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Lesson 5: Forest Science and Technology

LESSON 5Forest Science and Technology

LEAF Guide • 9-12 UNIT182

NUTSHELLIn this lesson, students analyze the production of three construction materials used aroundthe world – wood, concrete, and steel. In smallgroups, students create a life cycle analysisthat illustrates the energy inputs and pollutionoutputs that occur during the production of each material. Students compare therenewability, longevity, and function of each material and quantify their overallenvironmental impact. Students work in small groups to describe how different forestmanagement and production techniques canimprove the environmental impacts of wooduse. Groups study the role of science andtechnology in sustaining forests and analyzethe current technologies used in forestry aswell as the trends and issues that exist. Insummary, the groups identify areas in whichadvances are needed and create a projectproposal to organize and present a solution.

BIG IDEAS(Found on page 186.)

OBJECTIVESUpon completion of this lesson, students willbe able to:• List common pollutants emitted during the

manufacture and transport of concrete, steel,and wood.

• Describe the costs and benefits of differentenergy sources commonly used in Wisconsin.

• Compare and contrast the energy inputs andpollution outputs required for the manufactureand transport of concrete, steel, and wood.

• Describe the processes involved in themanufacture of dimension lumber.

• Define the relationship that time scaleand landscape scale have with sustainableforest management.

• Identify social, economic, and ecologicalvalues associated with forests and explainhow these values translate into managementobjectives.

• Formulate solutions to forestry challengesusing technology, forest management, andconsumer action.

• Explain how different forest challenges maychange over time.

SUBJECT AREASAgriculture Education, Language Arts,Marketing Education, Science (Earth andSpace Science, Science Applications)

PROCESS SKILLSLife cycle analysis, Map interpretation,Proposal development

LESSON/ACTIVITY TIME• Total Lesson Time: 315 minutes• Time Breakdown:

Introduction....20 min. Activity 5 ..........50 min.Activity 1........50 min. Activity 6 ..........30 min.Activity 2........50 min. Activity 7 ..........20 min.Activity 3........40 min. Activity 8 ..........20 min.Activity 4........20 min. Conclusion .......15 min.In-class proposal development (optional)...100 min.

TEACHING SITE Classroom

Lesson 5: Forest Science and TechnologyLEAF Guide • 9-12 UNIT 183

MATERIALS LISTFOR EACH STUDENT• Paper/notebook• Copy of Student Page 3, Detailed Wood

Production Process• Copy of Student Page 8, Forest CertificationFOR EVERY 2 STUDENTS• Copy of Student Page 1, Pollutant Match-upFOR EACH GROUP OF 2 TO 3STUDENTS• Copy of Student Pages 2A-B, Energy

and Pollution• Colored copy of Student Page 4, Land

Cover, Ashland County, Wisconsin (Blackand white version included in this lesson forreference. Color version for printing availableon the LEAF website: www.uwsp.edu/cnr/leaf.)

• Copy of Student Pages 5A-B, LandscapeScale Worksheet

• Copy of Student Page 6, Forest Challenges• Copy of Student Page 7, Forestry Innovation

and Technology• Copy of Student Page 9, Proposal Format• String • RulersFOR THE CLASS• Overhead projector• Chalk/marker board • World atlas with map scaleFOR THE TEACHER• Overhead of Teacher Page A1, Energy

Sources• Copy of Teacher Key Ak2, Pollutant

Match-up Key• Overhead of Teacher Page A3, Life Cycle

Analysis Diagram• Copy of Teacher Page A4, Life Cycle

Analysis

• Overhead of Teacher Page A5, Energy andPollution Comparison

• Overhead of Teacher Page A6, EnvironmentalImpact Comparison

• Copy of Teacher Pages A7A-B, Discussion:Landscape Scale

• Overhead of Student Page 4, Land Cover,Ashland County, Wisconsin

• Overhead of Teacher Page A8, SoftwoodLumber: Plantation Management

• Overhead of Teacher Page A9, HardwoodLumber and Veneer: Uneven-aged ForestManagement

• Overhead of Teacher Page A10, Aspen PaperPulp: Clearcut Management

• Wisconsin Land Cover Map poster (providedby LEAF)

• Overhead of Teacher Page A11, Tree Time• Copy of Teacher Key Ak12, Forest

Challenges Key• Overhead of Teacher Page A13, Progressive

Harvesting• Overhead of Teacher Page A14, Forest

Modeling• Overhead of Teacher Page A15, Engineered

Wood Products• Overhead of Teacher Page A16, GPS and GIS• Overhead of Teacher Page A17, Log Scanning• Overhead of Teacher Page A18, Protection

and Tree Improvement

TEACHER PREPARATIONYou may wish to staple together all the studentpages and provide each student a packet at the beginning of the lesson. Hang the poster of the Wisconsin Land Cover Map in a visibleand accessible location. Reserve a computerlab if you are providing class time for studentsto research and develop their proposals.

Lesson 5: Forest Science and Technology LEAF Guide • 9-12 UNIT184

VOCABULARYBiofuel: A fuel produced from organic matteravailable on a renewable basis: includes trees,agricultural crops and residues, wood wastesand residues, aquatic plants, animal wastes,and municipal wastes.Clearcutting: Harvesting all the trees in a givenarea at the same time. This is sometimes usedas a management technique to encouragespecies that do not tolerate shade duringregeneration.Clinker: A hard mass of fused material producedin furnaces by the burning of coal.Coke: Coal from which most of the gases havebeen removed; burns with intense heat and littlesmoke and is often used as an industrial fuel.Concrete: A hard, compact building materialformed from a mixture of cement, sand, gravel,and water.Concrete Milling: A concrete manufacturingprocess in which mined material is mixed tothe proper percentages of sand, limestone,iron, and bauxite, then heated and ground.Concrete Mining: Involves the open pitextraction of sand, gravel, and limestone.Engineered Wood Product: A product madefrom wood and wood waste; examples includelaminated veneer lumber, medium densityfiberboard, oriented strand board (OSB),particleboard, and plywood.Environmental Impact: The effect thatan activity has on the environment; limitedenvironmental impact estimates includeenergy consumption and pollution emissions,while more comprehensive estimates caninclude elements such as land cover changeand biodiversity.

Even-aged Management: A set of forestmanagement techniques used to maintaina stand with trees of uniform age and size;often associated with red pine plantations andaspen stands. Forest Certification: The verification, by athird party, that a forest is being managed by a predetermined set of standards designed toensure that social, ecological, and economicvalues of a forest are maintained for currentand future generations.Forest Modeling: A digital representation ofa forest that is used to simulate a process andpredict an outcome.Function (material): The practical useof a material; depends on the material’scharacteristics and the application for whichthe material is needed. Genetic Engineering (bioengineering,biotechnology): The directed modification of an organism’s gene sequence to produce a new inheritable trait; accomplished by splicinga specific gene, usually from another organism,into an individual’s DNA sequence.Geographic Information System (GIS):A computerized system that gives resourcemanagers the ability to organize and accessinformation (e.g., soil type, watershed,population density) about a specific area.Global Positioning System (GPS): A handhelddevice that collects data from satellites to provideusers with the coordinates of their location onthe surface of earth.Greenhouse Gas: Atmospheric gases thatcapture heat that is reflected back from earth;include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4),nitrous oxide (N2O), and chlorofluorocarbons(CFCs). Hybridization: The natural or controlledreproduction of two individuals with a differentgenetic makeup.


VOCABULARYLife Cycle Analysis (LCA): A detailedaccounting of the energy use and pollutionoutputs caused by the extraction, manufacture,transportation, use, and disposal of materialsused to create a given consumer product.Log Scanning: A technique that uses lasers,cameras, and X-rays to examine a log thatenters a mill.Longevity: The length of time a material lastsbefore it needs to be replaced.Melting and Metallurgy: A steel manufacturingprocess in which iron is separated from iron ore and mixed with small percentages of othermetals to form steel.Planing (wood lumber): A sawmill process inwhich the surface of a board is shaved straightand smooth after sawing and kiln drying.Pollution: Harmful substances emitted tothe environment that can negatively affectliving organisms.Prescribed Fire: The controlled applicationof fire to a predetermined area in attempt tomodify the ecosystem to meet managementobjectives.Progressive Harvesting: A tree removaltechnique in which the landing, the area where logs are processed and stacked fortransportation, is moved with the harvest.The technique reduces damage to forest soils, minimizing effects on surface water and vegetation. Protection (forest or tree): The variety oftechniques used to reduce damage to trees orforested areas; techniques include prescribedfire, pesticide application, fertilization, pruning,and thinning.Renewability: The ability of a resource toregenerate, grow back, or produce more.

Selective Cutting: A management techniquein which specific trees in an area are chosenand cut.Slag: An inert solid material containing sulfurand oxides that is formed as a byproduct ofsteel manufacturing; can be sent to landfills orused for road construction, concrete products,or mineral wool.Steel: A hard, tough metal made from ironalloyed with small percentages of carbon,nickel, chromium, and manganese.Steel Casting: A steel manufacturing processin which liquid steel alloy is formed and hardenedinto a near finished product.Steel Mining: Involves the open pit extractionof iron ore.Steel Treating/Finishing: The final steelmanufacturing process in which steel iscold rolled or galvanized (plated with zinc)to strengthen and protect the exterior ofthe product.Sustainable Management: Maintenance offorests to meet current and future ecological,economic, and social needs.Tree Harvest: The process of gathering a treecrop; includes felling, skidding, removal oflimbs, cutting to length, and material removal.Tree Improvement: The modification of a treeto encourage certain desirable characteristicssuch as form, growth rate, and resistanceto disease; improvement techniques includehybridization and bioengineering.Uneven-aged Management: A set of forestmanagement techniques used to maintain astand with trees of different ages and sizes;often associated with the management ofmature hardwood species.


BIG IDEAS• Forests are renewable resources. They can

be used and regenerated at regular intervals.(Subconcept 3)

• Forest management is the use of techniques(e.g., planting, harvesting) to promote,conserve, or alter forests to meet desiredoutcomes. (Subconcept 34)

• Science and technology contribute to theunderstanding of forests, the impacts ofhuman actions on these systems, and howforests can be sustained. As knowledge isgained, forest management is adapted.(Subconcept 50)

• Increased population and demand on forestresources lead to the need for increasesand improvements in management (e.g.,harvest techniques, genetics), technologicalsystems (e.g., GIS, tools), and woodutilization. Without advances in these areas,sustainability of forests is more difficult.(Subconcept 51)

• A citizen, acting individually or as part of agroup, can make lifestyle decisions and takea variety of actions to ensure the sustainableuse of our forests. (Subconcept 54)

• Management for sustainable forests willcontinue to require creativity, innovation,and collaborative thinking by individuals,organizations, governments, and industry.(Subconcept 56)

• Challenges related to forestry will changeover time. As new challenges arise, forestryprofessionals will need to respond. Examplesof current challenges include fragmentationof forest lands, non-native species, threatenedspecies, and endangered species. (Subconcept 57)

• Choices humans make today directly affectour ability to sustain forest ecosystemsessential to meeting future needs. (Subconcept 60)

BACKGROUND INFORMATIONLIFE CYCLE ANALYSISIn recent years, research institutions andindustries have begun to respond to increasedenvironmental awareness and concern shown by consumers, environmental groups, industries,and the government about energy consumptionand pollution associated with the products we buyand use every day. Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)is a new tool that has been developed in anattempt to address energy and pollution problemsrelated to different patterns of human behavior.

LCA is a method used to monitor and quantify theenergy inputs and pollution outputs associatedwith the manufacture, use, and disposal/reuse of a given product. LCA is often called “cradle tograve” analysis since (ideally) the measurementof environmental impact begins as raw materialsare extracted and finishes as the product, and allof its byproducts, are used completely or becomewaste. LCAs enable a manufacturer to quantifyhow much energy and raw materials are used,and how much waste (solid, liquid, and gas) isgenerated during each manufacturing process.Their results can be used by businesses todetermine activities by citizens and to makewise lifestyle choices and consumer decisions.

Using LCAs, researchers can develop a completeenvironmental profile for a specific product. It isstill difficult to compare the overall environmentalimpact of different products. Though it is possibleto compare products by categories (e.g., airpollution emitted, water pollution emitted, andenergy used), it is often misleading to claim thatone product is more environmentally sound thananother. This is due to the different environmentaleffects that the manufacturing of products mayhave. For example, how can we compare aproduct that requires a large energy demand toone that requires heavy water use (further takinginto consideration that in some regions, water is a scarce resource)? How do we compare amanufacturing process that creates landfill waste(solid waste and possible groundwater pollution)


to a manufacturing process that burns much ofits waste for energy (predominantly air pollution)?For this reason, one must first look at the LCAfor each product individually. When comparingproducts, one must look at all the environmentalimpacts and base decisions on those that aregiven high priority locally, regionally, and globally.

WOOD AND THE ENVIRONMENTA number of institutions have been working onLCAs for different wood products in North America,including the Athena Institute and the Consortiumfor Research on Renewable Industrial Materials.Most studies conclude that wood buildingproducts have lower environmental impact thanother products. In fact, wood products can havea positive effect on global warming because theystore carbon instead of releasing it into the air.

Two main factors help steel and concreteremain competitive with wood as the mostenvironmentally friendly construction materialin the U.S. – forest management methods andthe distance from the harvest site to the market.Of the two factors, the most energy intensive and pollution causing is the transport of material.With every new LCA of wood products, theenvironmental impact of transportation is outlinedas the major environmental concern.

This is not always the case with concrete orsteel, since the primary rock deposits used for concrete (sand, lime, and gravel) are widelydistributed and a large portion of metal used in steel manufacturing is recycled regionally. Our eagerness to buy the cheapest woodproducts regardless of their origin (e.g.,Indonesia, Canada, the Pacific Northwest, and Brazil) is the main factor increasing the environmental impact of wood use.

Unlike the mining of rocks and minerals, wood is produced by trees, which use the sun as an energy source. In addition, when properlymanaged, forests are a renewable resource.These two factors set wood apart from concreteand steel.

If consumers demand, policies require, and/orpricing structures favor products from local forestswith long-term management plans, local forestmanagers and wood products industries wouldhave incentives to manage forests sustainably.This outcome could greatly reduce theenvironmental cost of wood use by decreasingthe transportation associated with the currentmarketplace. Unfortunately, current consumptionpatterns are driven much more by price than bywood origin or forest management concerns.

SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENTThe way a forest is managed can have a largeinfluence on the environmental impact of woodproduction. Management also impacts the currentand future availability of economic, social, andecological forest values.

The economic values of forests (products, jobs,commerce, etc.) depend on forest managementto satisfy current and future consumer demands.Social values of forests (including culturalheritage, beauty, recreation, and public spaces)depend on forest management to protect and encourage local and regional communityresources. Ecological values (including wildlife,water quality, and air quality) depend on forestmanagement to encourage diverse wildlifehabitat, maintain forested areas, and protect soil and water resources.

The goal of sustainable management is toprovide all three of these forest values to currentgenerations without diminishing our ability toprovide the same for future generations. Thisrequires that we work to efficiently manageforests across the landscape and through time.

Climate, soil, vegetation, and disturbancecharacteristics vary across the landscape. Forest managers must work on a landscapescale to identify and manage areas for usessuitable to their characteristics. For example,wetlands are important for water quality andbiodiversity and may need to be managed toprovide these services. Fertile, upland hardwoodforests are important for the production ofhardwood lumber and veneer, and may need to be used to supply consumer demands.

Trees require long periods of time to producecharacteristics desirable for certain uses (e.g., 50 years for maple syrup and 100 years forsoftwood lumber). Forest managers work with a time scale that requires continual investment of money and energy to receive benefits in the distant future. Forest managers must ensurethat desirable species regenerate and grow, and they must continually protect the trees fromdamaging agents such as insects, disease, anddeer browsing.

TECHNOLOGY IN THE FORESTThe science of forestry has developed from more than a century of study. Forestry science is now used to describe forests and forestprocesses and efficiently manipulate thoseprocesses to meet human wants and needs.Today, forest managers employ a variety ofstrategies and techniques to achieve their goals, and increasingly, the goal of sustainableforest management. Technology has a majorinfluence on the development of research andmanagement techniques.

Forest management is the use of techniques topromote environmental conditions that supportsome species of plants and animals. Dependingon the objectives, forest management can also be used to create conditions that do notsupport some plant and animal species. To besuccessful, forest managers must understand

the characteristics and needs of the plants andanimals for which they are encouraging, as wellas for those they are attempting to discourage.Common management techniques include usingprescribed fire, thinning, harvesting (selective,shelterwood, seed-tree, and clearcutting),fertilization, site preparation, tree planting, and pesticide and herbicide use.

Our understanding and management of forestshas greatly improved over the last 20 years due to the development and use of GlobalPositioning Systems (GPS), GeographicInformation Systems (GIS), remote sensing,and forest modeling technologies. GPS allows researchers to precisely map topography,reference research areas, monitor landscapechanges, and track wildlife. GIS givesresearchers and managers the capability to acquire, view, interpret, and correlate a varietyof geographic information including soil type,vegetation, human demographics, climate,topography, bedrock geology, and hydrology.Remote sensing allows for the continuousmonitoring of environmental conditions (e.g.,moisture, temperature, pH, ozone, light intensity)using instrumentation that remains on-site andrecords data at specified intervals or recordsinformation from satellites. Forest modeling helpsto guide management activities by using data ontree characteristics, environmental conditions, andmanagement techniques to predict how forestswill react to different management strategies.

TECHNOLOGY IN THE MILLOver the last 50 years, the forest products industryhas increased efficiency, making use of twice as much material from each log that enters amill. In the United States, about 49% of wood isturned into solid or engineered wood products,28% is used for paper pulp, and 23% is used forfuelwood and byproducts. New technology andinnovation by the forest products industry areresponsible for these advances.


Two of the most influential technologies in sawand veneer mills are scanning technology andengineered wood products. Scanning technologyinvolves the use of lasers, optical scanners, and X-ray scanners to accurately measure logsand detect both superficial and interior flaws.Scanners allow for increased energy efficiencyand optimal utilization of logs.

Further increasing wood utilization, engineeredwood incorporates much of the waste left fromthe sawing process into products that can besubstituted for solid wood products or productsmade from other materials. Lumber, veneer,sawdust, irregular wood, and wood chips areformed and glued into panels, boards, andtrusses. These include plywood, oriented strandboard (OSB), glued laminated timber, laminatedveneer lumber, and structural I-joists.

These technologies, as well as automatedhandling systems and pollution filteringtechnologies, have helped the forest productsindustry to reduce its energy inputs and pollutionoutputs per volume of product.

THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGYIN SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENTTechnology can help us to manageforests sustainably.

• Technology helps us manage forests acrossthe landscape. GPS, GIS, and remote sensingallow us to more efficiently map, analyze,monitor, understand, and manage naturalresources.

• Technology helps us manage our foreststhrough time. Forest modeling, tree improvement,and tree protection allow us to better plan,protect, and ensure the availability of forestvalues in the future.

• Technology helps us reduce the environmentalimpact of transportation, heat, and electricityneeds. Renewable energy technologies (e.g.,photovoltaic panels, biofuels, wind turbines)can reduce our dependence on fossil fuelsources of energy.

Technology alone cannot ensure the sustainablemanagement of forests. Human populations must make decisions and take actions thatreduce the environmental impact of resourceuse. Sustainable management requires action by public institutions, private businesses, andindividuals. Collective decisions must be madeabout how public and private institutions manageresources, use energy, and emit pollution.Individuals must make decisions about consumerhabits and consider how they influence thecurrent and future availability of forest resources.

PROCEDUREINTRODUCTION – Pollution and Energy1. Explain to students that during the next few

class periods they will be using a tool thatdescribes the environmental impact of productsthat they buy and use. Ask the class to thinkof products that they use every day and listthem on the board. The list may include thingssuch as furniture, pencils, toothbrushes, food,toilet paper, clothes, etc.

Once the list is on the board, have studentsidentify from what each of the products ismade. For example, furniture is made ofwood, plastic, metal, cotton, etc. Tell studentsthat each of the materials used in the productscame from somewhere, required energy tomake, and their production inevitably causessome sort of pollution.

You may wish to choose an example anddiscuss it. (Toothbrushes are made of plasticwhich is made from oil that is extracted fromthe ground. The energy required to manufacturethe plastic comes from oil or coal, which isalso extracted from the ground, and emits avariety of pollutants, including air pollution,water pollution, and solid waste pollution.)


2. Explain to students that the manufacturing ofproducts requires energy. Energy is neededto extract, transport, cut, form, heat, treat, andpackage materials. Ask students to think ofcommon sources of energy used in Wisconsin.List them on the board and have them guesspercentages. The percentages should representthe energy used to provide power to Wisconsinindustries and households; do not include gasused for transportation. See Teacher Page A1,Energy Sources for examples. Once the listis formed, place Teacher Page A1, EnergySources on the overhead projector. Explainthe benefits and costs of each by using theinformation on the overhead. Allow students tocomment as you proceed. NOTE: Looking atthe total energy consumption in the U.S., 39%comes from petroleum. Petroleum is used asgasoline and diesel for transportation.

3. Have students form pairs and hand each pair acopy of Student Page 1, Pollutant Match-up.Ask them to complete the worksheet using theircurrent knowledge and deductive reasoningskills. They should be able to match the majorityof the definitions without any background onthe different pollutants listed.

Once students are finished, use Teacher KeyAk2, Pollutant Match-up Key to go througheach of the answers, having the student pairsmatch different definitions. It is important thatall of the students have the correct answerson their worksheet.

After all the definitions have a match, askstudents if, by looking at the definitions,they get a general idea of where most of thepollutants on the list come from. (Many of themcome from petroleum combustion, mining, andsteel manufacturing.) Tell students that in thefollowing activities they are going to be usinga new analytical method that will allow themto better identify where pollution comes fromand compare the environmental impact(energy input and pollution output) of differentproducts we use.

ACTIVITY 1 – Creating Life Cycle Analysisfor Wood, Concrete, and Steel1. Explain to students that to reduce the

environmental impact of product manufacturingand use, we first need to define the energyrequired and pollution emitted during theprocess. The tool, a life cycle analysis, tracksa product from its creation to its disposal (orreuse) and describes all of the energy inputsand pollution outputs at each stage.

Place Teacher Page A3, Life Cycle AnalysisDiagram on the overhead projector. Use thetop diagram to explain that a simple LCAstarts with a natural resource and ends witha consumer product. Each stage, or process,used to manufacture and transport the productis analyzed. It is important to include theenvironmental impact of transportationbecause the transportation of materials oftenrequires more energy and gives off morepollution than the actual manufacturing ofthe product.

Use the bottom diagram to explain to studentsthat, for each process, the LCA outlines allthe raw material and energy inputs (abovethe dotted line) and all the material andpollution outputs (below the dotted line).

2. Tell students that they will be using life cycleanalysis to study the environmental impact ofthree different products that they use everyday – wood, concrete, and steel.

Form groups of two to three students andhave the groups discuss how each of thesematerials is produced. Write the names of thethree materials (wood, concrete, steel) on theleft side of the board, leaving plenty of spacebetween them. Begin with wood and askeach group to write down how a wood boardis produced. Tell them to think about themanufacturing process in stages, andhave them identify each stage.


Once the groups have the stages identified,call on different groups to share their ideas.Consolidate their ideas into production stagesand list the stages from left to right across theboard. Once wood is finished, ask them tothink of how a slab of concrete is produced,and then how a steel beam is produced.(The stages should be similar to the following:Wood – tree harvest, transport, sawing,drying, planing, transport. Concrete – mining,transport, milling (mixing, burning, andgrinding), transport. Steel – mining, transport,melting and metallurgy, forming, treating,transport.)

3. Ask the class to think about how each ofthese materials is used. Have students name and discuss applications for each.As students come up with ideas, make surethat construction uses are mentioned foreach of the materials (e.g., wood – houseframes, concrete – foundations, steel –structural beams).

Once the general production processes areon the board and students have discussed theapplications for each material, ask them howthey think they can compare the environmentalimpact of producing the three materials. (Createa LCA for each.)

4. Ask students to write down which materialthey think is the most environmentally friendlyto produce and which is the least. Tell studentsthat to find out, they are going to create lifecycle analyses for the materials.

Hand each group a copy of Student Pages2A-B, Energy and Pollution. Review the

information on the sheet with the class. Havestudents identify and discuss the differentproduction stages and the energy requirementsand pollution associated with them. Assigneach group one of the materials (concrete,steel, or wood) to outline on a piece of paper.Be sure that at least one outline is created foreach material.

Once again, place Teacher Page A3, LifeCycle Analysis Diagram on the overheadprojector. Explain to the groups that theyare going to outline the inputs and outputsassociated with the manufacture of theirmaterial. Their outlines should be created ina similar form to that shown on the board –distinct production stages labeled with inputs(rectangles) and outputs (squares). UseTeacher Page A4, Life Cycle Analysis to help student groups complete their outlines.

NOTE: You may wish to have students createtheir outline on poster paper to display during the following presentation and discussion.

5. Once all the groups have completed theiroutlines, have a representative from eachconcrete, steel, and wood group present theiroutline. Have students compare and contrastthe manufacturing process, energy inputs, andpollution outputs for each material.

Ask the class which material produces thegreatest number of pollutants. (Steel.) Askthe class which material produces the fewest.(Wood.) Ask groups to identify some of thepollutants from steel manufacturing, concretemanufacturing, and wood manufacturing. Askthe class if they can determine which materialuses the most energy. (No, the quantity ofenergy inputs is not listed.) Ask them if theycan tell which material produces the largestquantity of pollution. (No, the quantities ofpollutants are not listed.)

Explain to the class that to determine theanswers to these questions, they need tocompare the energy inputs and pollutionoutputs needed to produce an equal cubicvolume of each material. Have the studentgroups look at Student Pages 2A-B,Energy and Pollution and the LCA outlinesthat they have just created and guess whichmaterial requires the most energy and whichmaterial produces the most pollution. Havethem write down their answers.


6. Place Teacher Page A5, Energy and PollutionComparison on the overhead projector. Aska few students to interpret different elementsof the chart and graph.

Interpretations should be similar in format tothe following:

• Wood requires the least energy to produce.To produce an equal volume, concreterequires 70% more energy than wood, andsteel requires 140% more energy than wood.

• Wood production emits the lowest amountof greenhouse gases. To produce an equalvolume, concrete production emits 81%more than wood, and steel emits 45% morethan wood.

• Wood production emits the least airpollution. To produce an equal volume,concrete production emits 67% more thanwood, and steel emits 42% more than wood.

• Wood production emits the least waterpollution. To produce an equal volume,concrete production emits 90% morethan wood, and steel emits 1,900% morethan wood.

• Wood and steel production create the leastsolid waste pollution. To produce an equalvolume, concrete production emits 96% morethan wood or steel.

ACTIVITY 2 – Environmental Impacts ofWood, Concrete, and Steel Production1. Tell students that they have just compared

the environmental impact of producing anddelivering the materials, but they still have notdetermined the environmental impact of usingthe materials over time. To further explain, tellstudents that if they look at the comparisons,they will see that wood requires less energyto produce and its production gives off lesspollution. BUT what if you were to find outthat steel lasts twice as long? Or that concreterequires less energy to maintain? Or that youneed more wood to support the same amount

of weight as steel? That means you wouldhave to use more wood to make up forthese deficiencies.

2. Tell the class that to determine theenvironmental impact of using the materialsover time, there are three factors that theymust consider – function, renewability andlongevity. Write the terms on the board andask the class to define them. The definitionsshould be similar to the following:

• Function: The practical use of a material;depends on the material’s characteristicsand the application for which the materialis needed.

• Renewability: The ability of a resource toreplenish itself in the future; current usedoes not diminish future supply.

• Longevity: The length of time a materiallasts before it needs to be replaced.

3. Have students work in pairs to compare andcontrast the characteristics of concrete, steel,and wood. They should describe their relativeweight, strength, resistance to environmentalstresses, and ease of use (cutting, forming,molding, etc.). Once the students finish, havea few of the pairs read their paragraphs to theclass. Allow students to discuss the answersand share their ideas. (Ideas should include:Wood is lighter and more easily cut thansteel. Steel is stronger and more resistant toenvironmental stresses than wood. Concreteis more easily molded than wood or steel.)

4. Conduct a large group brainstorm with yourclass to identify all of the components usedin the construction of a house. List ideason the board. Ideas should include suchthings as roofing (shingles, plywood,insulation, etc.), framing (joists, rafters,beams, etc.), walls (siding, plywood, sheetrock, insulation, paint, etc.), foundation (walls,supports, basement floor, etc.), and furniture(doors, cabinets, etc.).


Once the brainstorm is complete, havestudents work individually and draw threecolumns on a piece of paper with theheadings concrete, steel, and wood. Havethem place the materials listed on the boardin the column of the material that they feelis most suitable for that component/function.Have them share and explain their answers.(E.g., Concrete is best suited for the foundationof a house because it can be easily formed onsite and is resistant to moisture. Wood is bestsuited for framing because it is light, strong,and easily cut to size and secured on site.Steel is best suited for major structuralsupport because it is very strong.) Emphasizeto the class that the function of the material isdetermined by its characteristics: concretecan be easily formed and poured when wet,wood is exceptionally strong for its weight,and steel can support large amounts of weightfor its volume.

5. Have students identify which of the materialsare renewable and explain their answers.(Wood is the only renewable resource of thethree – if forests are managed sustainably,wood can be produced indefinitely. Thematerials for both concrete and steel aremined from the ground and, though abundantand often recyclable, exist in finite quantities.)Ask the class what this signifies for theenvironmental impact of the three materialsover time. (Wood can continue to be producedin one location, but steel and concrete willcontinually need to be found and extractedfrom rock and metal deposits, or gathered andrecycled at locations around the world.)

6. Tell students that to find out the longevity ofall of the materials, each material would needto be studied under similar conditions. Formsmall groups of two to three students andbriefly discuss how the three materials couldbe accurately studied to determine their

longevity. (The materials must be tested forthe same use and under similar conditions.)Have each group come up with an experimentthat they could use to test for the longevity ofthe three materials. Variables should includephysical, chemical, and biological stresses.(Some ideas may include constructingbuildings, bridges, or other structures fromeach material and monitoring their longevityand maintenance; exposing each material tosimilar environmental stresses in a laboratorysetting.) As the groups finish, have them sharetheir ideas with the class.

NOTE: You may wish to expand on thissection and allow groups more time to outlinean experimental regimen. Have studentsidentify the variables, control, and otherparameters of the experiment and presenttheir ideas to the rest of the class.

7. Tell the class that studies to determine theproper function, renewability, and longevity ofmaterials for the purpose of reducing energyuse and pollution are now being conductedall over the world. In one study (2004), theConsortium for Research on RenewableIndustrial Materials (a nonprofit organizationformed by 15 research institutions) comparedthe environmental impact of wood, steel, andconcrete in residential buildings.

In the experiment, the researchersconstructed two single family homes in Minneapolis, Minnesota (cold climate).In one home, they used wood whereverpossible – in floors, roofs, walls, etc. Inthe other home, they used steel whereverpossible. The researchers also constructedtwo single family homes in Atlanta, Georgia(warm climate). In one home, they used woodwhenever possible, and in the other, theyused concrete.


The researchers spent the same amount ofmoney on each home, constructed each homein the same design and size, and made surethat each home had the same amount ofenergy efficiency (i.e., it had the same Rvalue, or insulation value). They thenforecasted the maintenance and eventualreplacement that would be needed for thewood, concrete, and steel in each respectivehouse, and the additional energy requirementand pollution caused by such replacements.

8. After explaining the experiment, ask studentsto take into consideration the three factorsyou just discussed (function, renewability, and longevity) and hypothesize which homethey think had the least overall environmentalimpact – the mostly concrete home, mostlysteel home, or mostly wood home. Havestudents explain their answers.

Place Teacher Page A6, Environmental ImpactComparison on the overhead projector. Tellthe class that after taking into account energyinputs and pollution outputs in manufacturingthe materials, the longevity of each material,and their renewability, the researchers cameup with the results shown. Have studentsinterpret parts of the table and graph.

Their interpretations should be similar informat to the following:

• Wood use requires the least energy.Concrete requires 16% more than wood,and steel requires 17% more than wood.

• Wood use produces the lowest amount ofgreenhouse gases. Concrete use produces31% more than wood, and steel produces26% more than wood.

• Wood use produces the least air pollution.Concrete use produces 23% more than wood,and steel produces 14% more than wood.

• Wood and concrete use produce the leastwater pollution. Steel use produces 312%more than wood or concrete.

• Steel use produces the least solid wastepollution. Wood use produces 1% morethan steel, and concrete produces 51%more than steel.

9. Tell the class that wood performs better thansteel or concrete for a variety of reasons. First,trees grow using the sun’s energy (unlikesteel or concrete), and forests can continueto regenerate when properly managed (unlikemineral deposits). Wood is also better suitedfor most structural features in a house becauseit is lightweight, strong, and easily cut andinstalled. Though in some home applications(like below ground walls and major structuralsupports), concrete and steel last longer. Themaintenance and replacement required forwood still uses less energy and creates lesspollution than the use of steel or concrete.

ACTIVITY 3 – Exploring the EnvironmentalCosts of Wood Production1. Explain to the class that as population and

consumer demand grow, it is important thatpeople choose to use materials that requireless energy and produce less pollution. Asthey have seen, current research shows thatbetween concrete, steel, and wood, woodhas the least environmental impact in manycategories (energy inputs, greenhouse gasemissions, air pollution, and water pollution).Even so, there must still be improvements inwood production that reduce the energy inputsand pollution outputs.

Hand a copy of Student Page 3, DetailedWood Production Process to each student.Review each stage of wood processing withthe class and have students highlight or markareas where improvements could be made inenergy efficiency and pollution reduction.


The following areas should be highlighted:

• Machinery used for tree harvest (distancetraveled and machine efficiency)

• Distance from harvest site to sawmill(harvest location and vehicle efficiency)

• Forest management/certification (reductionof future energy inputs and pollution outputsthrough sustainable forest management)

• Wood moisture content (reducing moisturewould save drying energy and reduce theweight of shipment)

• Measuring and sawing (using more/wastingless wood)

• Energy sources for manufacturing (usingmore renewable energy sources formachinery, lighting, heating/cooling,drying, transport, etc.)

• Drying methods (energy inputs)• The use of wood waste for energy

(air pollution)• Distance from sawmill to consumer markets

(locality and energy inputs for transportation)

Review each of the areas and tell the studentsthat they are going to look in detail at onespecific area – transportation.

2. Tell the class that they are going to work intheir group to transport a shipment of lumberto Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Each group willbe shipping the same amount of wood, butwill have a different city from which they aresending their shipment. The groups will needto determine the method of shipment (i.e.,by road, rail, sea, river, or a combination)and how much energy is required.

Place the following transportation energycoefficients on the board:

Road = 1.1 (1.1 Mj/tonne-km)Rail = 0.35 (0.35 Mj/tonne-km)River = 0.35 (0.35 Mj/tonne-km)Sea = 0.1 (0.1 Mj/tonne-km)

Explain to the class that rail and rivertransport requires 3.5 times more energythan ocean transport, and road transportrequires 11 times more energy than oceantransport. Tell the groups that they mustdeliver the shipment using the least amountof energy as possible while utilizing thetransportation systems available.

3. Assign one of the following cities to each groupand provide them with the total distance fromtheir city to Milwaukee.

• Ashland, Wisconsin300 miles, 480 kilometers

• Atlanta, Georgia700 miles, 1,120 kilometers

• Calgary, Canada1,500 miles, 2,400 kilometers

• Portland, Oregon1,700 miles, 2,720 kilometers

• Munich, Germany4,500 miles, 7,200 kilometers

• Brazilia, Brazil4,900 miles, 7,840 kilometers

• Moscow, Russia5,100 miles, 8,160 kilometers

• Jakarta, Indonesia9,700 miles, 15,520 kilometers

Tell the groups that the distance representsthe linear distance on the globe. They will usean atlas with map scale, string, and ruler todetermine the distances traveled by road, rail,and/or water and calculate the total distancein kilometers. Groups can use railways onlywhere they exist and can only use waterwaysnavigable by ocean liner or barge.


The following table shows examples of total energy use:


RO

AD Km 0 160

0 1760 9600 336

480 048 00 00

48

0

512

Energy (X 1.1)

RA

IL KmEnergy (X 0.35)

SEA Km

Energy (X 0.1)

RIV

ER KmEnergy (X 0.35)

TOTAL ENERGY(Mj)

ATLANTAASHLAND

RO

AD Km 320 800

352 880480 320168 112

6,400 5,720640 572

0 1,0000

1,160

350

1,914

Energy (X 1.1)

RA


SEA Km

Energy (X 0.1)

RIV


TOTAL ENERGY(Mj)

BRAZILIAMUNICH

RO

AD Km 800 160

880 1761,600 2,560560 896

0 00 00 00

1,440

0

1,072

Energy (X 1.1)

RA


SEA Km

Energy (X 0.1)

RIV


TOTAL ENERGY(Mj)

PORTLANDCALGARY

RO

AD Km 500 350

550 385700 0245 0

6,960 14,170696 1,417

0 1,0000

1,491

350

2,152

Energy (X 1.1)

RA


SEA Km

Energy (X 0.1)

RIV


TOTAL ENERGY(Mj)

JAKARTAMOSCOW

Example calculation to determine the energy required for a 1 tonne shipmentfrom Ashland to Milwaukee:

1 tonne X 480 Km X .1 Mj/tonne-Km = 48 Mj

4. Once students have their shipping methodschosen and total energy calculated (seeexample on bottom of page 196), havethem present their results to the class. Writeeach group’s total energy use on the board.Have the class identify the city that requiresthe most energy for shipment (Jakarta) andthe city that requires the least (Ashland).

Have each group calculate the additionalenergy used to ship to Milwaukee fromtheir city compared to Ashland. Have themcalculate both the amount and the percentincrease and write it on the board. Havestudents discuss the differences and theimpact that using locally produced woodproducts can have on the pollution producedand energy used in transportation.

ACTIVITY 4 – Developing PracticalSolutions1. Tell students that now that they have looked

at one strategy to reduce pollution productionand energy use in transportation, they will nowlook at the lumber production process. Ask thegroups to brainstorm solutions to reduce energyinputs and pollution outputs associated withwood manufacture and use. Tell the groupsthat they should start with Student Page 3,Detailed Wood Production Process and writea few general ideas next to the highlighted ormarked areas on their page.

Ideas may include:

• Machinery used for tree harvest – cleanburning engines, new harvest methods

• Distance from harvest site to sawmill –harvest local wood, build local sawmills

• Forest management/certification – supportforest certification, buy certified wood products

• Wood moisture content – innovation ortechnology to protect wood with lowermoisture content

• Measuring and sawing – encourage the useof high-tech measuring and sawing equipment

• Energy sources – create an alternativeenergy infrastructure (use wind, solar,and/or biofuels to replace coal-firedpower plants)

• Drying methods – use a new technologyand/or innovation to reduce the energyinputs for drying (solar drying, clean burningwood waste, etc.)

• The use of wood waste for energy – use anew technology or innovation to reduce theparticulate matter released from the burningof wood

• Distance from sawmill to consumer markets –encourage consumers to buy local products

2. Once the groups have some ideas identified,have them come up with some solutions. Askthem to identify a problem and briefly describesome strategies that they will use to solve it.Give them five to 10 minutes to come up withsome ideas. Once the groups have finished,have them share their ideas with the rest ofthe class.

Tell students that practical solutions mustsatisfy the following three criteria and writethem on the board:

• Address the primary cause of the problem• Work with available human and

technological resources• Meet the needs of businesses, communities,

and individuals

Use one of the group’s ideas and apply thethree criteria to it. Have the class discuss ifthe proposal meets all three of the criteria.

3. Tell students that in the next few activities,they will be given information that will helpthem identify strategies that they can use todevelop practical solutions. The informationwill help them in the final activity of thislesson when they develop a proposal thatoutlines a practical solution that reduces theenvironmental impacts of wood use.


Tell the class that solutions come fromadvancements in the following threecategories and write them on the board:

• Forest management – Improvements inmanagement and planning can help ensurethe protection of current and future ecological,social, and economic values of forests.

• Innovation and technology – Innovationand technology can help reduce energyconsumption, use wood more efficiently,and reduce pollution.

• Consumption patterns – Adaptations inconsumption patterns can influence howforests are managed, how much resourcesare used, and reduce the energy needed totransport materials.

ACTIVITY 5 – Forest Management:Landscape Scale1. Tell students that they are first going to look

at the role that forest management plays inreducing the environmental impact of lumberproduction. Forest managers attempt tounderstand and respond to the realities thatexist on the landscape. Their job is to maintainthe supply of economic, environmental, andsocial benefits of forests for current and futuregenerations.

Write the terms economic, social, andecological across the board. Have studentsbrainstorm benefits that they receive fromforests that fit in one of the categories. (Thelist should include: Economic – jobs, forestproducts, tourism; Social – recreation, beauty,history, community; Ecological – wildlife,protection of air, water, soil resources.)

Tell students that to ensure all thesebenefits are protected for current and futuregenerations, forest managers must work intwo major scales – the landscape scale andthe time scale.

2. Tell students that they will first look at howthe landscape can influence decisions aboutforest management. Hand each group of twoto three students a colored copy of StudentPage 4, Land Cover, Ashland County,Wisconsin and Student Pages 5A-B,Landscape Scale Worksheet. Review theworksheet and tell groups that they will recordanswers on their worksheet during thefollowing teacher presentation.

Have students identify the scale and mapfeatures. To help orient the students, askif anyone has been to the shore of LakeSuperior in northern Wisconsin or to anyof the places pictured on the map. Havestudents describe some of the areas. Pointout the different land cover types on the mapand have the student groups come up withdefinitions for each of the land types andwrite them on Student Page 5A. Oncethe groups have come up with definitions,have groups share them with the class.

The definitions should be similar to thefollowing:

• High intensity urban – city centers;dominated by roadways, office buildings,manufacturing facilities, etc.

• Low intensity urban – small towns andthe outskirts of big cities; dominated byresidential housing, schools, parks, etc.

• Golf course – a managed, partially forestedarea used for the game of golf

• Agriculture – a managed, unforestedarea used to produce crops such as corn,soybeans, hay, oats, etc.

• Grassland – unforested land dominated bywildflowers and grasses

• Coniferous forest – forestland dominatedby cone-bearing trees


• Deciduous forest – forestland dominatedby broadleaf trees that lose their leaveseach winter

• Mixed forest – forestland dominated byboth coniferous and deciduous trees

• Open water – lakes, rivers, and streams• Wetland – a forested or nonforested area

that is submerged underwater for all or partof a year

• Shrubland – an unforested area dominatedby shrubs, wildflowers, and grasses

3. Once the groups have defined the land covertypes, use the questions and answers inSections 1 and 2 of Teacher Pages A7A-B,Discussion: Landscape Scale to help themdiscuss the ecological, social, and economicaspects of forest use. Have students take notesand answer the questions on Student Pages

5A-B, Landscape Scale Worksheet whileyou go over the discussion points. All theanswers to the questions come from TeacherPages A7A-B, Discussion: Landscape Scale.

Remind students that on the Ashland Countyland cover map there were a variety of foresttypes (coniferous, deciduous, mixed). Theyare now going to look at how different types offorests are managed. Use the questions andanswers in Section 3 and 4 to discuss forestmanagement objectives. Use overheads ofStudent Page 4, Land Cover, AshlandCounty, Wisconsin, Teacher Page A8,Softwood Lumber: Plantation Management,Teacher Page A9, Hardwood Lumber andVeneer: Uneven-aged Forest Management,and Teacher Page A10, Aspen Paper Pulp:Clearcut Management during the discussion.

4. Ask students if they are beginning to see howsocial, environmental, and economic aspectsof the land influence land use patterns. Havestudents gather around a table, and place theposter of the Wisconsin Land Cover Map on it.

Use the questions and answers in Section 5of Teacher Pages A7A-B, Discussion:Landscape Scale to facilitate the discussion.

5. To summarize the importance of understandingthe landscape scale, tell students that managingforests on a landscape scale can greatlyincrease the efficiency of growing wood forwood products, while providing for otherhuman needs. Give the following examples:

• Areas more suitable for forest managementcan be identified and used, while otherareas (grasslands, farms, wetlands) canbe managed for other benefits.

• Forests more suitable for wood production(i.e., fertile, productive, healthy, adapted todisturbance, less susceptible to damage)can be used to produce wood resources.

• Forests that are important for the protectionof water resources and critical habitat canbe managed to protect them.

• Forests more suitable for recreation activitiescan be managed accordingly.

• All human populations consume woodresources. Some of these populations livein forested areas and others do not. Byidentifying, managing, and using woodresources that are close to home, theenergy required and pollution producedby transportation can be reduced.

ACTIVITY 6 – Forest Management:Time Scale1. Tell students that in addition to looking at the

landscape, forest managers must also look atthe time scale. This means that foresters mustunderstand the type of forests that exist today,the current needs and challenges, and howthey will change in the future.


Place Teacher Page A11, Tree Time on theoverhead projector. Ask the class to speculateon what each tree is most valued for. (Answersshould be similar to the following: Aspen –valued as a wildlife species because of its use as food and shelter by deer, grouse, andmany bird species. It is highly valued as pulpfor paper production. Red Pine – valued forlumber and pulp. Historically, it was a majorcomponent in mature forests throughoutcentral and northern Wisconsin. Sugar Maple –valued for lumber, veneer, and syrup. It isdominant in mature deciduous and mixedforests throughout northern Wisconsin.Eastern Hemlock – very long-lived and isthe dominant tree in old growth forests innorthern Wisconsin. It is an important wildlifetree and used for pulp, but is not currentlyused for many wood products.)

Review the information on the teacher pagewith the class, pointing out that the growthrate for the different tree species is shownin different ways. Help students put the treeages in perspective. Ask them how old theyare, how old their parents/guardians are, andhow old their grandparents are. Have themwrite the ages on a piece of paper. Ask studentsif they have ever had maple syrup. Have themcalculate how old they, their parents, and theirgrandparents were when the sugar maple treeswere planted that produce their maple syrup.Do this for a variety of products and services,including some that take a long time to produce(e.g., old growth eastern hemlock forests).

2. Tell students that not only do trees take arelatively long time to grow, but they also mustovercome a lot of dangers. Ask students tobrainstorm a list of natural or human agentsthat might harm or kill a tree (e.g., disease,insects browsing, fire, ice, windstorms,drought, air pollution, landuse change, etc.).Tell students that all the agents in the listpresent challenges to forest managers andsome challenges are greater than others.

3. Hand a copy of Student Page 6, ForestChallenges to each group. Read thedescription of each challenge. Tell studentsthat all the challenges listed are currentlyposing threats to Wisconsin forests.

Have students go through the list and draw anup arrow for challenges they think will growin the future, a sideways arrow for those theythink will stay the same, and a down arrowfor those they think will decrease. Have themexplain their reasoning in the right-handcolumn. Once students are finished, useTeacher Key Ak12, Forest ChallengesKey to review all of the challenges and helpstudents identify solutions.

4. In summary, tell students that by understandinghow forests and social needs will changethrough time, forest managers can help ensurethe current and future benefits of forests in thefollowing ways:

• Anticipate demand for forest resources inthe future and manage forests accordingly

• Use management techniques like prescribedfire, tree planting, thinning, fertilizing, andtree improvement (breeding) to reduce theamount of time it takes forests to grow

• Use management techniques to help forestsovercome challenges (e.g., pest control,wildlife management, wildfire prevention,introduced species eradication, etc.)

ACTIVITY 7 – Innovation and Technology1. Tell students that technology and innovation

are very important for the reduction ofenergy inputs and pollution outputs for lumberproduction. Through the next activity, theywill look at a variety of technologies andinnovations that have helped reduce theenvironmental impact of tree harvest andthe production of wood products.


2. Have students differentiate between the termsinnovation and technology. Place the twoterms on the board and lead a brainstormto define each. Have students look for keywords that they might associate with one ofthe two terms. The words should be similarto the following: Innovation – new, creativity,originality, imagination, inspiration, improvement,modernization. Technology – future, invention,equipment, computers, robotics, genetics,engineering, machinery, tools, etc. Next,have students compare and contrast them.(Innovation – an improved way of doingthings. Technology – equipment or processused for solving a specific technical problem.)

3. Explain to the class that advancements thatlead to the reductions of energy inputs andpollution outputs result from both innovationand technology. Technology and innovationhave a circular relationship. This means thatnew technologies result from innovation, andinnovations result from new technologies.

Hand a copy of Student Page 7, ForestryInnovation and Technology to each group.

Use the information on Student Page 7,Forestry Innovation and Technology andoverheads of Teacher Page A13, ProgressiveHarvesting, Teacher Page A14, ForestModeling, Teacher Page A15, EngineeredWood Products, Teacher Page A16, GPSand GIS, Teacher Page A17, Log Scanning,and Teacher Page A18, Protection andTree Improvement to discuss each of thetechnologies and how they influence theenergy inputs and pollution outputs ofdifferent processes.

4. Once you have presented all the technologies,ask the class if anyone is familiar with oneof the technologies. Have volunteers furtherexplain their experience. Tell the students thatthe worksheet will be useful to them as theydevelop their proposals in the next activity.

ACTIVITY 8 – Consumption Patterns1. Tell the groups that another strategy they

can use to minimize the energy inputs andpollution outputs associated with lumberproduction is to make wise consumer choicesfor themselves and help others make wisechoices as well. Lead a class brainstorm toidentify actions that consumers can take toreduce the impact of the manufacture and useof wood products. (Actions may include buylocal wood, buy wood from well-managedforests, buy recycled products, use less wood,buy products from manufacturers that userenewable energy sources.) Ask students howthey would know if wood was local, from awell-managed forest, recycled, or from amanufacturer that uses renewable energysources. (The product would need a label orstudents would need to research the companythat produced it.)

2. Tell students that products made from woodfrom certified forests are beginning to be soldin retail stores. These products have a labelindicating they are certified. Certified forestproducts come from forests managed to meetenvironmental, social, and economic standards.The forests are inspected by organizationsthat have no affiliation with the landowner,forest manager, or forest products industry.If the management of the forest meets thestandards, then the products that come fromthe forest are marked as certified.


Hand a copy of Student Page 8, ForestCertification to each student. Discuss thefour different certification programs and howforests certified by these organizations mightbe managed differently than other forests.(Other forests might not have managementplans. They might be managed for onlyeconomic values. The forest manager maynot intend to keep the area forested, butinstead sell it for development or agriculture.)

3. Explain to students that consumers, bylooking at product labels, have the opportunityto purchase wood products that come fromwell-managed forests and that use recycledmaterials. Tell students that informationon where wood comes from and how it ismanufactured are more difficult to obtain.Discuss with the class how information onwood origin and energy sources might helpconsumers make wise decisions. (Consumerswould have the option to buy products madelocally and buy products that come fromfacilities that use renewable energy sources –both would reduce the energy needed andpollution emitted during manufacture andtransport.)

CONCLUSION – Proposing Solutions1. In summary, tell students that they have just

learned about different strategies that areused to reduce the environmental impact ofwood use. Refer back to the three categorieslisted on the board.

• Forest management (landscape scale andtime scale)

• Innovation and technology• Consumption patterns (buying certified

forest products and buying locally)

Tell students that they will now work in groupsto write a proposal that outlines a practicalsolution to reduce the environmental impactof forest products.

2. Have students work in groups to choose aspecific problem that was identified in StudentPage 3, Detailed Wood Production Processor in discussion throughout the lesson.They should use one or more strategies todecrease the environmental impact that theprocess causes.

3. Hand a copy of Student Page 9, ProposalFormat to each group. Review the proposalformat, set a hand-in or presentation date, andallow time for questions.

NOTE: You may wish to give groups time inclass to research and develop their proposals.

EXTENSION: Allow each group five to 10minutes to sell their proposal to the class,pretending the class is their target audience.Help the class form and ask questions to eachgroup. After the group has proposed theiridea, have the class discuss its benefits andcosts then vote on the proposal’s acceptance.

SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENTHave students choose three products found intheir home and describe their use, country oforigin, longevity, and renewability. For eachproduct, have students find ways to reduce theenvironmental cost of the product by a) reducingconsumption, b) using a similar product that isproduced locally, lasts longer, or is recyclable, or c) substituting the product for a product thathas the same use but is made from a differentmaterial. Have students explain how each oftheir choices will reduce the environmental cost of use.


REFERENCESAthena Sustainable Materials Institute. (1993).Raw Material Balances, Energy Profiles, andEnvironmental Unit Factor Estimates: StructuralWood. Ottawa, Canada.

Athena Sustainable Materials Institute. (1999).Cement and Structural Concrete Products: LifeCycle Inventory Update. Ottawa, Canada.

Athena Sustainable Materials Institute. (2000).Summary Report: A Life Cycle Analysis ofCanadian Softwood Lumber Production.Ottawa, Canada.

Athena Sustainable Materials Institute. (2003).Cradle to Gate Life Cycle Inventory: Canadianand U.S. Steel Production by Mill Type. Ottawa,Canada.

Bowe, S. & Hubbard, S. (2004). What doWisconsin’s sawmills think about certified forest products? Timber Producers AssociationMagazine: No. 10.

Burns, R. M. & Honkala, B. H. (1990). Silvics ofNorth America. Washington, D.C.: United StatesDepartment of Agriculture, Forest Service.

EPA Office of Compliance Sector NotebookProject Profile of the Lumber and Wood ProductsIndustry. U.S. EPA Office of Enforcement andCompliance Assurance, September 1995,EPA/310-R-95-006.

European Environment Agency. (1997). LifeCycle Assessment: A Guide to Approaches,Experiences, and Information Sources.Environmental Issues Series: No. 6.

Finan, A. S. (Ed). (2000). Wisconsin’s Forests atthe Millennium: An Assessment. Madison, WI:Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.PUB-FR-161 2000.

Haygreen, J. G. & Bowyer, J. L. (1989). ForestProducts and Wood Science. 2nd Ed. Ames:Iowa State University Press.

Helms, J. A. (1998). The Dictionary of Forestry.The Society of American Foresters.

Kimmins, J. P. (1997). Forest Ecology: AFoundation for Sustainable Management. 2nd ed. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Lippke, B. et al. (2004). CORRIM: Life-cycleenvironmental performance of renewable buildingmaterials. Forest Products Journal:Vol. 54, No. 6.

Public Service Commission of Wisconsin.(2003). Strategic Energy Assessment 2004 -2010. Madison, Wisconsin.

Science Applications International Corporation.(2000). Framework for Responsible EnvironmentalDecision-Making (FRED): Using Life-CycleAssessment to Evaluate the Preferability ofProducts. EPA/600/R-00-095.

Temperate Forest Foundation. (2003).Technology in the Forest. Eco-Link: Vol. 12,No. 2.

Temperate Forest Foundation. (2003).Technology in the Mills. Eco-Link: Vol. 13, No. 2.

Trusty, W. B. (2003). The relative environmentalmerits of materials. Athena Institute Newsletter:Vol. 4, No. 1.

Wisconsin Forest Management Guidelines.(2003). Madison, WI: Wisconsin Department ofNatural Resources. PUB-FR-226 2003.

Wisconsin’s Biodiversity as a Management Issue.(1995). Madison, WI: Wisconsin Department ofNatural Resources. PUB-RS-915 95.

Young, R. A., & Giese, R. L. (1990). Introductionto Forest Science. New York: John Wiley andSons.



RECOMMENDED RESOURCES••• BOOKS •••

Forest Products and Wood Science, 2nd Ed. by J. G. Haygreen and J. L. Bowyer. (Ames: IowaState University Press. 1989.) A comprehensive book about the manufacture of wood products. It is a good classroom resource for students to use when researching their proposals.

••• PUBLICATIONS •••CORRIM: Life-cycle environmental performance of renewable building materials by B. Lippke,et al. (Forest Products Journal: Vol. 54, No. 6. 2004. Also available for free at www.corrim.org.) This study serves as the example experiment and source of data in Activity 2 of this lesson. It is a good resource for students who are interested in further investigating the experiment designand results.

Wisconsin Forest Management Guidelines. (Madison, WI: Wisconsin Department of NaturalResources. PUB-FR-226 2003.) A comprehensive resource about the management of Wisconsinforests. This is a good book for further research about the importance of landscape scale and timescale in the sustainable management of forests.

Technology in the Forest. (Temperate Forest Foundation. Eco-Link: Vol. 12, No. 2. 2003.)Technology in the Mills. (Temperate Forest Foundation. Eco-Link: Vol. 13, No. 2. 2003.)Both publications provide a concise overview of the role of technology in forestry. They providegood background information and would be a good resource for students as they develop theirproposals. Available for download from the Temperate Forest Foundation - www.forestinfo.org.

Report of the Intelligent Consumption Project (2001), edited by Michael Strigel and Curt Meine.(A collaborative publication of the Wisconsin Academy of Science, Arts and Letters and the USDAForest Service.) A comprehensive resource that examines the role that consumer choice can playin shaping conservation policy and practice. The publication has straightforward and comprehensiveinformation regarding the role that ethics, morals, scientific information, education, science andtechnology have in shaping and changing our consumer habits.


RECOMMENDED RESOURCES••• WEBSITES •••

CERTIFICATIONThe following websites provide information about the common

forest certification programs in Wisconsin and the U.S.

American Tree Farm System.........................................................................www.treefarmsystem.orgForest Stewardship Council ...........................................................................................www.fscus.orgInternational Organization for Standardization ......................www.iso.org/iso/en/ISOOnline.frontpageSustainable Forestry Initiative...............................................................................www.sfiprogram.infoForest Certification Resource Center................................................................www.certifiedwood.org

ENERGY AND POLLUTIONThe following websites are good resources for information on energy sources,

energy use, and pollution in Wisconsin.

Public Services Commission of Wisconsin..................................................................http://psc.wi.govScorecard – The Pollution Information Website .....................................................www.scorecard.orgFocus on Energy ...........................................................................................www.focusonenergy.com

WOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGYThe following websites are good resources for information on wood technology,

wood use, and the environmental benefits of wood.

USDA Forest Service – Forest Products Laboratory .................................................www.fpl.fs.fed.usThe Wood Promotion Network ......................................................................www.beconstructive.com

LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS (LCA)The following websites provide background information on LCA

and contain life cycle analyses of wood products and many other materials.

Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials ......................................www.corrim.orgAthena Sustainable Materials Institute....................................................................www.athenasmi.caAmerican Center for Life Cycle Assessment ...........................................................www.lcacenter.org

SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT AND DECISION-MAKINGThe following websites provide information on sustainability related to

forest management, decision-making, and initiatives.

US EPA – Sustainability .............................................................................www.epa.gov/sustainabilityThe Sustainable Products Corporation .................................................www.sustainableproducts.comDovetail Partners, Inc. ...........................................................................................www.dovetailinc.org

ENERGY SOURCE BENEFITS COSTS

ENERGY SOURCES


A1

COAL74% of Wisconsin’s

electricity use

• Coal is the cheapest sourceof energy

• Technology exists to reducethe pollution caused by coalcombustion

• Releases more pollutants thanany other material

• Coal mining causes changeson the landscape

• Most coal is from out-of-state

NUCLEAR18% of Wisconsin’s

electricity use

• Nuclear energy causeslittle pollution at the siteof generation

• Disposal of nuclear material isdifficult and has health risks

• Plants pose a large security risk• Nuclear fuel production uses a

large amount of energy

NATURAL GAS3% of Wisconsin’s

electricity use and growingrapidly; widely used

for residential heatingand cooking

• Emits less pollution than coalor petroleum

• Can be transported in a denseliquid form, reducing the energycosts

• Must be imported to Wisconsin• Requires energy to extract

from the ground and transport• Price is unstable

HYDROELECTRIC3% of Wisconsin’selectricity use and

decreasing

• Causes little pollution• Hydroelectric dams can serve

a variety of purposes includingthe maintenance of water levelsand the creation of reservoirs

• Can alter terrestrial andaquatic environments

• Disrupts the migration patternsof fish

• Expensive to maintain

WIND, SOLAR, ANDBIOFUELS

2% of Wisconsin’selectricity use and growing

• Renewable• Cause little to no pollution• Have the potential to produce

energy locally, reducingtransportation costs

• Still more expensive to usethan some other energy sources

• Infrastructure does not currentlyexist for the large-scale use ofthese energy sources

WOOD WASTEUsed by the wood

products industry toprovide energy for

manufacturing facilities

• Makes use of sawdust, chips,and unmarketable wood fromsawmills

• Produced on-site• Technology exists to reduce

pollution from combustion

• Burning of wood waste releasesparticulate matter (fly ash andunburned carbon) into theatmosphere

PETROLEUMOil, diesel, and gas

provide the vast majorityof energy used for

transportation

• Supply is currently available • Technology exists to reduce

the pollution emitted during oiland gas combustion

• Emits a variety of pollutantsincluding greenhouse gases

• Limited future supply• Many large reserves are found

in environmentally sensitive orpolitically unstable regions


Ak2POLLUTANT

MATCH-UP KEYPOLLUTANT

AIR• Carbon

Dioxide (CO2)• Carbon

Monoxide (CO)• Nitrogen

Oxides (NOx)• Sulfur Dioxide

(SO2)• Methane• Volatile

OrganicCompounds(VOC)

• Mercury• Particulate

Matter (PM)

WATER• Suspended

Solids• Heavy Metals• Oil and

Grease• Phosphorous

and NitrogenCompounds

• Sulphatesand Sulphides

• Chlorides• Fluorides• Benzene• Cyanides

SOLIDWASTE• Slag

DEFINITION1. Carbon Monoxide – a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas formed when carbon

in fossil fuels is not burned completely; a byproduct of vehicle exhaust and fuelcombustion in industrial boilers and incinerators

2. Chlorides – a general term for chemicals containing chlorine; nickel chloride andmethyl chloride are common effluents from concrete and steel manufacturingfacilities

3. Nitrogen Oxides – a general term for a group of highly reactive gases, all of whichcontain nitrogen and oxygen in varying amounts; form when fuel is burned at hightemperatures; one of the main ingredients in ground-level ozone

4. Particulate Matter – a general term used for a mixture of solid particles and liquiddroplets found in the air; produced by crushing and grinding operations and burningof wood; can remain in the lower atmosphere for extended periods of time

5. Slag – a co-product of the production of iron and steel; the fused refuse separatedfrom metals during smelting

6. Volatile Organic Compounds – carbon containing gases that mix with nitrogenoxides to form smog; released into the atmosphere from the combustion of fossilfuels; include chemicals like ammonia, methane, and formaldehyde

7. Fluorides – a general term for chemicals containing fluorine; hydrogen fluoride isused in metal treating and is a common water pollutant from steel manufacturing

8. Oil and Grease – petroleum-based compounds used to lubricate machinery; oftenfound in water effluents from steel manufacturing plants and concrete mills

9. Phosphorous and Nitrogen Compounds – chemical compounds, includingnitrate, nitrite, and phosphate, which cause increased growth of vegetation inwaterways

10. Methane – a greenhouse gas that is more than 20 times more effective in trappingheat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide; emitted from a variety of sources,including landfills, natural gas and petroleum systems, livestock, and coal mining

11. Cyanides – a group of compounds based on a common structure formed whenelemental nitrogen and carbon are combined; a powerful and rapid-acting poisonthat is a common effluent of mining and steel manufacturing

12. Sulfur Dioxide – belongs to the family of sulfur oxide gases, which dissolveeasily in water and cause acid rain; formed when coal or oil are burned, whengasoline is extracted from oil, or metals are extracted from ore

13. Mercury – a naturally occurring element that can cause brain damage in humans,especially babies and young children; primarily emitted into the atmosphere bycoal fired power plants; accumulates to toxic levels in fish

14. Carbon Dioxide – a greenhouse gas emitted from a variety of sources, includinganimal respiration and the burning of fossil fuels and wood

15. Suspended Solids – a general term for pollutants that do not dissolve in water;can include such things as soil, dust, soot, municipal waste, etc.

16. Heavy Metals – naturally occurring elements that pose health risks when foundin high concentrations; include zinc, lead, chromium, iron, nickel, and mercury;common water and/or air pollution from mining and steel manufacturing

17. Sulphates and Sulphides – sulfur compounds which cause acidification of watersystems; releases of sulfur into waterways can be caused by mining operations

18. Benzene – a chemical often used in the cleaning and treatment of steel; entersthe environment in water and can pose health hazards to humans


A3LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS

DIAGRAM

Energy Water OtherMaterials

AirPollution

WaterPollution

SolidWaste

EnergyLoss

PROCESSPRIMARYMATERIALS

ENDPRODUCT

INPUTS

OUTPUTS

PROCESS 2PROCESS 1 PROCESS 3

PROCESS 4

Consumer

PROCESS 5

NaturalResource


A4LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS(CONCRETE, STEEL, AND WOOD)

CONCRETE

CO2, CO,CH4,

NOx, SO2,VOC, mercury, PM, suspended

solids,heavy metals

Mining(lime, sand,

gypsum, iron,clay, bauxite)

Petroleum,Coal

CO2, CO, CH4,NOx, SO2,

VOC

Transport

Petroleum

CO2, CO,CH4,

NOx, SO2,VOC, mercury,

PM

Milling

Coal,Water


VOC, mercury,suspended solids,

aluminum, oil,grease, nitrate,

nitrite, DOC,chlorides, sulphates,

sulphides,phosphorous, zinc

Burning

Coal,Natural Gas

CO2, CO,CH4,


PM

Grinding

Coal,Gypsum

CO2, CO,CH4,

NOx, SO2,VOC

Transport

Petroleum

STEEL CO2, CO,

CH4,NOx, SO2,VOC, PM,

suspended solids,heavy metals

Mining(iron ore, ironalloys, lime)

Petroleum,Coal


VOC

Transport

Petroleum


VOC, suspendedsolids, heavy metals,

oil, grease, zinc,chromium, nickel,

chlorides, fluorides,iron, nitrogen,phosphates,

sulphides, slag

Melting andMetallurgy

Petroleum, Coal,Natural Gas, Water,Lime, Scrap Steel


VOC, mercury,benzene,cyanide

Casting andTreating

Petroleum, WaterTreatment Chemicals,

Coal, Natural Gas

CO2, CO,CH4,

NOx, SO2,VOC

Transport

Petroleum

WOOD

CO2, CO,CH4,

NOx, SO2,VOC

TreeHarvest

Petroleum

CO2, CO,CH4,

NOx, SO2,VOC

Transport

Petroleum

CO2, CO,CH4,


carbon, PM

Sawmilling(debark, saw,

trim)

Coal, Water,Wood Waste

CO2, CO,CH4,

NOx, SO2,VOC,

carbon, PM

KilnDrying

WoodWaste and/orNatural Gas

CO2, CO,CH4,


carbon, PM

Planing

Coal,Wood Waste

CO2, CO,CH4,

NOx, SO2,VOC

Transport

Petroleum


A5

CATEGORIES WOOD CONCRETE STEEL

ENERGY ANDPOLLUTION COMPARISON(To Manufacture an Equal Volume of Concrete, Steel, or Wood)

Total Energy Use Lowest

Lowest

Lowest

Lowest

Lowest; Equalto Steel

70% MoreThan Wood81% More

Than Wood67% More

Than Wood90% More

Than Wood96% More ThanWood or Steel


Than Wood42% More

Than Wood1,900% MoreThan Wood

Lowest; Equalto Wood

Greenhouse GasEmissions

Air Pollution

Water Pollution

Solid Waste

Energy and Pollution:% Difference Compared to Wood


A6

CATEGORIES WOOD CONCRETE STEEL

Total Energy Use Lowest

Lowest

Lowest

Lowest; Equal toConcrete1% More

Than Steel


Than Wood23% More

Than WoodLowest; Equal

to Wood51% MoreThan Steel


Than Wood14% More

Than Wood312% More ThanWood or Concrete

Lowest

Greenhouse GasEmissions

Air Pollution

Water Pollution

Solid Waste

Environmental Impact:% Difference Compared to Wood

ENVIRONMENTALIMPACT COMPARISON


A7A

1. Have small groups work with the Ashland County Land Cover Map to discuss and answer the following questions.

• Which land cover types are designed for human habitation and use? High intensity urban areas,low intensity urban areas, golf courses, and agricultural land are the most obvious areas developed forhuman habitation and use, but each of the land cover types has human influences. Ashland County hasa population of about 17,000 people, but tens of thousands of people visit each year to fish, hunt, camp,and enjoy other tourist activities.

• Is there a lot of agricultural land in Ashland County? No, only small areas of agricultural land existin Ashland County because of the cold weather (short growing) season.

• Where do you think the residents get their food? Residents must import much of their food from othercounties, states, and countries where agriculture is more productive.

• Does there appear to be a large amount of forestland in Ashland County? Yes, Ashland County hasabout 670,000 acres of land, 81% of which is forested.

• Which land cover types are forested? Coniferous forest, deciduous forest, mixed forest, and some wetlands.• Compared to other counties that you are familiar with in Wisconsin, do you think that Ashland

County would be a good place to manage forests for wood production? Ashland County is one of themost heavily forested and least populous regions in the state and is well-suited for forest management tosupply wood resources.

• Do you think that all of the forests of Ashland County should be used solely for wood production orare there other needs that should be taken into consideration? Ashland County is a very popular touristattraction for outdoor enthusiasts (hikers, nature photographers, fishermen, hunters, boaters, etc.). It has manystreams and wetlands that drain into Lake Superior, making it a very important source of fresh water for bothfish and human populations. Its forests also offer critical habitat for many species of animals and plants.

2. Use an overhead of Student Page 4, Land Cover, Ashland County, Wisconsin to discuss the following forestmanagement objectives – wildlife, water resources, and recreation.

• Which land cover types in Ashland County do you think are important for wildlife that require large,undeveloped areas for habitat (e.g., black bear, pine marten, fisher, eastern timber wolf, neotropicalmigratory birds)? Coniferous, deciduous, or mixed forest that is distant from populated areas and roadscould serve as habitat for these species.

• Which land cover types do you think are most critical for protecting water resources? Forest andgrassland areas that surround lakes, rivers, and wetlands.

• Which land cover types do you think are most important for human recreation (scenery, camping,hiking, hunting, etc.)? A variety of areas within mixed forest, coniferous forest, and deciduous forest canserve for recreation purposes, but most of these areas should be undeveloped and in undisturbed settings(little evidence of logging or other human activities).

• What types of wood products might we produce from Ashland County? Paper (aspen pulp), woodfor home construction (lumber from coniferous trees – softwood lumber), wood for furniture (wood fromdeciduous trees – hardwood lumber and veneer).

• Which land cover types do you think are most suitable for producing wood products? Coniferousforest, deciduous forest, mixed coniferous/deciduous forest.

3. Use overheads of Teacher Pages A8, A9, and A10 to discuss how forests are managed for wood products.

Overhead, Teacher Page A8, Softwood Lumber: Plantation ManagementPlantations are often established and managed to produce lumber from coniferous trees like red pine, white pine, and white spruce. The lumber is called softwood lumber. Softwood lumber is widely used in theconstruction of houses. Trees used for softwood lumber are most often grown in plantations. Fertile coniferousforests on relatively flat ground that are easily accessible are most suitable for pine plantations.

• What are the most noticeable characteristics of a pine plantation? All the trees are the same species,the same age/size, are planted in rows/evenly spaced. Pine plantations contain few other species.

• What do you think the benefits are of growing trees in a plantation? Plantations are a form of even-agedmanagement. Plantations maximize wood growth per unit area. It is easier to predict growth and plan harvestsin plantations. They are easier to manage and access with machinery than typical coniferous or mixedforests. Since more wood is produced per unit area, plantation management has the potential to reduceharvests in other forested areas.

DISCUSSION: LANDSCAPE SCALE


A7B

Overhead, Teacher Page A8, Hardwood Lumber and Veneer: Uneven-aged Forest ManagementFertile deciduous and mixed forests are often managed for the production of hardwood lumber and veneerto make furniture, cabinets, and a variety of other wood products. Hardwoods are deciduous trees like maple,ash, oak, beech, birch, and basswood. These types of forests often appear to be more “natural” than treeplantations.

• What differences can you see between the plantation and this mature northern hardwood forest?The mature northern hardwood forest has a variety of tree species and a variety of tree ages/sizes. Treesare growing randomly across the landscape. Trees are less evenly dispersed on the landscape and thereare more forbs (nonwoody plants) and shrubs.

• How might forest management differ in this type of forest than in a plantation? Foresters have tomanage for a variety of tree species and a variety of tree ages. This is done through selective cutting. Toensure the continuous production of wood through time, environmental conditions must be made favorablefor the natural regeneration of trees. Large- and medium-sized trees, saplings, and seedlings must bepresent so that when larger trees are harvested, trees grow in their place.

Overhead, Teacher Page A10, Aspen Paper Pulp: Clearcut ManagementYoung deciduous forests are often managed for aspen trees for use as pulp to make paper. Aspen trees are anatural component of many young forests in Wisconsin.

• What differences do you see between the mature northern hardwood forest and the aspen stand?There is only one species of tree – aspen. The aspen trees are much closer together, they appear to be thesame size/age, and there is no space in the understory.

• What management techniques do you think are used to promote the growth of aspen stands like thisone? When deciduous forests in Wisconsin are clearcut or removed by fire (even-aged management), aspenis usually the first tree to grow. Clearcutting or fire management is often used to promote aspen growth, andafter a few treatments, aspen grows very thick, much like the stand in the picture. Aspen is cut approximatelyevery 50 years to maximize harvest and ensure the regeneration of aspen, which grows best in full sun.

4. To summarize the discussion, tell students that all the management objectives they discussed need to besatisfied if human populations continue to value wildlife, clean water, recreation, and wood products. If anyone dominates the landscape, some forest values will be absent. Managing forests on a landscape scale isnecessary to ensure that all of these values are provided.

5. Have students gather around the poster of the Wisconsin Land Cover Map to answer the following questions.

• Where is Ashland County? Northern border on Lake Superior.• What type of land cover dominates the county? Forest.• What type(s) of land cover dominate(s) Wisconsin? 46% forest, 50% agriculture, 4% urban.• Which regions are suited for the production of forest products? North and southwest.• Where is the highest population density on the map? Milwaukee County and Dane County.• What type of land use surrounds the most populated areas in the state? Urban areas and agriculture.

Southern Wisconsin is well-suited to agriculture and heavily farmed.• Do you think that the populated areas produce enough wood in their surrounding areas to meet

their demand? No, they need to import wood products from other areas in Wisconsin (e.g., AshlandCounty), other states (e.g., Oregon), and other countries (e.g., Brazil). Communities in southern Wisconsindepend on other regions for their wood.

• What would happen if landowners in Wisconsin stopped managing forests for wood products? It isunlikely that decreases in the local production of wood would cause people to use less wood, since wood isreadily available from many other places in the world. The result would only be a large increase in importedwood from other areas of the U.S. and the world.

DISCUSSION: LANDSCAPE SCALE


A8SOFTWOOD LUMBER:

PLANTATION MANAGEMENT


A9HARDWOOD LUMBER AND VENEER:

UNEVEN-AGED FOREST MANAGEMENT


A10ASPEN PAPER PULP:

CLEARCUT MANAGEMENT


A11

TREE TIME

Grouse Habitat =

Paper =

Lumber =

Death =

25 Years

50 Years

70 Years

125 Years

Christmas Trees =

Mast (Food) for Wildlife =

Lumber =

Death =

12 Years

50 Years

100 Years

250 Years

Maple Syrup =

Paper =

Lumber and Veneer =

Death =

50 Years

80 Years

130 Years

350 Years

Mast (Food) for Wildlife =

Lumber =

Old Growth Forest =

Death =

150 Years

250 Years

350 Years

800 Years

ASPEN

RED PINE

SUGAR MAPLE

EASTERN HEMLOCK


Ak12

FOREST CHALLENGES KEYFOREST CHALLENGE EXPLANATIONTREND

, ,

PESTS AND DISEASE: Native pests anddiseases (e.g., the tent caterpillar, whitepine blister rust) and introduced pests anddiseases (e.g., the gypsy moth, Dutch elmdisease) can weaken or kill trees.

Pest and disease problems will most likelyincrease in the future due to the expansionof introduced species populations currentlyin Wisconsin and new species that mayarrive. Some of the most threatening arethe emerald ash borer, sudden oak death, and the hemlock wooly adelgid.

OR

Some deer population forecasts predict a stable population, while others predictincreases. Increases can occur if wintersbecome less severe, if hunting pressurediminishes, or if forest management and land use changes encourage theexpansion of early successional forests.

The frequency of fire across the landscapewill most likely remain constant. Publicawareness, forest management, and firesuppression techniques will continue toreduce the frequency of wildfires, andprescribed fire will be more widely used as a forest management technique.

OR

The impact of severe weather on forestswill most likely stay the same through time,with small events happening yearly andlarge events happening every 10 to 100years. As climate changes globally, severeweather patterns will be more difficult topredict and may become more frequent.

OR

Levels of air pollution in Wisconsin will mostlikely increase or persist at current levels forsome time. Though technologies exist toreduce pollutants caused by transportation,energy production,and product manufacturing,increases in consumption levels will mostlikely offset these advances.

Urban areas in Wisconsin are expandingand more people are buying property inforested areas. Every year about 3,400new parcels of land are carved out ofWisconsin’s forested land base.

DEER POPULATIONS: As deer numbersincrease, some plant species they preferfor food become less abundant or are lost.Other plants increase in abundance. Largenumbers of deer affect tree regenerationand can change the tree composition in the forest.

FIRE: Fire is suppressed throughoutWisconsin’s forests to protect privateproperty and human life. Prescribed fire is used in some forests to maintain historicfire conditions. Many wildfires occur (about1,500 each year) and most are caused bydebris burning, equipment use, and arson.

SEVERE WEATHER: Ice storms, extremecold, severe winds, drought, and floodingcan all cause damage to trees. Most ofthese events cannot be prevented, and the location and timing of specific eventscannot be predicted.

AIR POLLUTION: Since the early 1900s,levels of some environmental pollutionhave been increasing in quantities thatmay be harmful to plant and animalpopulations. Acid rain and smog canweaken and damage trees.

LAND USE CHANGE: Changes in landuse (e.g., the conversion of forest to urbanareas) can result in the reduction of plant,animal, and tree species, as well asfragmentation (the division of forest areas into smaller patches surrounded by developed and/or disturbed areas).


A13

PROGRESSIVE HARVESTING

PROGRESSIVE HARVEST TRADITIONAL HARVEST

RoadRoad

SecondarySkid Trail

PrimarySkid Trail

Landing

PrimarySkid Trail

Landing

• Uses primary and secondaryskid trails

• Reduces damage to tree seedlingsand saplings

• Reduces soil compaction at thelanding site

• Uses only primary skid trails

• Higher risk of damaging treeseedlings and saplings

• Causes soil compaction at thelanding site which slows theregeneration of trees

SKID TRAIL: Path on which logs are removed from a forest.


A14

FOREST MODELING


A15

ENGINEEREDWOOD PRODUCTS

WOOD I-JOIST


A16

GPS AND GIS


A17

LOG SCANNINGCT SCAN

CT scanning, or computer tomography, is used in some lumber mills to detect defects in logs.

The images produced from a CT scan are realistic and show more detail than a traditional X-ray.

Photos courtesy of U.S. Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Blacksburg, VA

KNOT


A18

PROTECTION AND TREEIMPROVEMENT


1POLLUTANT MATCH-UP

POLLUTANT

AIR• Carbon

Dioxide (CO2)• Carbon

Monoxide (CO)• Nitrogen

Oxides (NOx)• Sulfur Dioxide

(SO2)• Methane• Volatile

OrganicCompounds(VOC)

• Mercury• Particulate

Matter (PM)

WATER• Suspended

Solids• Heavy Metals• Oil and

Grease• Phosphorous

and NitrogenCompounds

• Sulphatesand Sulphides

• Chlorides• Fluorides• Benzene• Cyanides

SOLIDWASTE• Slag

DEFINITION1. ____________________________________ – a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas formed when

carbon in fossil fuels is not burned completely; a byproduct of vehicle exhaust andfuel combustion in industrial boilers and incinerators

2. ____________________________________ – a general term for chemicals containing chlorine;nickel chloride and methyl chloride are common effluents from concrete and steelmanufacturing facilities

3. ____________________________________ – a general term for a group of highly reactive gases,all of which contain nitrogen and oxygen in varying amounts; form when fuel isburned at high temperatures; one of the main ingredients in ground-level ozone

4. ____________________________________ – a general term used for a mixture of solid particlesand liquid droplets found in the air; produced by crushing and grinding operations andburning of wood; can remain in the lower atmosphere for extended periods of time

5. ____________________________________ – a co-product of the production of iron and steel;the fused refuse separated from metals during smelting

6. ____________________________________ – carbon containing gases that mix with nitrogenoxides to form smog; released into the atmosphere from the combustion of fossilfuels; include chemicals like ammonia, methane, and formaldehyde

7. ____________________________________ – a general term for chemicals containing fluorine;hydrogen fluoride is used in metal treating and is a common water pollutant fromsteel manufacturing

8. ____________________________________ – petroleum-based compounds used to lubricatemachinery; often found in water effluents from steel manufacturing plants andconcrete mills

9. ____________________________________ – chemical compounds, including nitrate, nitrite, andphosphate, which cause increased growth of vegetation in waterways

10. ____________________________________ – a greenhouse gas that is more than 20 timesmore effective in trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide; emittedfrom a variety of sources, including landfills, natural gas and petroleum systems,livestock, and coal mining

11. ____________________________________ – a group of compounds based on a commonstructure formed when elemental nitrogen and carbon are combined; a powerful andrapid-acting poison that is a common effluent of mining and steel manufacturing

12. ____________________________________ – belongs to the family of sulfur oxide gases, whichdissolve easily in water and cause acid rain; formed when coal or oil are burned,when gasoline is extracted from oil, or metals are extracted from ore

13. ____________________________________ – a naturally occurring element that can cause braindamage in humans, especially babies and young children; primarily emitted intothe atmosphere by coal fired power plants; accumulates to toxic levels in fish

14. ____________________________________ – a greenhouse gas emitted from a variety ofsources, including animal respiration and the burning of fossil fuels and wood

15. ____________________________________ – a general term for pollutants that do not dissolvein water; can include such things as soil, dust, soot, municipal waste, etc.

16. ____________________________________ – naturally occurring elements that pose healthrisks when found in high concentrations; include zinc, lead, chromium, iron, nickel,and mercury; common water and/or air pollution from mining and steel manufacturing

17. ____________________________________ – sulfur compounds which cause acidification ofwater systems; releases of sulfur into waterways can be caused by mining operations

18. ____________________________________ – a chemical often used in the cleaning andtreatment of steel; enters the environment in water and can pose health hazardsto humans


2A

Process Activity Energy Inputs Pollution Other Inputs

ENERGY AND POLLUTION(CONCRETE, STEEL, AND WOOD)

CONCRETE

MiningMining of gypsum,

limestone, sand, iron,and bauxite; mine

reclamation

Petroleum,Coal

• AIR: CO2, CO, CH4, NOx,SO2, VOC, mercury, PM

• WATER: suspended solids,heavy metals

TransportTransport with trucks,barges, trains, and/or

ocean linersPetroleum • AIR: CO2, CO, CH4, NOx,

SO2, VOC



SO2, VOC

Milling Factory of mixingmaterials Coal • AIR: CO2, CO, CH4, NOx,

SO2, VOC, mercury, PM Water

Burning

Baking materialsto form “clinkers;”

water isscreened awayor evaporatedduring baking

Coal,Natural Gas


• WATER: suspended solids,aluminum, oil, grease,nitrate, nitrite, DOC, zincchlorides, sulphates,suphides, phosphorous

Grinding Grinding materials Coal • AIR: CO2, CO, CH4, NOx,SO2, VOC, mercury, PM Gypsum


2BENERGY AND POLLUTION

(CONCRETE, STEEL, AND WOOD)

Process Activity Energy Inputs Pollution Other InputsSTEEL

MiningMining of iron ore, coal, and

limestone; minereclamation

Petroleum,Coal


• WATER: suspendedsolids, heavy metals



SO2, VOC

Melting andMetallury

Sinter plant, coke ovens,

blast furnaces,stoves

Coal(for electricity),

Petroleum,Natural Gas


• WATER: lead, suspendedsolids, oil, grease, zinc,chromium, nickel chlorides,fluorides, nitrogen, iron,sulphides, phosphates

• SOLID: slag

Water, coal(for cokeovens),

lime,scrap steel

Casting andTreating

Ladling, forming, andfinishing

of steel productsCoal, Petroleum,

Natural Gas• AIR: CO2, CO, CH4, NOx,

SO2, VOC, mercury• WATER: benzene, cyanide

Watertreatmentchemicals



SO2, VOC

Process Activity Energy Inputs Pollution Other InputsWOOD

Transport

TreeHarvest

Mechanical harvestwith diesel engines Petroleum • AIR: CO2, CO, CH4, NOx,

SO2, VOC



SO2, VOC

Transport with trucks,barges, trains, and/or


SO2, VOC

SawmillingDebarking,sawing and

trimming of logsCoal,

Wood Waste• AIR: CO2, CO, CH4,

NOx, SO2, VOC, mercury,carbon, PM

Water forkeeping logs

moist

KilnDrying

Drying withheat

Wood Wasteand/or Natural Gas

• AIR: CO2, CO, CH4, NOx,SO2, VOC, carbon, PM

PlaningPlaning dry boards

for smoothness,uniformity andstraightness

Coal,Wood Waste

• AIR: CO2, CO, CH4, NOx,SO2, VOC, mercury,carbon, PM


3DETAILED WOOD

PRODUCTION PROCESS

TREE HARVEST AND SHIPPINGTrees are harvested with gas or dieselpowered machinery. If machinery withclean burning fuel were used, the harvestof trees would produce less pollution.

Sometimes valuable trees are harvestedand shipped to other states and countriesto be cut into lumber or made into woodproducts. Producing lumber locally, ratherthan at a distant site, uses less energy and produces less pollution duringtransportation.

Trees can come from certified forests(forests managed for current and futureeconomic, social, and ecological benefits)or from forests that are not certified.Forest certification guarantees that thewood comes from a well-managed forest,but increases cost.

SAWINGLogs are piled and watered to keep thewood from staining. If the wood could beprotected at lower moisture levels, energycould be saved in the drying process afterboards are cut.

Many sawmills use laser measurementand computer imagery to maximize theuseable wood sawn from each log. Asmore sawmills use the technology, lesswood is wasted.

The electricity used to power sawmilloperations comes mainly from coal-firedpower plants, which cause most of thepollution associated with the process. If clean sources of electricity were used,sawing would produce less pollution.

KILN DRYINGBoards are dried to reduce warping. Theyare placed in a large kiln that dries withhot air. Heat is generated with woodwaste, natural gas, and/or electricity.

Kiln drying is the biggest energy need for the production of wood boards. Ifalternative drying methods or cleansources of energy could be used to drythe boards, much energy would be savedand pollution would be greatly reduced.

The use of wood waste to produce energyreduces solid waste and energy imports,but it releases particulate matter andcarbon compounds into the atmosphere.Improved technology to cleanly burn woodwaste would reduce energy inputs andpollutions outputs.

SECONDARY WOODPRODUCTS FACILITIES

CONSUMERMARKETS

PLANING AND SHIPPINGEach board is planed to straighten andleave a smooth finish. Energy inputs andpollution outputs during this process couldbe reduced by using a clean source ofelectricity.

Boards are sorted and packed for shipping.They are shipped directly to consumermarkets around the world or to secondarywood products facilities where they aremade into windows, doors, furniture, etc.

The environmental impact of the transportof wood boards to other parts of thecountry and world are much greater thanthat of planing and packaging them. Theuse of local markets and new transportationtechnologies would greatly reduceenvironmental costs.


4

(SAMPLE)


5A

LANDSCAPE SCALE WORKSHEET1. Define the following terms found on the Ashland County Land Cover map:

High intensity urban area – _________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Low intensity urban area – __________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Golf course – ________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Agriculture – _________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Grassland – __________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Coniferous forest – __________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Deciduous forest – __________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mixed forest – _______________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Open water – ________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Wetland – ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Shrubland – __________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. List the land cover types in Ashland County that are designed for human habitation and use._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. List the land cover types in Ashland County that could be used for wood products. Next toeach land cover type, identify a specific wood product that is made from trees found there._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Make a list of outdoor activities that bring tourists to Ashland County. Next to each activityidentify the land cover type(s) where the activity takes place._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________


5B

LANDSCAPE SCALE WORKSHEET5. List the land cover types in Ashland County that you think are important for wildlife that

require large, undeveloped areas for habitat (e.g., black bear, pine marten, fisher, easterntimber wolf, and neotropical migratory birds) and explain why._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. List the land cover types in Ashland County that you think are most critical for protectingwater resources and explain why._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. In two or three paragraphs, compare and contrast the characteristics of a pine plantation,a mixed forest, and an aspen forest. Use the following terms: composition, structure,management, and wood products._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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8. Identify the percent of the Wisconsin landscape dominated by the following land cover types:

Forest: ______________________ Agriculture: ______________________ Urban: ______________________

9. Identify the regions of Wisconsin best suited for the production of forest products andexplain why._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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10. Provide one specific example that illustrates the interrelationship of land cover, forestmanagement, and human wants and needs in Wisconsin._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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6

FOREST CHALLENGESFOREST CHALLENGE EXPLANATIONTREND

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PESTS AND DISEASE: Native pests anddiseases (e.g., the tent caterpillar, whitepine blister rust) and introduced pests anddiseases (e.g., the gypsy moth, Dutch elmdisease) can weaken or kill trees.

DEER POPULATIONS: As deer numbersincrease, some plant species they preferfor food become less abundant or are lost.Other plants increase in abundance. Largenumbers of deer affect tree regenerationand can change the tree composition in the forest.

FIRE: Fire is suppressed throughoutWisconsin’s forests to protect privateproperty and human life. Prescribed fire is used in some forests to maintain historicfire conditions. Many wildfires occur (about1,500 each year) and most are caused bydebris burning, equipment use, and arson.

SEVERE WEATHER: Ice storms, extremecold, severe winds, drought, and floodingcan all cause damage to trees. Most ofthese events cannot be prevented, and the location and timing of specific eventscannot be predicted.

AIR POLLUTION: Since the early 1900s,levels of some environmental pollutionhave been increasing in quantities thatmay be harmful to plant and animalpopulations. Acid rain and smog canweaken and damage trees.

LAND USE CHANGE: Changes in landuse (e.g., the conversion of forest to urbanareas) can result in the reduction of plant,animal, and tree species, as well asfragmentation (the division of forest areas into smaller patches surrounded by developed and/or disturbed areas).


7FORESTRY INNOVATION

AND TECHNOLOGYRECENT INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY PROPOSAL IDEAS

Progressive Harvesting is a recent innovation that reducesthe impact that tree harvesting has on soil. In a traditionalharvest, the processing and stacking of logs is done from a single location – the landing. This leads to the compaction of forest soils. In a progressive harvest, the landing is movedwith the harvest. This method reduces the impact on soil and vegetation.

Forest Modeling is a recent innovation that allows forestmanagers to project the growth of trees in a forested area and predict the effects that different management strategies will have. This innovation has led to computer technology that allows for the creation of complex models that help forestlandowners to better plan for the future.

Engineered Wood Products are products made from woodand wood waste such as irregular wood, wood chips, andsawdust. The waste, produced at sawmills and veneer mills, is processed and formed into boards, panels, and beams that can be used in place of other construction materials. This innovation makes better use of wood, reduces demand for larger trees, and reduces solid waste.

Global Positioning Systems (GPS) is a technology that uses satellites to determine the exact location of points on the globe. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a newtechnology that gives land managers access to large amountsof information about soils, climate, topography, vegetation,wildlife, etc. Together, these two technologies allow us to betterstudy, understand, and manage forests.

Log Scanning is done using lasers, cameras, and X-rays. It allows for precise measurement and use of each log thatenters a mill. Lasers are used to measure the log, cameras to scan the surface for defects, and X-rays to look inside thelog for internal knots. These technologies help sawmills tomaximize efficiency and decrease waste.

Protection refers to a variety of management methods used toprotect forests from damaging agents such as disease, introducedspecies, and severe fire. These methods can include prescribedburns, thinning, pesticide application, and fertilization. TreeImprovement refers a variety of strategies used to help treesresist disease, grow faster, and produce characteristics desirablefor different applications. Two currently important strategiesinclude hybridization and genetic engineering.

FOREST CERTIFICATION


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American Tree Farm System® (ATFS)A program of the American Forest Foundation. It is committedto sustaining forests, watersheds, and healthy habitats byworking with private landowners. Since 1941, they haveeducated private forest owners in the U.S. More than 30million acres of privately owned forestland and 51,000 familyforest owners from 46 states are now part of the program. To become a certified Tree Farm, landowners must develop amanagement plan based on strict environmental standardsand pass an inspection every five years.

Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC)Created to change the practice of sustainable forestry worldwide.It includes stakeholders with an array of perspectives on whatrepresents a well-managed and sustainable forest. FSC setsprinciples, criteria, and standards that span economic, social,and environmental concerns. The FSC standards for forestmanagement have been applied in over 57 countries aroundthe world. The FSC logo identifies products which containwood from well-managed forests certified according to therules of the Forest Stewardship Council.

Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI)This certification program is a system of principles, objectivesand performance measures developed by professional foresters,conservationists, scientists, and industry representatives. It combines the perpetual growing and harvesting of trees with the long-term protection of wildlife, plants, soil, and waterquality. There are currently over 136 million acres of forestlandin North America enrolled in the SFI® program, making itamong the world’s largest sustainable forestry programs.

International Organization for Standardization (ISO)The world’s largest developer of standards. Creates standardsfor the production of many different goods and services. TheISO 14000 standards govern the environment and forestry andare used by more than 600,000 organizations in 152 countries.The standards are primarily concerned with environmentalmanagement. They attempt to minimize harmful effects on the environment caused by forestry and achieve continualimprovement of the environmental performance of a businessover time.

PROPOSAL FORMAT


9

1. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEMCompose two to three paragraphs that describe the specific problem that you are addressing.Use the information you have received during class and any additional information that you cangather on the internet or from the library.

2. JUSTIFICATION FOR ACTIONCompose one to two paragraphs that describe why it is important that action be taken to solve theproblem. You should use economic, social, and ecological arguments to make your case.

3. DESCRIPTION OF THE SOLUTIONCompose two to three paragraphs that describe actions that could be used to solve the problemand detail a strategy that you will use to implement them. Identify goals that you would like toachieve in specific time periods. The solution that you propose can include innovations, technologies,forest management strategies, and consumer actions.

4. TARGET AUDIENCEIdentify who will benefit from your proposal and how. Use the economic, social, and ecologicalvalues associated with your solution and link them to countries, regions, communities, businesses,and government.

5. POSSIBLE FUNDING SOURCESExplain how your proposal will be funded. Funding can come from donations, the government,business investment, or revenue generation. You must identify why funding sources would want togive money for your proposal.

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