4.0 - Managing Forest Ecosystems Flashcards
Define a Biome:
Forest community of plants and animals with similar life forms and environmental conditions
What are the global forest biome distribution?
- Tropical: 47%
- Boreal: 33%
- Temperate: 11%
- Sub-tropical: 9%
Forests are ___% of Canadas land mass.
41
What are the levels of Canadas forest classification?
- Biome, then
- Landscape
- Stands; and
- Genotypes
What are the two main drivers in Forests?
- Climate
- Site Specific Factors
What are the 3 driving changes in climate?
- Temperature
- Precipitation
- Seasonality
What are the two site specific factors driving change in forests?
- Soil nutrients
- Topography
Define Deforestation:
The permanent destruction of forests in order to make the land available for other uses
Rapid growth of the global population = ______
Pressure for increased food production (land use change)
Land use change and forestry alone accounts for ~___% of global CO2 emissions.
20%
Deforestation in ______________ has occurred at about 3x the rate of the global average
Saskatchewan
Define Sustainable Forest Management:
Forest harvest must employ best management practices that ensure societies need for fuel-wood, lumber, fiber, and non-timber forest products are met now and in the future
What is the bottom line of Sustainable Forest Management?
Management practices must holistically respect all pillars of sustainability
Define Sustainability:
The natural resources of the earth, including the air, water, flora, and fauna especially representatives samples of natural ecosystems, must be safeguarded for the benefit of present and future generations through careful planning or management
Define Sustainable Development:
To meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Define Sustainable Forest Management:
Maintain and enhance the long-term health of our forest ecosystems for the benefit of all living things both nationally and globally while providing environmental, economic, social and cultural opportunities for the benefit of present and future generations.
Canada is identified as a world leader in _________________________.
Sustainable Forest Management
What is SFM?
Sustainable Forest Management
Define Forest Succession:
The process of change in species assemblage within a forest ecosystem over time.
Define Pioneer Species:
The first species to establish following a severe disturbance. Often fast growing and short lived (generalization)
Define Late Succession or Climax Species:
The last species to establish or “take over” the crown. Often hardy, shade-tolerant and long-lived, able to outcompete others.
Define Old Growth Forests:
Often diverse with a complex stand assemblage. Provides a wide range of habitats with standing deadwood, woody debris and a complex understory.
What is Succession in the boreal forest dependent on? (CCSTT)
- Climate
- Competition
- Soil Characteristics
- Topography
- Type and Intensity of Disturbance
How old is an old growth forest?
200 - 250+ years old
What are two main assumptions of Old Growth forests?
- Stand structure and age in the boreal forest are regulated by high intensity, large-scale natural disturbance, and short fire cycles.
- Old-growth forests become carbon neutral due to a reduction in their ability to sequester carbon over time.
What are the 3 types of disturbance on a forest?
- Biological
- Human
- Physical
Provide examples of Physical disturbances to a forest:
- Drought
- Fire
- Flood
- Ice
- Wind
Provide examples of Biological disturbances to a forest:
Insects, disease, animals, etc.
Provide examples of Human disturbances on a forest:
Logging, herbicides, wetland drainage, introduced species, acid rain, cultivation, construction, land use change.
What are the four types of disturbance severity?
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Extremely high
What are three main effects of fires?
- Change to nutrient and soil characteristics
- Possible damage to soil organic matter (SOM)
- Regeneration of some species
Provide just a few impacts of climate change on forests:
- CO2 fertilization
- Lengthening of the growing season
- Shifting treelines
- Drought induced tree mortality
- Increase incidence and intensity of fire
- Increase incidence and intensity of insect outbreak
- Permafrost thaw, etc.
Management decisions can be:
- Ill-informed
- Political
- Value-based
Forest ecosystems are __________ and ______________.
Complex, dynamic
Early forestry was based on _________, ______________ , and __________________ that lacked ecological sensitivity.
Beliefs, laws and regulations
What is the current forestry approach?
Sustainable Early Forest Management
What three key ideas are involved in the movement to better forest management practices?
- Improved knowledge of forest systems
- Better understanding of forest variability
- Better understanding of how natural and human caused change impacts our forests
Define a Forest Ecosystem:
Ecological system composed of interacting biotic and abiotic components of the environment, in which trees are the major component
True or False: Listing parts of an ecosystem does not fully describe what a forest is, what it does, and how it does it
True
Emergent properties arise through _________ interactions across ___________.
Complex, different scales
Emergent properties are easiest to understand in _________ organisms.
individual
What are the two types of scale in forest management?
- Spatial
- Temporal
What are “Levels of Scale”?
Units of analysis, located at different positions on a scale.
What are Forest Biomes determined by?
Climatic Patterns
Define a Forest Stand:
Primary unit of management & local expression of type; what you see at a given time.
Forest standards are uniform in species composition and / or structure as to make it _____________ from surrounding areas
distinguishable
Age, size differences among same species can also be treated as a “__________”
stand
Wildlife habitats, soils, owners objectives can also be used to define a “___________”
stand
Separating tree stands is not always _________.
obvious
What are 4 things forest managers must by aware of?
- Autecology: Individuals
- Community Ecology: Group of Individuals
- Ecosystem Ecology: Group of different species
- Population Ecology: Biotic & Abiotic @ landscape level
What are 4 things that forest managers must recognize?
- Structure: Arrangement of parts
- Function: Processes of energy exchange
- Have complex makeups and are interdependent
- Dynamic: Always changing
What are some key abiotic factors to a forest?
- Aspect
- Air
- Elevation
- Light
- Rocks
- Soils
- Slope
- Temperature
- Water
What are the 3 ranges of tolerance in abiotic environments?
- Zone of Intolerance
- Zone of Physiological Stress
- Optimal Range
What is Ecological Succession?
Process of recovery (primary & secondary)
What are the identifiable stages of Ecological Succession called?
Seral Stages
What are the 4 factors ecological succession depends on?
- Climate and soils
- Competition between flora and fauna
- Frequency and intensity of disturbance
- Longevity of dominant inhabitants which slope structure of forest
What are the 2 main views of Succession?
- Long-term
- Short-term
What does long-term succession look like?
Soil erosion, geological succession (Ice age)
What does short-term succession look like?
Natural selection, environmental impacts, competition
What are some aspects of disturbance?
- Discrete Events: Limited in time and space
- Alters ecosystem structure and function
- A natural and integral parts of healthy ecosystem functions
- Recovery patterns depend on many factors
What are 4 examples of Disturbance?
- Fire: Type, severity, and duration
- Insects and Disease: Large scale change or gap creation
- Aging and replacement of dominant species
- Physical Change: Wind, water, etc.
What are the 4 key components of Succession & Disturbance?
- Climax: Pathway to old-growth.
- Dilsclimax: Early stages
- Retrogression: Returning old-growth to pioneer species
- Subclimax: Intermediate stages
What is a Climax disturbance?
- Pathway to “old growth”
What is an example of Retrogression?
Fire or insects and disease returning “old growth” to pioneer species
What is a Subclimax?
Forest held in intermediate stages (Aspen / Birch forests)
What is a Disclimax?
Held in very early stages
