Download Environmental Science

Environmental Science
Agriscience Applications
Forestry
• Competency
– Analyze the conservation practices for
utilizing forest, wildlife, fisheries and
environmental resources
Forest Management
• 1/3 of the United States is covered
by forest land
Trees
• Trees
– Woody perennial plants
– Single stem
• Shrubs
– Bushy
– Multiple stems
Trees
• Softwood
– Needle type
– Evergreens
• Coniferous
• Hardwoods
– Broad-leaf
– Looses leaves every year
• Deciduous
Coniferous
Deciduous
Trees
• Softwoods
– Southern Pine
– Douglas fir
– Frazier fir
Douglas fir
Trees
• Southern Pine
•
•
•
•
Loblolly pine
Longleaf pine
Shortleaf pine
Slash pine
– Most common for pulpwood or plywood
Plywood
Loblolly pine
Trees
• Douglas fir
– Most important species of tree in the
US
– Used for construction lumber and
plywood
– 20% of the timber harvested each year
in the US
Trees
• Frazier fir
– Used for
commercial
Christmas tree
production
– Grown in the
mountain of North
Carolina
Hardwoods
• Hardwoods
– Ash
– Birch
– Oak (white and red)
Trees
• Ash
– Handles and baseball bats
– High resistance to shock
• Birch
– Furniture, plywood and paneling
– Verneer
• thin sheet of wood glued to a cheaper
species of wood
White Ash
River Birch
Trees
• Oak
– White and Red
– Very strong
• Flooring
• Furniture
• Fencing
Forest Management
• Replacing Trees that have been
harvested
– “Natural seeding” lease expensive way
to replace forest
– Planting trees is a surer method
Forest Management
• Managing growing timber
– Prescribed burn
• Reduce the risk of wildfires
• Reduce litter
– Prescribed thinning
• remove competing trees
Forest Management
• Harvesting Timber
– Selection cutting
• Recommended in a mixed forest consisting
of trees of different ages and size
• Reduces erosion
– Clear Cutting
• All trees are removed
• Can cause erosion problems
Forestry Equipment
• Increment borer
– Age of trees
• Planting Bar
• Tree scale stick
– Estimate tree volume
• Tree tape
– Most accurate in determining
circumference
Estimating Saw Timber
Volume
• DBH
– diameter breast height
– measure at 4.5 feet
– 25 inches from the dominant eye
• Tree Height
– measured at 66 feet
• one chain
– determine the number of 16’ logs
Diameter Breast Height
(DBH)
Diameter Breast Height
(DBH)
Tree Height
Calculating Board Feet
• Measurement of volume
• Formula
bf=
# pieces X
t (inches) X w (inches) X l (feet)
12
Calculating Board Feet
• Problem:
– calculate board feet if you have 5
pieces of lumber that are 2 inches
thick, 4 inches wide, and all are 8 feet
long
bf=
5 X 2” X 4” X 8’
12
Calculating Board Feet
• Answer:
bf=
5 X 2” X 4” X 8’
12
bf= 26.6
Forestry Careers
• Foresters
– Assistance in managing forest
• Recommend harvesting methods
• Recommend seeding methods
• Monitor disease and insects
– Average yearly salary in North Carolina
• $41,184
Source: Bridges Career Explorer
Forestry Careers
• Timber cruiser
– Estimate timber volume
• Outdoor work requiring physical stamina
• High School diploma
• Training in estimating tree volume
Wildlife Management
Wildlife Management
• Objective
– Interpret wildlife management practices
as related to good environmental
management
Wildlife Management
• Usually a by-product of the family
operation
• Sustainable habitat and food are
essential in increasing the number of
wildlife on a farm
– Leaving brush piles when harvesting
– Leave crop residue standing
Crop Residue
Wildlife Management
• Hunting and fishing as proper
management
– Remove excess wildlife
– Prevents:
•
•
•
•
Overpopulation
Malnutrition
Disease
Overall decreases in population
Wildlife Management
• Carrying Capacity
– Number of wildlife that can be
supported throughout the year
• Hunting and fishing help maintain carrying
capacity
– Results of overpopulation
• Water quality of a stream with a carrying
capacity of 20 fish will decrease if 50 fish
are in the stream
Deer Overpopulation
Browse Line in Texas
Assignment
• View the protection of Wildlife DVD
• Prepare for a quiz
Quiz
1. What are the four essential
elements of a Habitat?
2. What is the main purpose of
predators
3. What Act of congress is designed
to protect animal populations
Careers in Wildlife
Game
Warden
Ecologist
Wildlife
Biologist
Careers in Wildlife
• Ecologist
– Studies the effect of the environment
on animal life
• Wildlife Biologist
– Advises the establishment of fish/game
laws
– Explores habitat improvement
programs
Careers in Wildlife
• Game Warden
– Enforces hunting and fishing
regulations
– Government employee under the
Wildlife Commission
• Controls the harvesting of wildlife
– Should enjoy working outdoors
Aquatics
•
The management of aquatic
environments to increase the
harvest of usable plants and
animal products
Aquatics
• Cage Cultures
– Production system
– Aquatic animals and plants are
contained in a small area
• Easier to monitor
• Better growth rates
• Limited movement which could cause
stress
Aquatics
• Recirculating Tanks
– Production method
– Processes water through a biological
filter
Recirculating Tanks
Aquatics
• Roll Over
– A ponds water quality suddenly
changes
– Less oxygenated water is brought to
the surface and low levels of dissolved
oxygen cause fish to die
• Difficulty in managing an aquaculture
system is related to the amount of fish
in the system
Aquatics
• Fish adapted to aquaculture
systems:
– Trout (cold running water)
– Catfish
– Bass
– Tilapia
Trout
Catfish
Largemouth Bass
Tilapia
Soil and Water
Soil & Water
• Objective
– Investigate water and its properties as
it relates to the production of food and
fiber
Water Properties
• Universal Solvent
– It dissolves or changes more other
materials than anything else-
• Water Cycle (Hydrologic Cycle)
– The cycling of water between water
sources, atmosphere, and surface
water
Assignment
• Using a clean sheet of paper and
colored markers, draw the water
cycle.
• Use all the components necessary
to complete the cycle.
Types of Water
• Capillary
– Water that can be adsorbed by plant
roots
• Free Water
– Gravitational
– Water that drains out of soil after it has
been wetted
Water
• Permeability
– The rate of movement of air and water
through the soil
• Saturation
– Water is added until all the pores are
filled
• Two or three inches of rain in a few hours
Soils
Soil
• Objective
– Evaluate soil as related to the
production of food and fiber
Soil
• Soil profile
– A Horizon
– B Horizon
– C Horizon
Topsoil
Subsoil
Parent material
Soil Profile
Soil Texture
Refers to the size of soil particles
Sand – largest soil particle in soil
– Sandy soils have problems holding
enough water for good plant growth.
– Individual particles can be seen with
naked eye
Soil Texture
• Silt – Intermediate size soil particles
but can’t be seen with naked eye.
• Clay – smallest soil particle – clayey
soils hold lots of water but may be
airtight, infertile for root growth,
and associated with wet soils.
Soil Structure
• The way soil particles cling together
to form soil units or aggregates,
while leaving pore space to store air,
water, nutrients, and allow root
penetration
Soil Structure
• Single
– grain is associated with sandy soils
• Granular
– particles cling together to form rounded
aggregates – very desirable for all soil
uses
• Blocky
– particles cling together in angular
aggregates – typical of soils with high
clay content
Blocky Structure
Granular
Structure
Soil Classification
• Land capability class
– Based on physical, chemical and
topographical
• Class I & II- Intensive cultivation
• Class VII- Steeply sloping (trees)
• Class VIII- Wildlife and recreation
Soil Conservation
• Erosion
– Sheet
– Gully
Sheet Erosion
Gully Erosion
Gully Erosion
Soil Conservation
• Conventional
– Disturbs soil by plowing
• Conservation
– Intermediate (Conventional and no-till)
Soil Enhancement
• Use fertilizer to add nutrients
• Use lime to raise pH
– Increases the availability of nutrients
Soil Enhancement
Careers in Soil & Water
Management
• Four Year Degree
– Soil scientist
– Soil conservationist
• Implements best use practices
– Wildlife biologist
Careers in Soil & Water
Management
• Two year degree or less
– Soil technician
• Obtains soil samples
– Wildlife technician
• Tags wildlife and gathers information