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Forests, Natural Parks, and Sustainability Managing Our Natural Resources World Land Use Forest Distribution Map National Forests and Grasslands in United States Types of Forest Tropical Forest: 50% of world’s forests Deforestation depletes soils of nutrients Rosy periwinkle: from Madagascar, produces vinblastine (treat childhood leukemia) & vincristine (treat Hodgkins’ Disease) Boreal Forest: 25% of world’s forests Sphagnum mosses: plant is antiseptic (used as wound dressing in WWI) & tar from decaying moss is used to treat eczema & psoriasis Temperate Forest: 25% of world’s forests Ginseng is used as a normalizer (high & low blood pressure), energizer (helps with fatigue), & stress reducer. Endangered species. Old Growth Forests: 36% of total forests 1. Old growth forests (sometimes called "ancient" forests) have not been logged for at least 200 years. They contain a variety of different tree species of varying ages, including some very large trees that are hundreds, or even thousands of years old. Most important feature of an old growth forest is its resilience. 2. 3. Recover quickly from fires and windstorms because of the variety (in age & species) of plants and wildlife Old Growth Forest Loss from 1620 to 1990 *** Alaska contains the most area of old growth forests Second Growth Forests: 60% of total world forests 1. Second Growth Forest: A forest that has been regenerated after the original trees in the area had been destroyed by clear-cutting or forests fires. 2. Results from secondary succession Commercial Forest 1. Managed forest containing only 1 or 2 tree species that are the same age 2. Usually harvested by clear cutting as soon as trees become commercially valuable 3. Land is replanted and clear cut again when trees are mature 4. Some commercial forests are tree plantations that produce foods such as bananas, olives, citrus, etc 5. All commercial forests and tree plantations lack biodiversity and are susceptible to disease Hybrid Popular trees Olive tree plantation in Spain Advantages and Disadvantages of Commercial Forests Advantages Can provide wood at fast rate if managed correctly Reduces reliance on old growth forest Disadvantages Grow only 1 or 2 species of trees; low biodiversity & subjected to disease or pest Less sustainable to maintain than old growth forests Cycles of cutting and planting reduces soil fertility Genetically engineered seeds could spread to other habitats Ecosystem Services of Forests 1. Removes and sequesters CO2 from atmosphere 2. Stabilizes average atmospheric temps (b/c CO2 has been removed) 3. Provides O2 4. Holds soil in place 5. Aids in aquifer recharge 6. Aids in flood control 7. Provides habitat for 2/3 of terrestrial species World-wide Major Uses of Wood 1. Biofuels: use wood for cooking and heating Wood is converted into charcoal; no very efficient Cause of deforestation in poor countries like Libya Less than 1% of Liberians have access to modern fuels Collecting wood from rubber trees 2. Industrial wood: used to make lumber and paper Making charcoal Solutions to Fuel-Wood Problems 1. 2. 3. 4. Establish small plantations of fast growing fuel-wood trees and shrubs Burn wood more efficiently; provide cheap, more efficient, less polluting wood burning stoves Provide methane burning stoves (provide method of obtaining methane from crop and animal waste) Provide solar ovens Solar oven Reducing Deforestation 1. Set aside & protect large areas from deforestation & degradation Laws are easy to make but hard to enforce 2. Consumers could reduce demand for products that encourages unsustainable logging in tropical countries Educate people about the products they use and where they are obtained 3. Reduce throw away paper products Throw away paper products are cheaper than human labor that has to wash dishes How much of this trash could be recycled? Logging Roads Harms Ecosystems 1. Unpaved roads Increase soil erosion (by wind and water) Increase sediment runoff during rain storms Fragments habitats Increases exposure to non-native / invasive species (pests & disease) & wildlife Opens areas for miners, ranchers, hunters, & off road vehicles Logging Road in East Kalimantan, Indonesia Tree Harvesting Methods ** Leads to habitat fragmentation! Clear Cutting Removing all the trees in an area at one time regardless of size or age Advantage: most cost effective Disadvantage: prone to soil & nutrient erosion into nearby water sources Replanted in monoculture species ** Most sustainable method of harvesting Selective Cutting Removing intermediate or mature trees singly or in small groups Advantage: Most sustainable method Disadvantage: most expensive Strip Cutting Clear cut a group of along the contour of the land; narrow enough for natural forest regeneration Disadvantage: narrow patches exposed for soil erosion 1. Habitat Fragmentation: involves alteration of habitat resulting in spatial separation of habitat units from a previous state of greater continuity 2. Caused by: Road building Housing development Clear cutting a forest 3. In all cases, biodiversity is reduced & puts endangered species at risk Habitat Fragmentation Fires Surface fire: a fire that moves along the forest floor, but can occur up to 1.3 meters high Considered to be the lowest intensity fire Consumes down wood, shrubs and small seedlings but does not necessarily pose a threat to surrounding areas. Crown fire: a fire that starts to reach the tops of trees Kills the majority of the tress throughout the area Dangerous fires and can spread the fastest. Can start out as surface fires and spread to the crown Can jump from crown to crown Benefits of Forest Fires 1.Forest fires are actually necessary to keep the forest healthy and growing build-up of vegetation can prevent seeds from germinating and stop the growth of new trees Opens forest floor to sunlight and enriches the soil Reduced competition allows established trees to grow stronger & healthier Kills insects and disease pests Some tree species have fire resistant cones and need heat to open seeds for germination Chaparral plants like scrub oak have leaves that are covered with flammable resins; ensures a fire will occur so seeds can germinate Reducing the Impact of Disease and Pests on Trees 1. Ban imported lumber that may carry new diseases and pests 2. Remove / clear cut infected and infested trees 3. Develop genetically resistant species 4. Control pests with conventional pesticides Pitch canker; fungal disease Kenaf Kenaf: 6 months of growth 1. Kenaf: a fiber plant native to east central Africa where it has been grown for food & fiber for several thousand years Fibers are brighter and stronger than wood fibers Less environmental impact; does not require pesticides Takes 20% less energy to produce kenaf fibers than wood fibers National Parks in the United States Fast fact: The US was the first country to establish a National Park System Environmental Threats to National Parks 1. Too small to support large animal species 2. Invasions of non-native species 3. Less developed nations have laws but no way to enforce them People enter illegally and take wood, game animals Loggers and miners operate illegally Poachers kill and sell endangered animals (tigers, elephants, etc) Major Threats to National Parks in United States 1. Too many visitors 2. 3. 4. Leave trash Walk off the trails (sometimes damaging endangered species) Take “free souvenirs” Dirt bikes and ATV tear up trails Jet skis snow mobiles degrade aesthetics Damage by accidentally or intentionally introduced species Trash left behind in a park Don’t take anything out of the parks, but pictures! The Nature Conservancy 1. 2. 3. Group of professional ecologists Created the largest system of privately held nature reserves & wildlife sanctuaries in 30 countries & all 50 states Goal: purchase and protect large areas of land & its inhabitants Wilderness Act 1. 2. 3. 4. Wilderness: land officially designated as an area where natural communities have not seriously been disturbed by humans & where human activities are limited by law. Passed in 1964 Allowed government to protect undeveloped tracts of public land from development as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System Land gets the highest level of protection from human activities (logging, mining, ATV, etc) What Drove Teddy Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt, left, poses with the conservationist John Muir on Glacier Point in Yosemite, California 1. Visited the badlands in September 1883 in hopes of big game hunting By the time he arrived, the last large herds of bison were gone due to overhunting and disease Spend more time in the area & he became increasingly alarmed by the damage that was being done to the land and its wildlife He witnessed the virtual destruction of some big game species. Overgrazing severely impacted the grasslands which also affected the habitats of small mammals and songbirds. 2. Conservation increasingly became one of Roosevelt's main concerns. Teddy Roosevelt 1. After he became President in 1901, Roosevelt used his authority to protect wildlife and public lands by creating the U.S. Forest Service 2. Established: 150 National Forests 51 Federal Bird Reserves 4 National Game Reserves 5 National Parks 18 National Monuments 24 Reclamation Projects 7 Conservation Conferences & Commissions 3. "Conservationist President." Teddy Roosevelt at Yosemite in 1903 Categories of Public Lands 1. National Park: managed for scientific, educational, & recreational use Usually not logged or mined for ore 2. National Forests: allows for sustained use of biological, mineral, and recreational resources. 3. Nature Reserves and Wilderness Areas: established to protect species and ecosystems Buffer Zone: area that strictly protects the inner core of a nature reserve Habitat corridor: located between nature reserves; allows for the migration of species that need a large range Buffer zone shown by dashed lines Ecological Services of Grasslands 1. 2. 3. 4. Soil formation (slow decay of leaf litter) Control soil erosion (roots hold soil in place) Chemical cycling (nitrogen cycle) Storage of atmospheric CO2 (carbon sink in plants) 5. Maintains biodiversity Rangelands Rangelands 1. Unfenced grasslands in temperate and tropical regions (26% of world’s land surface) 2. Supply vegetation for grazing and browsing 3. Animals raised include sheep, goats, and cattle 4. Carrying capacity of rangeland depends on what you are raising and the type of vegetation Biggest threat to rangelands is OVERGRAZING Overgrazing 1. Overgrazing: grazing too many livestock for too long a period on land unable to recover its vegetation Overgrazing exceeds the carrying capacity of a pasture 2. Grazing lands are often nutritionally marginal, close to or in arid regions Overgrazing removes this protective vegetation, while livestock hooves trample exposed soils. Soil is prone to wind and water erosion Once exposed and impacted, the soils can no longer support vegetation growth, thus they become desert-like or barren (desertification) About one third of the world's range is threatened by overgrazing. Malpai Borderlands 1. One of the most biologically diverse areas in North America 2. How fire helped to maintain this ecosystem: Burned away mesquite & other invasive shrubs that require a lot of H2O Kept land open for native grasses 3. Ranchers suppressed fires: Ranchers allowed overgrazing Ranchers suppressed fires & kept grassland from burning Trees & shrubs replaced grasses, soil badly eroded Located just north of NA & Mexico border Sustainably Managing Rangelands 1. Control number of grazing animals & duration of grazing in a particular area to keep from exceeding the carrying capacity 2. Move livestock to different places from time to time (rotate grazing areas) Tragedy of the Commons 1. A Common: Anything that is not owned by one specific entity but is used by all Forest Grassland Sea Air 2. If the Common is misused by any one group of people and the Common becomes deteriorated, then it may put the Common in jeopardy for EVERYONE! 3. EX: overfishing, overgrazing, clear-cutting a forest, air pollution