Chapter 11 Flashcards
Instrumental value
Value of an organism, species, ecosystem, or the earths biodiversity based on its usefulness to us
Aesthetic value
I no use value because many people appreciate the tree, Forest, wild species, or a vista because of its beauty
Conservation biology
Multi-disciplinary science that originated in the 1970s.
- it’s goal is to use emergency responses to slow down the rate at which we are destroying and degrading biodiversity
- identifies the most endangered and species rich ecosystems
- based on aldo Leopolds ethical principle that something is right when it tends to maintain the earths life-support systems and other species and wrong when it does not
Hotspots
The most endangered and species rich ecosystems
National Forest system
- Consists of 155 Forest and 22 grasslands.
- these forests are managed by the US forest service, and are used for logging, mining, livestock grazing, farming, oil and gas extraction, recreation, hunting, fishing, And conservation of watershed, soil, and wildlife resources
National resource lands
- Manage by the bureau of land management
- used primarily for mining, oil and gas extraction, and livestock grazing
National wildlife refuge
- managed by the US Fish and wildlife service
- most refugees protect habitats and breeding areas for waterfowl and big game to provide a harvestable supply for hunters
- few protect endangered species from extinction
- permitted activities in the most refugees include hunting, trapping, fishing, oil and gas development, mining, logging, grazing, some military activities and farming
National Park system
- managed by the National Park Service
- includes 56 major parks and 331 national we creation areas, monuments, memorials, battlefields, historic sites, parkways, trails, rivers, seashores, and lakeshores
- only camping, hiking, sportfishing, and boating can take place in the national parks
National wilderness preservation system
- Made up of 660 roadless areas that are the most restricted public lands
- these areas lie within other types of public lands
- managed by agencies in charge of those lands
- most of these areas are open only for retaliation like titties such as hiking, sport fishing, camping, and nonmotorized boating
Old growth forest
- an uncut forest or regenerated forest that has not been seriously disturbed by human activities or natural disasters for at least several hundred years
- Store houses of biodiversity because they provide ecological niches for a multitude of wildlife species
Second growth forest
- A stand of trees resulting from secondary ecological succession
- develop after the trees in area have been removed by human activities or by natural forces
Tree plantation/tree farm
- Managed tract with uniformly age trees of one species that are harvested by clearcutting as soon as they become commercially valuable
- they then are replanted and clear-cut again in a regular cycle
Even aged management
- Involves maintaining trees in a given stand at about the same age and size
- method of forest management in which trees, sometimes of a single species in a given stand, or maintain off at about the same age and size and are harvested all at once
Uneven aged management
-method of forest management in which trees of different species in a given stand are maintain at many ages and sizes to permit continuous natural regeneration
Selective cutting
- cutting of intermediate aged, mature, or diseased trees in an uneven aged for stand, either singly or in small groups
- encourages the growth of younger trees and maintains an uneven aged stand
Shelter wood cutting
- removal of mature, marketable trees in the area in a series of partial cuttings to allow regeneration of a new stand under the partial shade of older trees, which are later removed
- this is done by making two or three cuts over a decade
Seed tree cutting
-remove all trees on the site in one cutting, with a few seed producing trees left uniformly distributed to regenerate the forest
Clear cutting
-method of timber harvesting in which all trees in a forested area Are removed in a single cutting
Strip cutting
- A variation of clearcutting in which a strip of trees is clear-cut on the contour of the land, with the corridor narrow enough to allow naturally generation within a few years
- after regeneration, another strip is cut above the first, and so on
Deforestation
Removal of trees in the forest area without adequate replanting
Surface fires
-Forest fire that burns only undergrowth and leaf litter on the forest floor
Crown fires
Extremely hot forest fire that burns ground vegetation and treetops
Healthy forest initiative
- passed in 2003 by the US Congress
- under this law, timber companies are allowed to cut down economically valuable medium and large tree in most national forest for 10 years in return for clearing away smaller, more fire prons trees and underbrush
Habitat Corridors
- help support more species and allow migration of vertebrates that need large ranges
- permit migration of individuals and populations when environmental conditions in a reserve deteriorate And help preserve animals that must make seasonal migration to obtain food
- also enable some species to shift the ranges of global climate change makes their current ranges uninhabitable
Biosphere reserves
-have an inner protected core surrounded by two buffer zones that can be used by local people for sustainable extraction of resources for food and fuel
Ecological restoration
- the process of repairing damage caused by humans to the biodiversity and dynamics of natural ecosystems
- ex: replanting forests, restoring grasslands, restoring wetlands, reclaiming urban industrial areas, reintroducing native species, removing invasive species, and freeing river flows by removing dams
Restoration
- trying to return a particular the grated habitat or ecosystem to a condition as similar as possible to its natural state.
- we often lack knowledge about the previous composition of a degraded area and changes in climate, soil, and species composition can make it impossible to restore an area to its earlier state
Rehabilitation
- attempts to turn a decorated ecosystem hack into a functional are useful ecosystem without trying to restore it to its original condition
- examples: removing pollutants and replanting areas such as mining sites, landfills, and clear-cut forests to reduce soil erosion
Remediation
- cleaning up the chemical contaminants from a site by physical or chemical methods to protect human health and as a first step toward re development of a site for human use
- example: and abandoned and polluted industrial plant, may be cleaned up and then we developed into office buildings, apartments, the sports field, or a park
Brown field
-and abandoned and polluted industrial park
Replacement
- Replacing a degraded ecosystem with another type of ecosystem
- A productive pastor or tree farm may replace a degraded forest
Intrinsic/existence value
Intrinsic - value of an organism, species, ecosystem, or the earths biodiversity based on its existence, regardless of whether it has any usefulness to us
