Land

Land Use in the World

US Public Lands

Types of Forests1) Old-growth (primary) forests – uncut or regenerated forest not hugely impacted by humans or natural disaster for 200 years or more

Types of Forests2) Second-growth forests – a forest resulting from secondary ecological succession

Types of Forests3) Tree farms/plantation (Commercial forest) – A managed forest containing only one or two types of trees that are all the same age.

Ecological Importance of ForestsEcological Importance of Forests

Food webs and energy flow

Water regulation

Influence local-regional climate

Numerous habitats and niches

Air purification Carbon sequestration

Economic Importance of ForestsEconomic Importance of Forests

$ Fuel wood (50% of global forest use)

$ Industrial timber and lumber

$ Pulp and paper

$ Medicines

$ Mineral extraction

$ Recreation

Forest Structure

Floor

Understory

Canopy

Emergent

Forest Structure

Forest ManagementEven-aged management Industrial forestry

Foresting Cutting and Regrowth

Uneven-aged managementImproved diversitySustainable productionSelective cuttingMultiple-use

Logging Roads result in increased erosion and

runoff habitat fragmentation pathways for exotic species accessibility to humans

Harvesting Trees•selective cutting- Trees can be harvested individually from diverse forests •clear cutting- an entire forest can be cut down, or portions of the forest is harvested (e.g. strip cutting).

Forests are renewable resources as long as the rate of cutting and degradation does not exceed the rate of re-growth.

Fire(intermittent natural fires set by lightening)

•Depending on their intensity, fires can benefit or harm forests.

1) Surface/Ground Fire•Burn away flammable ground material•Release mineral nutrients•Increase activity of nitrogen-fixing bacteria•Stimulate germination of some seeds•Help control pathogens and insects

Crown Fire

Destroys most vegetation

Kills wildlifeIncreases soil erosion

Forest ResourcesSustained yield

potentially renewable resources should not be harvested or used faster than they can be reproduced

Only 3% of timber harvest comes from national forests Substitutes for tree products

Tree-free fibers

Substitutes for tree productsTree-free fibers

• agricultural residues (i.e. sugarcane bagasse, husks and straw)

• fiber crops and wild plants, such as bamboo, kenaf, hemp, jute, and flax

• textiles wastes

Sugar cane fiber

Reducing Demand •Tree harvesting can be reduced by wasting less wood and making paper and charcoal fuel from fibers that do not come from trees.

•Kenaf is a promising plant for paper production.

TROPICAL DEFORESTATION

•Large areas of ecologically and economically important tropical forests are being cleared and degraded at a fast rate

TROPICAL DEFORESTATION

•At least half of the world’s terrestrial plant and animal species live in tropical rain forests.

•Large areas of tropical forest are burned to make way for cattle ranches and crops.

•Tropical rain forests are being destroyed at the rate of 56 million acres a year. Every second a tract of rain forest the size of a football field disappears from this planet in order to provide space for cattle or crops, or to provide wood for paper products and furniture. World wood consumption is expected to rise by 58% over the next 20 years. In some tropical forests, a single tree can be home to  up to 100 species. What will be left of this biological wealth?

Tropical Deforestation: Consequences

Rapid and increasing

Loss of biodiversity

Loss of resources (e.g., medicines)

Contributes to global warming

Impacts on biodiversity•Extinction – When a species can no longer be found anywhere on earth.

Loss of keystone species can lead to extinctions of closely connected species, population declines or break down in ecosystem service. •Ex – Otters of CA coast Loss of top predators can cause a ripple effect down the food chain and skew the flow of energy up tropic levels. •Ex – Sharks in coral reefs

Extinctions •Background Extinction Rate – the estimated rate of animal extinction before humans were around.

- 1 species extinct per year for every 1 million species alive

•Extinction rates have increased as the human population have spread across the world, changing, destroying and degrading animal habitats and using large amounts of resources.

Current Extinction Rate • Estimated we lose between 100 and 10,000 species per year!

• That’s an average of 2 – 27 species per day!

• This number is estimated to increase because of increased habitat loss, climate change and other human activities that have environmentally harmful effects .

Baiji dolphin

Spix's macaw

Patterns of extinctions

•The first animals to go are the big, the slow, the tasty, those with valuable parts such as sucks, skins, fur and narrow ecological niches.

Human Acceleration of Extinction

-Human population is growing (although slowly), displacing thousands of species per year.

•How do humans reduce habitat areas?

•H.I.P.P.C.O.

HIPPCO H – Habitat Destruction, Degradation and Fragmentation I – Invasive (non-native) speciesP – Population growth and increasing resource use P – Pollution C – Climate Change O – Overexploitation

Warm UP 12/17/2014

1)What are three types of forests? 2) What are some important

ecological and economic benefits of forests?

3)What are two ways forests can be logged, or cut down?

4)What are some results of deforestation?

Types of Forests1) Old-growth (primary) forests – uncut or

regenerated forest not hugely impacted by humans or natural disaster for 200 years or more

2) Second-growth forests – a forest resulting from secondary ecological succession

3) Tree farms/plantation (Commercial forest) – A managed forest containing only one or two types of trees that are all the same age.

Warm UP 12/17/2014

1)What are three types of forests? 2) What are some important

ecological and economic benefits of forests?

3)What are two ways forests can be logged, or cut down?

4)What are some results of deforestation?

Warm UP 12/17/2014

1)What are three types of forests? 2) What are some important

ecological and economic benefits of forests?

3)What are two ways forests can be logged, or cut down?

4)What are some results of deforestation?

Harvesting Trees•selective cutting- Trees can be harvested individually from diverse forests •clear cutting- an entire forest can be cut down, or portions of the forest is harvested (e.g. strip cutting).

Warm UP 12/17/2014

1)What are three types of forests? 2) What are some important

ecological and economic benefits of forests?

3)What are two ways forests can be logged, or cut down?

4)What are some results of deforestation?

Tropical Deforestation: Consequences

Rapid and increasing

Loss of biodiversity

Loss of resources (e.g., medicines)

Contributes to global warming

Habitat Loss is the single greatest threat to species.

•Habitat Fragmentation – When large intact area of habitat such as forest or natural grassland is divided

- Roads - Logging operations - Crop fields - Urban developments

Habitat Fragmentation -Populations of species are divided into smaller, isolated groups.

- These smaller populations are more vulnerable to:

-Predators -competitor species -Disease-Catastrophic events such as storms and fires

Habitat FragmentationHabitat Loss = Extinction1)Species extinction – that animal

species no longer exist anywhere else in the world.

2)Population extinction – that animal species can no longer be found in that particular habitat.

Continuous population extinction leads to species extinctions.

Impact of Extinctions1) Everything is connected. - One missing species in a food web can disrupt the whole flow of energy.

- These species provide ecosystem services for us that are unattainable any other way.

pest control (spiders, birds, snakes)pollination of crops and plants

Economic Services Species provide Economic services such as food sources, medicines and antioxidants

According to United Nations University Report: •62% of all cancer drugs were derived from plants and animals.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iv9xfsElDvY

Impacts of Extinction2) It will take 5-10 million years to replenish the biodiversity lost in this century.

-If speciation occurs it happens over millions of years. - What if your children and grandchildren never see a dolphin in the wild?

Partner A: Why is soil important?

Partner B: What are some ways soil (directly or indirectly) benefits your life?

Partner A: Why is the ocean or water ecosystems important?

Partner B: How is your life effected by the ocean or water sources?

Partner A: Tony mentions Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. What was the difference between the two?

Partner B: Why did these hurricane’s have such a different impact?

Public Lands in the United States

•BLM lands (Bureau of Land Management)- grazing, mining, timber harvesting and recreation•USFS lands (US Forest Service)- timber harvesting, grazing and recreation•NPS lands (National Park Service)- recreation and conservation•FWS lands (Fish and Wildlife Service)- wildlife conservation, hunting, and recreation

Forests•National Parks- established to preserve scenic views and unusual landforms.•National wildlife refuges- managed for the purpose of protecting wildlife•National wilderness areas- set aside to preserve large tracts of intact ecosystems or landscapes.

What has nature ever done for us?

By: Tony Juniper

- Create 5 Questions and answers from the video.

Federal Regulations

•National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)- mandates an environmental assessment of all projects involving federal money or permits.•Environmental impact statement (EIS)- outlines the scope and purpose of the project.•Environmental mitigation plan- outlines how the developer will address concerns raised by the projects impact on the environment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98MtYbenTXU

Habitat Fragmentation and Extinction.

Create 5 questions from the video (include answers as well)