24: Solutions to Deforestation Flashcards
What are effects of deforestation?
- loss of cover exposes the forest floor (soil erosion)
- as less CO2 is captured, more is released into the atmosphere (climate change)
- less waste recycling, water purification, and pollution control
- loss of biodiversity
- cultural extinction
What happened to the spotted owl?
lives in the primary forest of the Pacific Northwest
- 3,000 to 5,000 pairs of spotted owls remain worldwide but their range is fragmented (operating as different populations)
- only way to save the birds is to save their habitats (stop logging, deforestation)
What is cultural extinction?
the loss of a culture
- as forests are cleared and species vanish, there’s one other loss: a world of languages
What is sustainability?
meet present-day needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs
What happened to Easter island?
built beautiful statues but overused their environmental resources and life is no longer viable in the island anymore
What is maximum sustainable yield?
achieving maximum amount of resource (ex: wood) extraction without depleting the resource; exploit the most without threatening the ability to use it in the future
Are forests renewable resources?
they are if they are given the time to regenerate
What are 2 types of harvesting methods?
clear cutting and seed cutting
What is clear cutting?
going to an area with bulldozers and cut every single tree and leave
- non sustainable
What is seed cutting?
going to an area and decide what trees to cut and not cut, leaving enough trees to produce seeds to allow the forest to regenerate
- sustainable
What is ecological pricing?
the cost of the goods we use, should take into account the environmental cost
- putting a price on nature
What are ways to protect forest land?
set aside public, sometimes private land to grow trees
- forest service U.S Department of Agriculture manages National forests
- national forests are multiple use lands
- with emphasis on striking a balance in land use planning among the competing values of recreation, grazing (taking cows to eat), timber, watershed protection (protection of rivers), wildlife, and fish, and wilderness
- part of recreation but also part of it is economic exploitation
- NATIONAL FORESTS ARE NOT NATIONAL PARKS
What are debt for nature swaps?
many biodiversity hotspots are located in developing countries, these countries usually have a large foreign debt
- it is an agreement between a country and its debtors in which part of the country’s debt is forgiven in exchange for a commitment to protect part of its land
What are countries that could benefit from debt for nature swaps?
Brazil, Democratic Republic of Congo, Indonesia, Peru, India
What is a land reform?
a reform to reach a more equitable ownership of the land
