Consumption and Resource Management

Wood – A Valuable Resource There is a huge worldwide demand for wood What are some things you can think of that are made of wood?

TREES!!! Demand for Wood Wood only comes from one source: In order to keep up with this demand, a huge number have to be cut down. This process is called logging.

Managing Our Forests The most economical way to log (i.e. the way to get the most trees for the least amount of money) is called Clear Cutting. This involves taking a large area of land and cutting down all the trees.

Looks Can Decieve In Canada, if your driving on the Trans- Canada Highway. This is what you’ll see.

Looks Can Deceive EVERYWHERE!!!! But if you get off the main highway and on to a side road, you’ll see this: EVERYWHERE!!!!

Clear Cutting This happens in Canada And Vietnam

Clear Cutting Clear cutting might be economical, but it is not the most ecologically friendly It destroys an entire area. It causes the soil to lose its nutrients which leads to soil erosion It also destroys the habitat for all the species of animals that live there Clear cutting can single handedly destroy an ecosystem

Reforestation In Canada, and many other countries, logging companies are required to replant any area they log. Companies say that this will make the area return to its original form. What do you think? Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

Problems With Reforestation It’s a slow process The trees that are planted are saplings (babies) and it can take 20 years or more before they grow to a significant size The trees don’t all survive Companies are hoping that 85 % of the planted trees will survive but this does not always happen. Sometimes it’s only 50%. Sometimes much less. Usually only one type of tree is planted This destroys biodiversity and that makes the ecosystem more vulnerable

Other Types of Logging Other types of logging may not be as profitable, but they promote sustainability Some companies are using these methods (but still the minority)

Shelterwood Cutting Shelterwood cutting involves cutting mature trees in thin strips of the forest so that the remaining trees can cause the forest to regenerate

Selective Cutting Selective cutting is exactly what the name implies. Loggers only cut down select trees. Most of the forest is left as it was. This is the most environmentally friendly way to log. But it is also the least profitable.

Supply and Demand The most basic rule in business is the law of supply and demand. If there is a high demand for something then people will pay a lot of money to have it. If it is in low supply, companies will charge even more money Due to the high demand for wood and wood products, high yield cutting (like clear cutting) is going to continue.

Sustainable Farming: Managing the Soil

The Importance of Soil Soil is much more than just dirt. It provides a life support system for almost the entire first trophic level. Most producers could not survive without soil that contains the right mixture of water, minerals, nutrients, air, and decomposing organic matter

Overfarming As plants grow, they take nutrients from the soil. If we work too hard we need time to recover. Soil is the same way So farmers must be careful not to grow too many crops too quickly. If they do, here’s what can happen

Fertilizers Farmers use fertilizers to help maintain the nutrient levels of the soil. Fertilizers can be natural, such as animal manure or compost from decomposing food. They can also be synthetic, or chemically made products A table comparing them can be found on page 126 of your textbook. Read it!!

Fertilizers Natural Synthetic Work well but not as quickly as synthetic They do not disrupt the balance of natural cycles and maintain long term health of the soil Work better and more quickly Disrupt natural cycles Can pollute water and make soil toxic

Controlling Water Flow Until fairly recently, farmers were at the mercy of the weather. If there was not enough rain, crops would die Too much rain was not good either

Water Management Some farmers can now protect against drought by irrigating, or pumping in water through a series of pipes They can also create drainage systems that remove excess water

Water Management But in order to irrigate crops, water has to pumped in from a source. This can deplete the ground water in the soil and cause it to dry up.

Smart Farming To ensure that they have good crops for many years, farmers have to sustain their fields (these could be considered ecosystems). There are a few things that can increase the likelihood of this. Crop Rotation – They should only plant crops on some of their fields. Leaving other fields empty, or fallow allow them to restore their nutrients

Smart Farming Planting Suitable Crops – Certain crops are more suited to certain soil types or weather conditions. It makes sense to produce crops that are suitable for the area they are planted in.

Now Let’s Get to Work! Read 3.7, Do 1, 2 and 5 on page 105 Read 4.2, Do 2-5 on page 128