1. Sustaining Terrestrial Biodiversity: The Ecosystem Approach
G. Tyler Miller’s
Living in the Environment
14th Edition
Chapter 11
Dr. Richard Clements
Chattanooga State Technical Community College

2. Key Concepts Human land use Types and uses of US public lands
Forests and forest management
Implications of deforestation
Management of parks
Establishment and management of nature preserves
Importance of ecological restoration

3. Types of US Public Lands
Multiple-use lands: National Forests; National Resource Lands
Moderately-restricted use lands: National Wildlife Refuges
Restricted-use lands: National Park System; National Wilderness Preservation System

4. National parks and preserves National wildlife refuges
US Public Lands
National parks and preserves
National forests
National wildlife refuges

5. Managing and Sustaining Forests
Ecological Importance of Forests
Food webs and energy flow
Water regulation
Local and regional climate
Numerous habitats and niches
Air purification

6. Managing and Sustaining Forests
Economic Importance of Forests
Fuelwood (50% of global forest use)
Industrial timber and lumber
Pulp and paper
Medicines
Mineral extraction and recreation

7. Forest Structure Emergent Canopy Understory Floor Subsoil Birds,
invertebrates,
bats
reptiles,
amphibians,
lichens, mosses
Shade-tolerant
plants, birds,
squirrels,
lizards,
chipmunks
Rotting debris,
worms,
insects,
bacteria
Nematodes,
microrganisms
Bole
Snag
Fig. 23.6, p. 592

8. Types of Forests Old-growth (frontier) forests Second-growth forests
Tree farms/plantation
Virgin forests, 1620
Virgin forests, 1998
Fig b, p. 600

9. Forest Management Rotation cycle Even-aged management
Industrial forestry
Uneven-aged management
Improved diversity
Sustainable production
Multiple-use

10. Management Strategies
Years of growth 30 25 15 10 5
Clear cut
Weak trees
removed
Seedlings
planted
Time
Short rotation
Wood volume or wood biomass B C A
Long rotations
Old-growth harvest
(such as hardwoods
for furniture)
Fig. 23.7, p. 593
Fig. 23.9, p. 594

11. Logging Roads Increased erosion and runoff Habitat fragmentation
Pathways for exotic species
Accessibility to humans
Fig , p. 595
Highway
Cleared plots
for grazing
for agriculture
Virgin forest

12. Harvesting Trees Selective cutting High-grading Shelterwood cutting
Fig , p. 596
Selective cutting
High-grading
Cut 2
Cut 1
Shelterwood Cutting
Selective Cutting
Shelterwood cutting
Seed-tree cutting
Seed-Tee Cutting
Clear-Cutting
Clearcutting
Strip cutting
Cut
Cut
Cut
Uncut
Uncut
1 year ago
6–10 years ago
3–5 years ago
Strip Cutting

13. Sustainable Forestry Longer rotations Selective or strip cutting
Minimize fragmentation
Improved road building techniques
Certified sustainable grown (See Solutions p. 598)

14. Pathogens Fungal Diseases Chestnut blight Dutch elm disease
Insect Pests
Bark beetles
Gypsy moth

15. Fire
Surface fires
Crown fires
Surface fire
Crown fire

16. Forest Resources and Management in the United States
Habitat fro threatened and endangered species
Water purification services
Recreation
3% of timber harvest
Sustainable yield and multiple use
Substitues for tree products

17. Tropical Deforestation
Rapid and increasing
Loss of biodiversity
Cultural extinction
Unsustainable agriculture and ranching
Clearing for cash crop plantations
Commercial logging
Fuelwood

18. Degradation of Tropical Forests
Bromeliad
Orchid
Roads
Logging
Cash crops
Cattle ranching
Tree plantations
Flooding from dams
Mining
Oil drilling
Unsustainable peasant farming
Primary Causes:
Rapid population growth
Exploitive government policies
Poverty
Exports to developed counties
Failure to include ecological services
in evaluating forest resources
Toucan
Scarlet
macaw
Golden lion
marmoset
Blue morpho butterfly
Secondary Causes:
Fig , p. 608

19. Reducing Tropical Deforestation
Identification of critical ecosystems
Reducing poverty and population growth
Sustainable tropical agriculture
Encourage protection of large tracts
Debt-for-nature swaps
Less destructive harvesting methods

20. The Fuelwood Crisis Planting fast-growing fuelwood plants
Burning wood more efficiently
Switching to other fuels
Fig , p. 611

21. Managing and Sustaining National Parks
Most parks are too small to maintain biodiversity
Invasion by exotic species
Popularity a major problem
Traffic jams and air pollution
Visitor impact (noise)
Natural regulation
Better pay for park staff

22. Establishing, Designing, and Managing Nature Reserves
Include some moderate disturbance
Sustain natural ecological processes
Protect most important areas
Buffer zones
Gap analysis
See Solutions p. 620
Wilderness areas

23. Ecological Restoration
Restoration ecology
Rehabilitation
See Individuals Matter p. 624
Replacement
Creating artificial ecosystems
Natural restoration