13: Forest resources

Question 1

What three different forest management methods are there?

Answer 1

1) commercially felled trees in plantations
2) coppicing so that the trees are cut to ground level and allowed to regrow
3) pollarding where the they are cut higher up so that deer dont eat the new branches

Question 2

How are tree plantations managed to be efficient as possible?

Answer 2

1) trees are non-iniginous as they are better adapted for the conditions and may be sisease resistant/faster growing
2) monoculture forests are grown as they are easier to harvest and can all be harvested at the same time
3) planting trees close together makes them compete for light and grow straight and tall. In addition the low light levels at the bottoms mean little else grows.

Question 3

How can maximum sustainable yeild be increased?

Answer 3

• fertilizers
• selective breeding
• plant trees close together
• control pests

Question 4

What are the causes of forest loss?

Answer 4

1) agriculture
2) mineral extraction
3) reservoirs
4) urbanisation
5) transport/infrastructure

Question 5

What are some of the causes of unsustainable exploitation of forests?

Answer 5

1) Hardwood takes longer to grow than softwood, so to meet demand it usually is harvested unsustainably
2) People in less economically developed countries use coal and wood as a fuel source so there is a greater deamnd on the forests
3) people in less economically developed countries sometimes use leaves and branches as animal fodder, which negetively affects the health of the forest.

Question 6

How can maximum sustainable yield of forests be increased?

Answer 6

• fertilizers
• selective breeding
• use faster growing species
• plant trees closer together
• control of pests

Question 7

What are the causes of deforestation?

Answer 7

1) Agriculture
- population growth
- palm oil/sugar cane plantations
- lack of other jobs/dependence on subsistence farming

2) Mineral extraction
- relatively small area

3) Reservoirs
- dams flood large areas

4) Urbanisation
- expansion of urban areas and increased demand for resources

5) Transport infrastructure
- also barriers to migration and movement

Question 8

What life services do forests provide?

Answer 8

• atmospheric regulation
• regulates the hydrological cycle
• flood protection
• reduces abiotic factors for the inhabitants (conservation of biodiversity)
• increase soil health

Question 9

How is carbon stored in forests?

Answer 9

As Glucose