1. Forestry and Rangelands

2. Modern Conflicts over Forestland and Forest Resources
In recent decades forest conservation has become an international cause
What should forest be used for?
Resources vs. conservation

4. Modern Conflicts over Forestland and Forest Resources
Forest and civilization closely linked
Wood major building material and source of fuel
Public service functions
Indirect benefits that people and the environment receive from forests
Improving watersheds
Wildlife habitat
Recreation
Climate

7. Tree Niches
Each species of tree has its own niche and adapted to specific environmental conditions
E.g., water content of the soil
Tolerance of shade
Some adapted to early succession, others to later stages

9. A Forester’s View of a Forest
Foresters monitor when is the best time to harvest trees in a forest just like on crop land
Traditionally managed in stands
Stand- an informal term foresters use to refer to a group of trees
Usually the same species and successional age
Even- aged stands
Uneven-aged stands
Rotation time- the time between cuts of a stand
Forest that has never been cut is virgin forest
Old growth forest
A forest cut and regrown is secondary growth forest

10. Approaches to Forest Management
Managing forests can involve
removing poorly formed and unproductive trees to permit larger trees to grow
Planting genetically controlled seedlings
Controlling pests and diseases
Fertilizing the soil

11. Clear-cutting Technique
Clear-cutting- the cutting of all trees in a stand at the same time and replanting (tress plantation) so that all trees are of the same age.
They get direct sunlight and be harvested at the same time.
Drawbacks – soil erosion, mudslides, decrease nutrients, biodiversity, pattern of water runoff change, causes the soil to lose chemical elements necessary for life

13. Alternatives to Clear-Cutting
Selective cutting- individual trees are marked and cut (thinning)
Strip-cutting- narrow rows of forest are cut, leaving wooded corridors whose trees provide seeds
Shelter wood-cutting- practice of cutting dead and less desirable trees first and later cutting mature trees.
Seed-tree cutting- removes all but a few seed trees to promote regeneration of the forest

17. Plantation Forestry
Plantation- a stand of a single species typically planted in straight rows
Much like agriculture
Fertilizers added, mechanized harvesting
Offer a solution to the pressure on natural forests.
High-yield forests could provide all the world’s timber

18. Sustainable Forestry
A sustainable forest is one from which a resource can be harvested at a rate that does not decrease the ability of the forest ecosystem to continue to provide that same rate of harvest indefinitely.

19. Land Management may involve both private and public land such as national forests, federal rangelands managed by BLM
Land management of forests provide lumber – renewable resource
Land management of rangelands through grazing to produce cattle – renewable
Both have threats to renewability if not done right.
Threats for forests include old growth forests, forest fires, tree plantation losing the biodiversity
Threats for rangelands include overgrazing, deforestation, desertification

20. Forests provide
Lumber
Recreation area
Reduce erosion
Carbon sinks (take in a lot of CO2)
Promote biodiversity
Threats
Harvest Old trees- spruce – 90% harvested in north America
Forest Fires- east – more rain – west more fires- (prescribed burns, fire suppression lead to more fuel)
Tree Plantations – straight rows- great to harvest lumber but not biodiversity

21. Rangelands – Tragedy of commons
Overgrazing- depleting producers can be avoided by giving Ownership – productive in future
Govt. limits/ intervention
Deforestation- not much in US – cutting trees- cattle grazing
Desertification- once we reach her by combination of overgrazing and deforestation, there is no going back.
Taylor Grazing Act – permit
Bureau of Land Management- Fee too low
Protect grazing land but not biodiversity
Ostrom’s Law

22. A Global Perspective on Forests
Vegetation of any kind can affect the atmosphere in four ways
1. By changing the color of the surface and therefore the amount of sunlight reflected and absorbed.
2. By increasing the amount of water transpired and evaporated from the surface to the atmosphere.

23. A Global Perspective on Forests
3. By changing the rate at which greenhouse gases are released from Earth’s surface into the atmosphere.
4. By changing “surface roughness”, which affects wind speed at the surface.

25. World Forest Area, Global Production and Consumption of Forest Resources
Countries differ greatly in their forest resources
Potential of their land and climate for tree growth
History of land use and deforestation

28. World Forest Area, Global Production and Consumption of Forest Resources
Developed countries account foe 70% of world’s total production and consumption of industrial wood products
Developing countries produce and consume about 90% of wood used as firewood
90% of world timber trade
Construction, pulp and paper
NA is the dominant supplier

30. World Forest Area, Global Production and Consumption of Forest Resources
In recent years world trade in timber has not grown substantially.
The fundamental questions are
Whether forests can continue to produce at least this amount of timber for an infinite period
Whether they can produce even more as the population grows

31. Deforestation: A Global Dilemma
Deforestation is estimated to have increased erosion and caused the loss of 562 million hectares of soil.
Deforestation in one country can affects countries downstream
E.g. Nepal and India

33. Deforestation: A Global Dilemma
Is forested area increasing or decreasing?
Information is lacking on which to base an accurate evaluation
Forest cover is large, often remote
Difficult to assess the total amount of forest area
Estimates suggest an annual loss each year of 7.3 million hectares

34. History of Deforestation
Has occurred in all societies from
Early Greece and Roman Empire
Prehistoric farmers in Denmark
Medieval Great Britain
Upon colonization of the New World
The greatest losses in the present century taken place in South America

37. Causes of Deforestation
Two most common reasons
Clear land for agriculture and settlement
To use to sell timber for lumber, paper products, or fuel

38. The World Firewood Shortage
In many parts of the world, wood is a major energy source.
As the human population grows, use of firewood increases.
Management is essential

39. Indirect Deforestation
The death of trees from pollution or disease
Acid rain
Ozone
Other air pollutants
All can increase susceptibility to disease
Global climate change may lead to
Major die-off and shift in areas of potential growth

40. Parks, Nature Preserves, and Wilderness
Landscapes may be protected in different ways
Government established parks, nature preserves, and wilderness areas
Private organizations buying land and maintaining it as nature preserves

42. Parks and Preserves Park- an area set aside for use by people
Nature preserve- may be use by people but primary purpose the conservation of some resource
Both create ecological islands
Island biogeography used in design and management

43. Parks and Preserves as Islands
The size of the park and the diversity of habitats determine the # of species that can be maintained.
The further the park is from other parks or sources of species, the fewer species are found.

45. Parks and Preserves as Islands
Most park boundaries have been arbitrarily set.
E.g., Lake Manyara National Park in Tanzania
Original boundaries did not include elephants entire yearly range
Elephants and farmer came into direct conflict
Boundary shifted

46. Brief History of Parks
The French work parc once referred to an enclosed area for keeping wildlife to be hunted.
E.g., Coto Donana National Park on the coast of Spain
Once country home of nobles
Now a stop over for 80% of birds migrating between Europe and Africa

49. Brief History of Parks First public park
Victoria Park in Great Britain, 1842
Concept of national park originated in NA in the 19th century
Yosemite designated in 1864
Preserve unique awesome landscapes
20th century emphasis more ecological

50. Conflicts in Managing Parks
Major conflicts generally have to do with
Size
What kinds and levels of access and activities will be available

51. How Much Land Should be in Parks
What percentage of the landscape should be in parks or nature preserves?
If parks are to function as biological preserves, they must be adequate in size and habitat diversity.

52. Conserving Wilderness
As a modern legal concept, wilderness is an area undisturbed by people.
New idea introduced in the second half of the 20th century
US Wilderness Act of 1964
First time wilderness recognized by national law
“land retaining its primeval character and influence”

53. Conserving Wilderness
1. Imprint of human work is unnoticeable
2. There are opportunities for solitude and primitive and unconfined recreation
3. There are at least 5,000 acres
“Wilderness” vs “Wildness”

54. Conflicts in Managing Wilderness
Legal definition given rise to several controversies
Desire to include more land as wilderness
Desire to develop this land and its natural resources
Can view goal of managing
1. To preserve nature undisturbed by people
2. To provide people w/ a wilderness experience