ESRM 101 Forests and Society

Sustainability & Life-Cycles of Forests in Human Landscapes

5 Credits,

section A (lecture),

MTWThF at 1:30-2:20,

MGH 389

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Instructors:• Kristiina Vogt

– Office: Bloedel Hall 290– Office hours: M & W 2:30-3:20 or by appt– Email: (kvogt@u.washington.edu)– Phone: (206) 543-2765

• Daniel Vogt– Office: Bloedel Hall 258– Office hours: T & W 3:30-4:20 or by appt– Email: (dvogt@u.washington.edu)– Phone: (206) 685-3292

• Guest Lecturers2

TA:

• Molly Mathias– Office: Bloedel 178– Office hours: WTh 12:00-1:00, or by appt– Email:

(esrm101a@u.washington.edu)– Phone: (206) 616-9661

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Textbook:

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• Textbook required! (will be in bookstore in about 1 week)

• Lectures will be posted on the class website

http://courses.washington.edu/kvcfr/index.shtml

Grading:

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Assignments StandardService

Learning

Homework

(#)

50%

(10)

40%

(8)

Quizzes

(#)

50%

(5)

40%

(4)

Service Learning

NA 20%

No Final Exam!!!

Grading:

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Percent (%) GP

> 95 - 100 4.0

> 90 - 95 3.9

> 85 - 90 3.7

> 80 - 85 3.4

> 75 - 80 3.1

> 70 - 75 2.7

> 65 - 70 2.3

> 60 - 65 1.9

> 55 - 60 1.5

> 50 - 55 1

50 & less 0

Quizzes:• There are either 5 or 4 quizzes depending

upon the option you choose -Quizzes every two weeks on Friday

• The quizzes will be held in class at the regularly scheduled time (1:30-2:20)

• Quizzes will include: – ~ 30 questions

• multiple-choice, and • true/false

• Bring your own Scantron sheets, student ID#, and #2 pencils.

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Homework Assignments:

• Questions will be posted on the class website by Monday at the latest of the week that it is due.

• Due every Thursday at the beginning of class.

• You may do the homework individually or in groups of no more than 3 students and it must be TYPED.

• Thoroughly answer 10 questions from the 30 or so given to you each week (video questions ok too) since the last homework was due.

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Homework Assignments (cont’d):

• All of the questions will be posted on the class webpage in the Schedule section.

• Each of the homeworks is worth 5% of your total grade. There will be a total of 10 of these for a total of 50% of your grade

– Or 8 homeworks worth 40% of your grade should you elect to participate in the Service Learning option.

• Late homeworks will lose 10% per day.

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Videos:

• There will be a video shown every other Friday on some Forestry related topic.

• You will be responsible for material presented on the videos.

• Homework assignments may include questions pertaining to the videos.

• There will be one or more questions from the video on the quiz.

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Service Learning option:

Learning Objectives for Service Learning: • Opportunities to explore and learn the challenges for

an organization that is implementing programs in the many topical areas presented during the class.

• Become knowledgeable, within the context of the organization’s mandate, about how science is utilized to provide solutions for conservation, forest management, resource uses, and recreation in an increasingly human dominated landscape.

• Each organization is attempting to deal with these complex issues and the student will learn first hand what are the challenges and trade-offs an organization has to make to successfully pursue their goals.

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Service Learning option (cont’d):

Requirements:• Work for a selected organization for 3-5 hours per

week (20-40 hours over the quarter). • 5 page report that summarizes the opportunities

and challenges faced by each organization in light of the organization’s mandate and goals

• SERVICE LEARNING IS VOLUNTARY, NOT REQUIRED

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If you choose the Service Learning option

(cont’d):

• You will gain first-hand experience working with an organization dealing with natural resources.

• Your lowest quiz AND homework scores will be dropped.

• Quizzes count for a smaller proportion of your overall grade (40% rather than 50%).

• Homework counts for a smaller proportion of your overall grade (40% rather than 50%).

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Extra Credit ?Homework Assignments

• Thoroughly answer ALL questions from each lecture and videos given during the last 4 weeks of class (i.e., weeks 7, 8, 9, and 10).

• Due June 4th in Kristiina's or Dan’s office.

• Worth up to 5% extra on your final grade.

• Must be typed.

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E-mail distribution list:• We will set up an email distribution list as soon as we get

all of your email addresses.

• You will be required to read all emails from us, and we will read all emails from you

• To ask questions email the TA (Molly);

• Or, if it is something that you’d prefer discussing only with the instructors, email either Kristiina or myself (Dan)

• Your emails to us:Please include "ESRM 101" in the subject line. We will then consider it a first priority. 15

Class Website

http://courses.washington.edu/kvcfr/index.shtml

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Forest and Society Topics • Historical Perceptions & Uses of Forests

• Global Societies & Forest Legacies Creating

Today’s Forest Landscapes

• Human Dimensions & Ecology of Forests

• Ecology & Conservation of Forests

• Human & Natural Disturbances

Impacting Forests

• Forests & the Carbon Cycle

• Emerging Issues in Forests17

The Changing Myths and Human Discourseon Forests - Tend to think of forests as seen in these pictures as the norm and what is unique about these pictures is that it does not include people

Human Perceptions/Attitudes of Forests

• Reverence - Venerating them as sacred because of their beauty and immensity (old growth tree) or their mythological / religious symbolism or warding off evil, as trees of knowledge

• Fear - Fearing them because they appeared dark and concealed animals that could kill, stalk or harm humans

• Exploitation - Obstacles to Industrialization or Development; Impediments to agricultural development; Sources of economic value (still driving illegal logging today)

• Safe Havens - Safe havens during wars, source of food for survival

ENLIGHTMENT•Norse mythology - Tree of Life was giant Ash which holds together the NINE WORLDS, 3 gods created first man and first woman from a wind-thrown ash & elm tree•Buddhist – Buddha sat under a bodi tree (type of fig) and became enlightened

SYMBOLS IN CULTURE, RELIGION•Druids – oak tree was important, no religious ceremonies without oak, worshipped oak as a symbol of Jupiter•Ancient Egyptians – sycamore tree was earthly form of sky goddess – Nut •Roman god of forests – Silvanus•Lebanon flag – cedar trees•China – mulberry tree symbolizes cycle of life, etc

Reverence for trees and forests – countless examples throughout the world of trees as enlightenment or symbols in cultures or religions

http://www.spirit-of-yggdrasil.com/page142.aspx

http://www.akasha.demon.co.uk/land.htm; (http://www.louisville.edu/~rnstcl01/R-World-tree.html )

Norse Mythology Tree of Life had• Four deer run on branches, eat its buds = four winds.•Wise eagle = flapping causes winds•Serpent lurks & gnaws at roots, and protects tree•Squirrel, runs up and down tree, exchanges insults or messages between the wise eagle and the serpent

•Sleipnir - legendary 8-legged horse of Odin - the Father-God - carried him between the worlds (8 legs symbolize directions of the compass, ability to travel through land and air)

Norse God = Odin, one-eyed Odin is the head of the Aesir or land of gods, the husband of Frig, and father to Thor, Baldur and Hodur. Wednesday is named for Odin (Woden's day)

Odin - God of wisdom - gave one his eyes to drink from the Giant Mimir's well in order to gain wisdom. He is also credited with obtaining the runes by sacrificing himself for nine days upon the world tree Yggdrasil.

http://altreligion.about.com/library/glossary/bldefodin.htm;

Wisdom or Enlightenment from Trees:

http://altreligion.about.com/library/glossary/symbols/bldefssleipnir.htmhttp://home.earthlink.net/~norsemyths/Allfather12.html

The Bodhi Tree – Ficus religiosa - today is 4th direct descendant of original Bodhi tree (oldest continually documented tree in the world)

Shakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment over 2500 years ago under its brancheshttp://www.angelfire.com/electronic/bodhidharma/bodhi_tree.html

Wisdom or Enlightenment from Trees:

But also a parasitic plant - mistletoe

Symbol of LOVE

Symbolism of Trees:

II. When others hurled stones and weapons at Baldur, testing his new invulnerability, Loki passed the mistletoe twig to Hodr, Baldur's blind brother. Hodr threw the twig killing Baldur who has remained in HELL since he did not die in battle.

Baldur was beautifulhttp://altreligion.about.com/library/graphics/balder.jpg

Loki – God of Evil

I. Odin – father of Baldur - discovered Baldur was destined to die by his brother's hand. His mother Frigg convinced every thing to swear an oath not to harm him except for the lowly mistletoe

Nut, Sky Goddess, Mother of the GodsBy Caroline Seawright , http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/nut.htm

“To ancient Egyptians, Nut (Nuit) was the personification of the sky (originally she was a goddess of just the sky at day, where the clouds formed) and the heavens.”

The Sycamore tree was the earthly form of the sky goddess

Sycamore leaves represented peace on earth and in the after world

http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=36

Symbolism of Trees:

Giovanni Bellini and TitianThe Feast of the Gods, 1514/1529Widener Collection 942.9.1, http://www.nga.gov/cgi- in/pimage?1141+0+0+gg17

“Silvanus• The Roman god of forests, groves and wild fields.• He presided over boundaries• As fertility god - protected herds and cattle• He liked to scare lonely travelers• The first fruits of the fields were offered to him, as well as meat and wine--a ritual women were not allowed to witness• His attributes are a pruning knife and a bough from a pine tree” by Michael F. Lindemanshttp://www.pantheon.org/articles/s/silvanus.html

Silvanus - old forest god wearing a wreath of pine needles

Symbolism of Trees:

Terms in Forestry that came from Silvanus the Roman God of

Forests, Groves and Wild Fields

• silva (the forest trees of a certain area)

• silvical (of or pertaining to forests or forestry)

• silvics (the study of forests and their ecology including the application of soil science, botany, zoology, etc to forestry)

• silviculture (the art of cultivating a forest)

China, the mulberry tree symbolizes cycle of life:

Its berries change color three times while they ripen (white for youth; red for middle years; black for the wisdom of old age and death)

http://209.174.209.6/nashville/Bergmann%20Leaf/white%20mulberry.htm

http://www.pclaunch.com/~kayton/Silkworms/leaves.htm

Used as food for silk worms

Symbolism of Trees:

REVERENCE: Protected Areas are one of the earliest and most widespread forms of land protection

Mauryan Empire, India 321-185 BCE

Ashoka 273-232 B.C.

1 of 34 edicts in Laws of Piety

Mauryan Empire, India 321-185 BCE has earliest written record of protected areas legislation and law found. Mauryan dynasty found after Alexander the Great withdrew from India and dynasty founder obtained 500 elephants he used to gain power

Converted to Buddhism and created Law of Piety – respect all forms of life both human and animal (banned hunting, prohibited slaughter of animals for food)

History of Fear of Forests• Fear resulted in minimal impact on forests in some

regions but wanton destruction in other places• Psychological terms:

Hylophobia = fear of forests; Nyclohylophobia = fear of dark wooded areas of forests at night

Harris poll (1999) in US:1. 13% people afraid of being in a forest along, 41%

very or somewhat afraid2. 22% women afraid compared to 4% men3. 18% afraid with high school or lower education, 7%

with college graduates and 4% with postgraduate education (Taylor 1999)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415930006/sr=8-2/qid=1140639169/ref=sr_1_2/104-8944761-0751942?%5Fencoding=UTF8

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0525461523/ref=cm_bg_d_22/104-8944761-0751942?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

Little Red Riding Hood Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman

Hansel and Gretel

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0679812415/qid=1140639279/sr=1-3/ref=sr_1_3/104-8944761-0751942?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

What causes fear of forests other than wild animals hunting you for food, or catching malaria? FAIRY TALES??

Exploitation of Forests

Many examples throughout history since forest exploitation allowed empires to be built and for countries to conquer other countries

- Ships made from wood gave naval supremacy and control of trade routes

- Military superiority by constructing fortifications, make weapons (e.g. cannons, rifles) using wood to heat foundries

European countries to become political powers and conquered other countries in the pursuit of timber

– 1st recorded epic recounting mythological story recorded 4000 years ago on 11 clay tablets entitled the Epic of Gilgamesh

This epic describes the over-exploitation of the cedar forests in present day Lebanon.

Fragment of Gilgamesh Tablet 11 (British Museum)

Epic of Gilgamesh

Gilgamesh, king of Sumer, with a wildman killed a demon named Humbaba who was the guardian of the cedar trees. After killing the demon, they cut down the trees and floated them back to the great city of Uruk.

Huwawa [Humbaba], the Mesopotamian Forest God, protected forests. He was betrayed and slain by his one-time friend Enkidu and Enkidu’s new ally, the warrior-king Gilgamesh

(Terracotta relief, c. 2000 BCE) [From Time/Life's series, MYTH AND MANKIND: Epics of Early Civilization: Middle Eastern Myth, 1998:80]

Need for wood

Conquest of foreign lands for wood

The use of wood to maintain their status

Between 1200 to 1700, Europeans began an intense period of exploration and long-term colonization throughout the world

•During the same time frame, they were also entering a period of industrialization that was fueled by forest materials

•Locally available supplies of wood were insufficient to provide for the rapidly expanding needs of civilizations as they became industrialized

•Due to centuries of severe exploitation of the forests under their control, European countries needed to explore and conquer lands beyond Europe and North Africa. Europeans needed wood to build ships and to heat the foundries that manufactured their weapons (i.e., cannons, guns) that enabled them to compete with other countries for more territory.

Many countries found this created a vicious circle:

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#3

Lumber Cut (billion board ft)

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Four cycles of logging in the United States:

1st in New England but most between 1869-19152nd in the Lake States between 1860-18903rd in the South between 1880-19204th in the West Coast between 1900-1925 and 1930-1960

Pioneers clearing forests

Forest clearing for agricultural expansion

Industrial-ization, Timber industry expanding

Forest Exploitation – U.S. example

Transforming land for industrialization or technological development required forest removal and allowed colonialists to justify their ownership of lands already occupied by other people

Sydney Battles Invasion of the Tree-Snatchers

AUSTRALIA: March 3, 2006 Planet Ark, Story by Paul Tait REUTERS NEWS SERVICE

SYDNEY - In the dead of night, shadowy figures armed with axes, drills and poison are leaving a trail of death around Sydney's wealthiest suburbs.

Their victims are trees, and the perpetrators are property-obsessed Sydney homeowners seeking to increase the value of their land by adding or improving views of the city's world-famous harbour and beaches. Tree vandalism has reached "epidemic" proportions in the waterside suburbs, according to New South Wales state Environment Minister Bob Debus. Debus's government wants to toughen existing environmental laws, which include fines in excess of A$1 million ($741,000), in order to catch and prosecute the vandals.

TODAY – aesthetic, scenic views affects tree protection

Whidbey Island

Mukilteo side

Forests as SAFE Havens

•11th century England, William the Conqueror demolished entire villages and drove inhabitants of the land, dispossessed English noblemen used forests as asylums and hunted animals and harassed the Normans. From lairs in the forests, they fought a guerrilla warfare of setting traps and ambushing enemies. Some outlaws became famous as heroic people fighting injustice such as Robin Hood

•Today, Rwandan conflicts 1994-1998 resulted in people fleeing into the forests for safety

http://www.boldoutlaw.com/images/lrrh.jpg, Robin Hood project courtesy University of Rochester

50% elephants poached in a Park with Rwandan refugees fleeing to former Zaire