1. Role of Forests in the Environment
28.00 Describe the role of forests and their growth in the environment and society

2. Forests
28.01 Describe the impact of forests, their products, and processing on our environment, economy, and society.

3. Forests A mixture of trees, shrubs, plants, and animals
A community of sort
A balanced ecosystem

4. Early days… An asset Problem/Enemy
Produced wood, which was exported
Game, which was used for food
Problem/Enemy
Many trees had to be removed to grow crops
Plains states and Southwest were too dry to support forests.
Forestry: Keeping NC Green and Growing

5. United States Forestry
Production of forests has increased though the acreage has not risen.
Explain this?

6. Limitations Types of trees that will grow in an area are affected by:
Climate
Soil Type
Altitude

7. Forest Regions West Coast Western Central Hardwood Tropical Northern
Southern

9. Forest Regions of the United States
Northern Coniferous Forest
Softwoods, between Canada and the U.S. borders are soft and hardwoods. Region has swamps, rivers, lakes and marshes. The climate is cold, this is the largest forest in North America. Trees that dominate are evergreens and pulpwood trees. Species of importance include white spruce, Sitka spruce, black spruce, jack pine, black pine, tamarack and western hemlock
Northern Hardwoods Forest
Region reaches from Southeastern Canada to New England to the northern Appalachian Mountains. It is populated by beech, maple, hemlock and birch trees

10. Central Broad-leaved forest
Located east of the Mississippi river, a farming region mostly owned by private entities. Wood of high quality is produced here, hardwoods such as maple, beech, hickory, oak, poplar, gum, walnut, cherry, ash, cottonwood and sycamore.
Southern Forest
In the southeast portion of the United States (covers Delaware to Florida and Oklahoma to Texas) It is the forest with the most potential for reaching future lumber needs. Conifers are the most important trees in this forest, including Virginia, long leaf, loblolly, shortleaf and slash pines. Hardwoods included are Oak, Poplar, maple and walnut

11. Bottomland Hardwoods Forest
Found along the Mississippi River, contains mostly hardwood trees, the soil is highly fertile which hardwoods such as oak, tupelo and cypress thrive in.
Pacific Coast Forest
California, Oregon and Washington also the most productive forest in the United States. Douglas Fir, Ponderosa Pine, hemlock, western red cedar, Sitka Spruce, sugar pine, and noble fir are some of the conifers found in this region. Important hardwoods are Oak, cottonwood, maple and alder

12. Rocky Mountain Forest Tropical Forest Hawaiian Forest
Much less productive than the other forests in North America. Western Pines are the trees of commercial value including western white pine, lodge pole pine and ponderosa pine. Aspen is the only hardwood grown in this area of commercial importance.
Tropical Forest
Located in Southern Texas and Florida. Major trees in this forest are Mahogany, mangrove and Bay which are all unimportant commercially, but ecologically important.
Hawaiian Forest
The wet forest region grows ohia, boa, tree fern, kuka, tropical ash, mamani and eucalyptus. These woods are used in the production of furniture and novelties.

13. Benefits of Forests Transpiration by trees cools the air
As much as 8o less than the surrounding area
Act as windbreaks
Quieten Noise
Release oxygen into the air
Conserve soil and water
Provide homes for wildlife
Provide recreation, rest, solace, and nature study for people.

14. Forest products WOOD! Converted to: Wood Fiber Paper Simulated leather
Charcoal
Rayon
Cellulose
Photographic Film
Wood Fiber
Simulated leather
Shatterproof glass
Imitation vanilla
Artificial hair

15. Products from commercial trees
Nuts and fruits
Oils, decorations, extracts
Resins, gums, turpentine
Mulch, tannin, drugs, oils, dyes
Sugar, syrup
Veneer, charcoal, pitch, pine oil
Poles, posts
Paper, paper products, wall boards
Lumber, bolts, timber, wastes, ties

16. Relationship between forests and other natural resources
Forests play important roles in the water cycle
As water circulates from oceans to rivers to lakes, the forest filters the rain as it falls and serve as storage areas. A forest regulates water flow, making it possible for fish and other animal and plant life to survive
Forests filter rain and help reduce the erosion of soils
Trees and shrubs are responsible for removing much of the pollutant materials from the air and water run off. They also help reduce the harmful effects of excess fertilizer that enters underground water systems.
Forests and living organisms have many relationships
Algae, fungi, mosses, and other plants make their homes in the forest. Forests also provide shelter, food, protection and nesting sites for many species of birds and fish. Shade provided by the forest maintains proper water temperatures for the growth and reproduction of aquatic life.
Forests and wildlife relationships greatly vary
Depending on species, the wildlife in each forest region varies due to climate and harvesting times

17. Summary Affect our climate Control erosion on our lands
Provide wildlife habitats
Provide recreational areas for humans
Benefit society

18. Tree Anatomy
28.02 – Describe the parts of a tree and their functions.

19. Parts of a Tree
Root System
Trunk
Crown

20. Root System Function of Roots
Anchor and support the tree
Take in water and nutrients from the soil
Help to hold soil in place and improve soil quality
Store manufactured food
Root hairs take in (absorb) water and nutrients

21. Trunk Functions Annual rings determine the age of the tree
Supports the crown
Transports sap (water and nutrients) to the crown through xylem and sapwood
Transports food from crown to roots through the phloem
Annual rings determine the age of the tree

22. Mature Trunk Heartwood Sapwood Cambium Inner bark Outer bark
Center of trunk, darker in color
Sapwood
Outside the heartwood, lighter colored
Transports water and nutrients upward from the roots
Cambium
Surrounds the sapwood
Inner bark
Known as phloem
Transports food downward from the leaves to the roots
Outer bark
Provides protection from drying to the inner bark

24. Crown Branches, twigs, buds, and leaves of the tree Functions
Leaves are chemical factory of the tree
Food production is a result of photosynthesis
CO2 + H2O + sunlight + chlorophyll = C6H12O6 + O2
Transpiration – evaporation of excess water from stomata
Food is manufactured
Seeds, fruits, nuts, and berries are produced

29. Common North Carolina Trees
29.01 Identify common NC trees based on physical characteristics.

30. American Elm
Leaves are oval, long, curved and pointed, sharply toothed margins
Bark is dark gray
Common on bottomlands
feet, diameter 2-5 feet

31. American Holly
Leaves are spiny, wavy-edged, 2- 4 inches long, dark green in color
Red berries on female trees
Bark is light gray, roughened wart-like growths
15-40 feet by 1-2 feet

32. American Sycamore
3-4 lobed leaves, shallow sinuses, 4-7 inches long and broad, palmate, toothed margins
Multi-colored, mottled trunks
Fruit is a ball 1” diameter
feet by 3-8 feet

33. Bald Cypress
Leaves are ½ to3/4 inches long and are arranged in a featherlike fashion along two sides of small branchlets
Trunk has a broad, fluted based “knee”
Bark is dark reddish brown to silver and is finely divided by longitudinal fissures
Swamplands

34. Black Walnut
Leaves are alternate, inches long, sharply oval, finely toothed, leaflets that are 2 inches long, pinnately compound
Bark is thick dark brown to black, deep fissures
Lower slopes to bottomlands
50-90 feet by 2-3 feet

35. Common Persimmon
Leaves are broadly oblong, pointed, 4-6 inches long, small dark veins on the underside
Fruit is reddish purple, 1-2 inches and only on females
Bark is dark and deeply divided in to small, square plates
Not found in mountains
Used to make clubheads for golf clubs

36. Eastern Red Cedar
Leaves are smooth, dark green, 1/16 inch in length, whorls of three
Bark is light reddish-brown, think and separates into long, peeling, fibrous strips
Found all over
40-50 feet by 1-2 feet

37. Eastern White Pine
Needles are bluish-green, 3-5 inches, clusters of five, white line on two surfaces of each needle
Bark is smooth, greenish on young, dark gray on old
Cones are 4-8 inches
Does best in mountains
100 feet by 4 feet
Largest conifer in East U.S.

38. Loblolly Pine Needs occur in clusters of three and are 6-9 inches long
Oblong cones are 2-6 inches long, with a spine at the tip of each scale
Mature bark is thick, bright reddish to brown and is divided by shallow fissures
Coastal Plain throughout the eastern Piedmont
feet by 2-3 feet
Most common and commercially important pine

39. Red Maple Leaves are 3-5 lobed, serrated, 2-6 inches long
Samaras are reddish in color, V-shaped
Bark is smooth and light gray on young, dark gray on old
40-70 feet by 1-2 feet

40. River Birch Leaves are oval, pointed, double toothed serrated margins
Bark varies from reddish brown to cinnamon red in color and peel back tough papery layers
Found on rivers, swamps… not in high mountains
60-80 feet by 1-2 feet

41. Shagbark Hickory
Leaves are 8-14 inches long with five (rarely 7) leaflets that are tapered, oval, smoth, and finely toothed
Bark is light gray that separates into thick plates a foot or more long
Tree likes damp soil
Hickory Nuts
60-80 feet by 1-2 feet

42. Southern Red Oak
Irregularly shaped lobes that are narrow and bristle tipped or pear- shaped with three rounded lobes
Leaves are dark green above and tan below, 5-9 inches long
Bark is rough light gray on young, dark gray on old
60-80 feet by 2-3 feet
Higher ridges of Coastal Plain and throughout Piedmont

43. Sweetgum Leaves are star shaped, 5 deeply separated lobes
Bark is light gray, corky scales
60-80 feet by 2-3 feet
Grows in swamps, rivers, and even on drier uplands
Large, valuable forest tree

44. White Oak Leaves are 5-9 inches, 7-9 rounded lobes
Acorn is ¾ inche long and chestnut brown when mature
Thin bark is light gray and covered in loose scales on broad plates
Abundant in the Piedmont and lower mountains, found in Coastal Plains
feet by 3-4 feet

45. Yellow Poplar
Tulip tree, composed of four large lobes, 5-6 inches long
Bark is light gray
Flowers are tulip-like
feet by 2-5 feet
Grows best in deep moist soils of streams and lower mountains
Greenish yellow heartwood

46. Measuring the Forest
29.02 Apply tree measurement techniques and skills that are used by professional foresters.

47. Board foot Standard unit of measurement for lumber Sold in board feet
Definition
Piece of rough wood one foot long, one foot wide, and one inch thick
Volume is equal to 144 cubic inches
Formula
Length (feet) x width (inches) x thickness (inches) 12
Length x width x thickness (all in inches)
144

48. Cubic foot Another unit of measure
Equal to the amount of wood needed to fill a space one foot wide, one foot thick, and one foot high
Formula
Length x width x thickness (inches)
1728

49. Cord Was a common measure for pulpwood Common now for firewood
Defined as a stack of wood 4 feet x 4 feet x 8 feet
Formula for computing cords in a stack of wood
Length x width x height (all in feet)
128

50. Gross weight Actual weight of the wood
Easy to use for selling pulpwood
Ensures the buyer fresh wood because green wood is heavier, having more water.

51. Measuring Tree Diameter
Volume is determined by its diameter and length
Measured at DBH (diameter at breast height)
Thickness across the truck at 4.5’ above the ground.
Recorded in 2” increments and rounded to nearest inch
10.9 inch = 10 inches
11.1 inch = 12 inches

52. Measuring Tree Diameter
Dendrometers
Biltmore stick
Least accurate
Common and quick to use
Held at 25 inches from one eye against the tree at DBH

53. Measuring Tree Diameter
Tree Calipers
One side of caliper is placed against the tree
Other side is placed on the other side of the tree
Measurement is read from caliper.
Diameter Tape
Tape is wrapped around the trunk at 4.5’
Read directly.

54. Measuring Tree Height Only includes the USABLE length of trunk
Sawtimber
Expressed in 16 foot logs, called merchantable logs
Sometimes, 8 or 32 feet lengths may be used.
Measured
From height of the stump to where the cutoff diameter is either:
6-8 inches for sawtimber
4 inches for pulpwood

55. Measuring Tree Height Hypsometer
Biltmore Stick – most common, older, and least expensive
Abney Level
Hager altimeter
Suunto clinometer

56. Using the Biltmore Stick
Locate log scale, or Merritt Scale, on the stick
Step away 66 feet from tree
Hold stick 25 inches from the eye
Line up base of stick with stump height of tree
Without moving the stick or your head, sight upward along the trunk to estimate cutoff diameter point
Read the number from the scale.

57. Estimating Timber Volume
Need to know to estimate board feet or pulpwood volume
DBH
Small-end diameter
Number of logs or bolts
Rules or Tables used
Doyle’s Rule
Scribners rule
International rule
More complex
More accurate
Used in CDE

58. Estimating standing timber volume
Measuring and calculating come together
Forester must be able to make an accurate estimation of the volume of wood in a stand of timber
Cruising
Could be done by estimating each individual tree selected for use
Generally done by using a sampling of trees.

59. Forest Management Techniques
29.03 Describe cutting and reproducing techniques used in the forestry industry to improve forest quality

60. Intermediate Cuttings
Cuttings made between reproduction and harvest in a forest
Different types depending on:
Climate
Tree Species
Owner/manager objectives

61. Thinning When only some of the trees in the stand are removed
Reduces the competition for essential needs from other trees

62. Liberation
Removal of the taller, dominant trees from a stand

63. Sanitation
Cutting that removes the injured, diseased, or insect- infested trees from the stand

64. Salvage
Cutting that involves removal of trees that are dead or damaged by storms, construction, etc.

65. Removal
Removal of undesirable trees involves removing trees that could be compared to weeds
Forked trees
Crooked trunks
Pine trees in a hardwood stand

66. Prescription Burning
Controlled burning of the undergrowth in a forest

67. Harvest Cuttings Selective Cutting Shelterwood Cutting
Seed-tree Cutting
Coppice Cutting
Clear Cutting

68. Selective Cutting
Individual trees are selected for harvest based on maturity, size, species, etc.
Goals are to produce an income and a better timber yield

69. Shelterwood Cutting
Harvesting a mature forest in two or three stages

70. Seed-tree Cutting
The entire stand is removed except for a few of the best trees that are left to produce seeds

71. Coppice Cutting Similar to seed-tree cutting
Rather than remaining trees providing seed, the remaining trees develop root suckers to produce new trees

72. Clear Cutting All the trees in a stand are harvested at one time
Most economical and most controversial

73. Reproducing the Forest
Natural Seeding
Direct Seeding
Cuttings
Plant Seedlings

74. Natural Seeding
Allowing trees to naturally reseed to produce new growth
Economical
Least amount of control by the forest manager

75. Direct Seeding Applying tree seeds directly to the desired area
Can be done by:
Hand
Seed spreaders
Grain drills
Aircraft

76. Cuttings
Cuttings can be taken from existing trees, allowed to root, and then planted

77. Plant Seedlings Planting a nursery- produced seedling
More labor and expensive
Allows complete control over reproduction
Tends to get results quickly

78. Plant Seedling Continued
Some states offer government rebates to landowners who reforest their land after harvest
The most certain and quickest way to reproduce trees