1. Chapter 13: Forests, Parks an Landscapes

2. Modern Conflicts over Forestland and Forest Resources In recent decades forest conservation has become an international cause – NA Pacific Northwest – Tropical rain forest Forestry has a long history – Silviculture- professional growing of trees for the purpose of timber harvesting What should forest be used for? – Resources vs. conservation

4. Modern Conflicts over Forestland and Forest Resources Forest and civilization closely linked – Wood major building material and source of fuel – Spiritual and aesthetic value Public service functions – Indirect benefits that people and the environment receive from forests Improving watersheds Wildlife habitat Recreation Climate

5. Services Wildlife habitat Carbon sinks Oxygen production Affects climate Purifying air and water Reduce erosion Energy and nutrient cycles

6. A Forester’s View of a Forest Traditionally managed in stands – Stand- an informal term foresters use to refer to a group of trees Usually the same specie and successional age Even- aged stands Uneven-aged stands Forest that has never been cut is virgin forest – Old growth forest: are undisturbed and have natural life cycles, important carbon sink A forest cut and regrown is secondary growth forest

7. Approaches to Forest Management Managing forests can involve – removing poorly formed and unproductive trees to permit larger trees to grow – Planting genetically controlled seedlings – Controlling pests and diseases – Fertilizing the soil

8. Clear-cutting Clear-cutting- the cutting of all trees in a stand at the same time

9. Alternatives to Clear-Cutting Selective cutting- individual trees are marked and cut (thinning) Strip-cutting- narrow rows of forest are cut, leaving wooded corridors whose trees provide seeds Shelterwood-cutting- practice of cutting dead and less desirable trees first and later cutting mature trees. Seed-tree cutting- removes all but a few seed trees to promote regeneration of the forest

10. Experimental Test of Clear-Cutting Experiments show – Clear-cutting can be a poor practice on steep slopes in areas of moderate to heavy rainfall – Clear-cutting on an appropriate spatial scale may be useful to regenerate desirable species Where ground is level, rainfall moderate, and desirable species require open ground to grow

11. Plantation Forestry Plantation- a stand of a single species typically planted in straight rows of trees of the same age – Much like agriculture – Fertilizers added, mechanized harvesting Offer a solution to the pressure on natural forests. – High-yield forests could provide all the world’s timber

12. Sustainable Forestry A sustainable forest is one from which a resource can be harvested at a rate that does not decrease the ability of the forest ecosystem to continue to provide that same rate of harvest indefinitely.

13. What is Sustainability and How is it Applied to Forests Two basic kinds of ecological sustainability – Sustainability of the harvest of a specific resource w/in an ecosystem (harvest of timber) – Sustainability of the entire ecosystem (forest as an ecosystem) Lack scientific data to demonstrate that either type ever achieved in forests

14. A Global Perspective on Forests Vegetation of any kind can affect the atmosphere in four ways – 1. By changing the color of the surface and therefore the amount of sunlight reflected and absorbed. – 2. By increasing the amount of water transpired and evaporated from the surface to the atmosphere. – 3. By changing the rate at which greenhouse gases are released from Earth’s surface into the atmosphere. – 4. By changing “surface roughness”, which affects wind speed at the surface.

16. World Forest Area, Global Production and Consumption of Forest Resources Countries differ greatly in their forest resources – Potential of their land and climate for tree growth – History of land use and deforestation Developed countries account for 70% of world’s total production and consumption of industrial wood products Developing countries produce and consume about 90% of wood used as firewood 90% of world timber trade – Construction, pulp and paper – NA is the dominant supplier

17. Deforestation: A Global Dilemma Deforestation is estimated to have increased erosion and caused the loss of 562 million hectares of soil. Deforestation in one country can affects countries downstream

18. Causes of Deforestation Two most common reasons – Clear land for agriculture, settlement, ranching – To use to sell timber for lumber, paper products, or fuel In many parts of the world, wood is a major energy source As the human population grows, use of firewood increases. – Management is essential

19. Indirect Deforestation The death of trees from pollution or disease – Acid rain – Ozone – Other air pollutants – All can increase susceptibility to disease Global climate change may lead to – Major die-off and shift in areas of potential growth

20. Parks, Nature Preserves, and Wilderness Landscapes may be protected in different ways – Government established parks, nature preserves, and wilderness areas – Private organizations buying land and maintaining it as nature preserves – In situ wildlife management

22. Risks to species Environmental risks Natural Genetic risks Habitat loss/ deforestation

24. Parks and Preserves Park- an area set aside for use by people Nature preserve- may be use by people but the primary purpose is conservation Both create ecological islands – Island biogeography used in design and management

25. Parks and Preserves as Islands The size of the park and the diversity of habitats determine the # of species that can be maintained. The further the park is from other parks or sources of species, the fewer species are found.

26. Conserving Wilderness As a modern legal concept, wilderness is an area undisturbed by people. – US Wilderness Act of 1964 First time wilderness recognized by national law – “land retaining its primeval character and influence” Wilderness – 1. Imprint of human work is unnoticeable – 2. There are opportunities for solitude and primitive and unconfined recreation – 3. There are at least 5,000 acres

27. Fires

28. Crown Fires: Extremely hot, kill life, increase soil erosion Surface fires: undergrowth and leaf litter, reduce larger fires, large trees survive, natural or human set Ground fire: underground, hard to detect, peat bogs and swamps Periodic fires are important for germination of some seeds

29. Fire… what do we do? Prevention Prescribed burning