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Forest Ecosystems
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1. Forest Types
2. Ecosystem Services
3. Deforestation
4. Forest Management
Forest Types
• Forest = ecosystem dominated by trees
• Major forest types
–Boreal
–Temperate
–Tropical
1.
Forests cover 31% of Earth’s land surface
1.
Figure 9.2
Forest Types
Boreal Forest
1.
Figure 4.23
www.wikipedia.org
Forest Types
Temperate forest (coniferous)
1.
www.wikipedia.org
Forest Types
Temperate forest (deciduous)
1.
Figure 4.15
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Forest Types
Temperate forest (rainforest)
1.
www.wikipedia.org
Figure 4.17
Forest Types
Tropical forest (rain)
1.
Figure 4.18
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Forest Types
Tropical forest (dry)
1.
Figure 4.19
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Ecosystem Services
• Diversity
–Many layers of vegetation
–Lots of habitats
–Soil resources
2.
2.
Figure 9.3
Ecosystem Services
• Protection
–Roots prevent erosion and nutrient loss
–Runoff filtration
2.
2.
www.lternet.edu
Molles and Cahill 2011
Ecosystem Services
• Climate
–Take in carbon dioxide through photosynthesis
–Produce oxygen
–Help to moderate temperatures
2.
Ecosystem Services
• Natural Resources
–Lumber, fiber, fuel, paper
–Medicines
2.
www.wikipedia.org
Deforestation
• Clearing and loss of forests
–Reduces biodiversity
–Worsens climate change by adding carbon dioxide to the air
–Disrupts ecosystem services
–Habitat fragmentation
3.
Deforestation
• Rapid forest clearing in tropical regions
–Populations rapidly growing (fuel, food, shelter)
–Slash and burn agriculture
–Sale of forest resources overseas
3.
3.
Images: www.wikipedia.org
Figure 9.7
North American forests: A cautionary tale
3.
Figure 9.5
Deforestation
• Dilemma for governments with forests
–Seek economic development and foreign income
–Lose forest habitats and ecosystem services
3.
Palm Oil Plantations • Rapidly replacing tropical
forests
• Palm oil products
– Snack foods
– Soaps
– Cosmetics
• Clearing encourages further development (i.e., logging)
• Plantations do not provide good habitats for wildlife
3.
Deforestation
Figure 9.8
Sustainable Palm Oil
Forest Management
• Maximum sustainable yield
–Aims to achieve wise use of forests
–Harvests at maximum growth
–Doesn’t allow for older trees in forest
4.
Figure 9.9
4.
Images: www.wikipedia.org
4.
Figure 9.12
Unevenly-aged Evenly- aged
Forest Management
• All logging affects the environment
–Disturbs soil
–Alters habitat
– Increases erosion
–Degrades water quality
4.
Forest Management
• Ecosystem-based Management
–Minimizes impacts on ecosystems
–Certified sustainable forestry plans: • Protect certain areas from logging
• Restore ecologically important habitats to maintain forest function
–Challenging to implement
4.
Forest Management
• Human impacts on forests
–Species extinction
–Habitat fragmentation
–Fire suppression
4.
www.wikipedia.org
4.
Figure 9.20
• Sustainable forestry – forests, companies, and products
made using sustainable methods
– The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) has the strictest standards
– Products more costly, but consumers willingly pay more
Forest Management 4.
Figure 9.17 www.homedepot.com
www.wikipedia.org
FSC
Resources Publications
Molles, M. C. and J. F. Cahill. 2011. Ecology: Concepts and Applications, 2nd Canadian Edition. McGraw-Hill Ryerson, Whitby.
Withgott, J. and M. Laposata. 2015. Essential Environment: The Science behind the Stories, 5th Edition. Pearson, New York.