECOND GROWTH FORESTS Forests that have not been disturbed by natural disasters or human activity for 200+ years Mature trees/multilevel canopy Greatest ecological complexity Forests that re-establish themselves after natural disasters or human clear cutting (secondary succession)

TREE PLANTATIONS Tree farms/commercial forests Managed forests; few species; clear cut & replaced on regular basis

TREE PLANTATIONS... PROS CONS Provide wood & paper products at profitable level...makes it more affordable for consumers Protects old growth and second growth forests Low biodiversity Don’t provide habitat Don’t store water Continual replanting depletes nutrients

Harvesting Trees Selective cutting....only mature trees are marked and cut Clear cutting...all trees removed Most efficient/least costly BUT... Reduces biodiversity Higher timber yields destroys & fragments wildlife habitats water pollution, flooding, soil erosion Strip cutting...clearcutting strips of trees along contour of land Leaves natural forest corridors that can regenerate within few years See p. 222...figure 10-6

FOREST FIRES Surface fires...burn undergrowth & leaf litter; may kill seedlings & small trees but spare most mature trees Actually can be beneficial Burn away flammable ground material...which can contribute to crown fires Free mineral nutrients tied up in decomposing litter & undergrowth Release seeds from cones (EX: pond pine) Control destructive pests & tree diseases Crown fires...(wildfires)...extremely hot fires; burn whole trees/forest; destroy vegetation; kill wildlife

Can you distinguish between the 2 types of fires?

Management of Forest Fires Smokey Bear Educational Campaign...1944...”only you can prevent wildfires” All forest fires are not bad Prescribed fires in public lands to thin trees/remove dead decaying litter on forest floor...The Healthy Forest Restoration Act

The Yellowstone Fires of 1988 Yellowstone...first national park burned over 30 percent of the total acreage of the park significant shift in the way Yellowstone fought fires. Prior to 1988...policy was that natural fires were to burn out on their own One of the driest summers on record Lots of wind Lots of lightning...little rain

Sustainable Forest Management Identify & protect high diversity forest areas Stop logging old growth forests Stop clear cutting steep slopes Reduce road building in forests Rely more on selective & strip cutting Leave standing dead trees & fallen trees for habitats Put tree plantations on deforested & degraded land Certify timber grown by sustainable methods

PAPER MANUFACTURING Wood fiber...sawmill residue; logs/chips; recycled paper Paper pulp is one of most abundant raw materials Paper can be made from plant fibers other than trees Yields more pulp than trees But requires more use of herbicides & pesticides

We Can Reduce the Demand for Harvested Trees 60% wood consumed in US is wasted Insufficient use of construction materials Excessive packing Junk mail Inadequate paper recycling Failure to reuse/find substitutes for wood shipping containers

Protected Lands NATIONAL PARKS NATIONAL FORESTS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES NATIONAL WILDERNESS AREAS LAND TRUSTS

NATIONAL PARKS The National Park Service Yellowstone: 1st ...1872 to preserve scenery; wildlife; natural and historic objects Camping, hiking, enjoyment of nature NO...hunting NO...commercial fishing NO...livestock grazing NO...logging NO...mining

NATIONAL FORESTS US Forest Service Land preservation; trees, wildlife Hunting Fishing Mining Logging Livestock grazing camping

WILDERNESS AREAS The Wilderness Act “A wilderness, ...recognized as an area where the earth and community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.” Managed by US Park, US Forest, & US Fish & Wildlife Services; Bureau of Land Management Allow regulated hunting, fishing, hiking, camping NO vehicles of any kind No logging, mining, grazing allowed

NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE US Fish & Wildlife Service (1903) Protects wildlife habitats Conserve land & environment Includes wetlands, prairies, temperate, tundra, coniferous forests, marine & coastal water communities Allows hunting & fishing You can also camp & hike