Sustaining Terrestrial Biodiversity: The Ecosystem Approach G. Tyler Miller’s Living in the Environment 14th Edition Chapter 11

Key Concepts Human land use Types and uses of US public lands Forests and forest management Implications of deforestation Management of parks Establishment and management of nature preserves Importance of ecological restoration

Factors Increasing Biodiversity Middle stage of succession Moderate environmental disturbance Small changes in environmental conditions Physically diverse habitat Evolution Refer to Fig. 11-2 p. 195

Factors Decreasing Biodiversity Extreme environmental conditions Large environmental disturbance Intense environmental stress Severe shortages of resources Nonnative species introduction Geographic isolation Refer to Fig. 11-2 p. 195

Human Activities and Biodiversity Fig. 11-3 p. 195

Importance of Biodiversity Intrinsic value Instrumental value Existence value Aesthetic value Bequest value

Solutions for Protecting Biodiversity Fig. 11-5 p. 197

Conservation Biology Multidisciplinary science Emergency response Identify “hot spots” Rapid Assessment Teams Based on Leopold’s ethics

Types of US Public Lands Multiple-use lands: National Forests; National Resource Lands Moderately-restricted use lands: National Wildlife Refuges Restricted-use lands: National Park System; National Wilderness Preservation System

US Public Lands Fig. 11-6 p. 198

Managing US Public Land Biodiversity and ecological function No subsidies or tax breaks for use Public should get fair compensation Users held responsible for actions

Types of Forests Old-growth (frontier) forests Second-growth forests Tree farms/plantation

Managing and Sustaining Forests Ecological Importance of Forests Refer to Fig. 11-7 p. 200 Food webs and energy flow Protect soils from erosion Local and regional climate Numerous habitats and niches Air purification

Managing and Sustaining Forests Economic Importance of Forests Refer to Fig. 11-7 p. 200 Fuelwood Lumber Paper Livestock grazing Mineral extraction and recreation

Forest Management Rotation cycle Even-aged management Uneven-aged management Improved diversity Sustainable production Multiple-use

Management Strategies: Rotation Cycles Fig. 11-8 p. 201

Roads Lead to Forest Degradation Increased erosion and runoff Habitat fragmentation Pathways for exotic species Accessibility to humans Fig. 11-9 p. 201

Harvesting Trees Selective cutting High-grading Shelterwood cutting Seed-tree cutting Clear-cutting Strip cutting Fig. 11-10e p. 202

Sustainable Forestry Longer rotations Selective or strip cutting Minimize fragmentation Improved road building techniques Certify sustainable grown (See Solutions, Fig. 11-13 p. 205)

Insect and Pathogen Threats to U.S. Forests Sudden oak death White pine blister rust Pine shoot beetle Beech bark disease Hemlock woolly adelgid See Fig. 11-14 p. 207

Fire Surface fires Crown fires Fig. 11-15 p. 208

Logging in U.S. National Forests Provides local jobs Provides only 3% of timber Increases environmental damage Hinders recreation income Fig. 11-16 p. 210

Tropical Deforestation: Consequences Rapid and increasing Loss of biodiversity Loss of resources (e.g., medicines) Contributes to global warming

Tropical Deforestation: Causes Fig. 11-18 p. 212

Reducing Tropical Deforestation Encourage protection of large tracts Sustainable tropical agriculture Debt-for-nature swaps Reduce illegal cutting Reducing poverty and population growth Refer to Fig. 11-19 p. 213

Managing and Sustaining National Parks Inadequate protection Often too small to sustain biodiversity Invasions by nonnative species Too many human visitors Traffic jams and air pollution Better pay for park staff Also refer to Fig. 11-29 p. 215

Establishing, Designing, and Managing Nature Reserves Include moderate to large tracts of land Involve government, private sector and citizens Biosphere reserves Adaptive ecosystem management Protect most important areas (“hot spots”) Wilderness areas

Ecological Restoration Rehabilitation Remediation See Individuals Matter p. 214 Replacement Creating artificial ecosystems

Ecological Restoration: Basic Principles Mimic nature Recreate lost niches Rely on pioneer species Control nonnative species Reconnect small patches