5.2 - Clearcutting Flashcards
Direct Effects of Clearcutting
Soil Erosion
- Caused by loss of stabilizing root structure
- Removes soil organic matter & nutrients from forest
- Deposits sediments in local streams
- Warms water & makes it more turbid (cloudy)
Increased Soil and Stream temperature
- Loss of tree shade increases soil temperature
- Soil has lower albedo than leaves of trees
- Loss of tree shade along rivers & streams warms them
- Erosion of sediments into rivers also warms them
Flooding and Landslidles
- Logging machinery compacts soil
- Increased sunlight dries out soil
- Loss of root structure = erosion of topsoil & O horizon
- All of these factors decrease H2O holding capacity of soil causing flooding & landslides
Tree Plantations
- Areas where the same tree species are repeatedly planted, grown, and harvested
Lowers Biodiversity
- Biodiverse, mature forests are replaced with single species forests
- Less species diversity = lower resilience
- Less habitat diversity for other org.
All the Same Age
- All trees planted at the same time = all the same age
- Lowers biodiversity further (no dead trees for woodpeckers, insects, decomposers)
Forest Benefits
- Filtering of air pollutants - Stomata (leaf pores) remove VOCs, NO2, PM from air & store in tree
- Removal & storage of CO2 from atm. - Trees take in CO2, store carbon as sugar, wood, other tissue & release O2
- Habitat for Organisms - Many organisms live in forests (biodiv, ecotourism)
Deforestation Consequences
- Reduces air filtering and carbon storing services
- Cutting trees down releases CO2 from decomposition of leftover organic material
- Slash & burn method of clearing land for agriculture by cutting trees & burning them releases CO2, N2O and water vapor into the atmosphere (all GHGs)
What is slash and burn
method of clearing land for agriculture by cutting trees & burning them releases CO2, N2O and water vapor into the atmosphere (all GHGs)
