1. Resource Management

2. Forest Ecosystem Services

3. Deforestation The clearing and loss of forests
Causes soil degradation, population declines, and species extinctions
The tropical rainforests of Latin America and Africa are being felled at the fastest rates

4. Timber Harvesting
In the United States, we have harvested virtually all of the old growth forests (original forests) and now are second-growth trees
These are trees that have sprouted and grown to partial maturity after old-growth timber can been cut

6. Fear of a “timber famine”
In the US, forests were quickly depleted to feed the ever growing population
Public lands were set aside to grow trees, produce timber, and protect watersheds
The national forest system is now spread across the country

7. US Public Lands

8. Timber Harvesting
Currently, most production occurs on private lands

9. Plantation Forestry
This method maximizes production by growing fast-growing tree species in single-species monocultures

10. Plantation Farming
the stands are even-aged (all trees are planted at the same time) and are cut down after a certain number of years and the land is replanted
often viewed as crop agriculture instead of as forests, since there is low biodiversity

11. Plantation Forestry
another method is to plant uneven-aged stands, where mixed-ages or species are planted

12. How are trees harvested (cut down?)
from the 1950s-1970s forests were clear-cut, where all the trees were cut down at once, leaving stumps
very cost-efficient but has the greatest impacts on ecosystems

14. variations on clear-cutting
seed-tree approach—small numbers of mature and seed-producing trees are left standing so that they can reseed the logged area

15. variations on clear-cutting
shelterwood approach—small numbers of trees are left to shelter the seedlings that are planted

16. Selection systems
allows uneven-aged stands to grow because only some trees in an area are cut at a time
more environmentally friendly, but impacts soil more because trucks must be moved around a forest
more expensive and dangerous

18. the environmental effects of logging
habitat disturbance for plants and animals
increased soil erosion
increased silt in waterways

19. America’s National Forests
Recently, the US Forest Service has taken a strategy of multiple use where national forests are managed for recreation, wildlife habitats, mineral extraction, and logging
in reality, timber production is the primary use
in 2004, President Bush loosened the environmental protection on national forests

20. Fire!!
Usually, the Forest Service and other agencies suppress fires whenever they break out (using Smokey the Bear as a national symbol)
Long term, this can lead to fuel buildup and catastrophically large fires (ex: the recent fires in California

22. Fire is a natural process
Many forest ecosystems naturally depend on fire to regenerate and stay stable

23. Controlled Burns
controlled burns can be used to reduce the amount of fuel in a forest; small areas are carefully burned
this is often misunderstood by the public

24. Salvage logging
salvage logging is when dead trees and underbrush is removed following a natural disturbance
good economically, but removes ecologically valuable structures and decomposers

25. National Parks
Publically held lands protected from resource extraction and development, but open to nature appreciation
Ex) Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone

29. National Wildlife Refuge
Preserves habitats but also allows use if is carefully controlled

30. Wilderness Area
Off limits to any development, but open to public recreation

31. Wildlife Corridors