Chapter 9 Midterm 2 Flashcards
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Case Study
Deforestation of the Amazon for beef
What do forests do? (5)
sequester carbon, tree roots impede soil erosion/maintain nutrients, water moves vertically from roots and evaporates from leaves: adds moisture to atmosphere, clean air, absorb air pollutants
Forest zones
tropical, subtropical, temperate, and boreal (taiga)
tropical
Located closest to the equator, warm temperatures, high precipitation, lack of seasonal variation in day length (twelve hours year-round), most diverse!
tropical species/vegetation
ferns, mosses, giant tree frogs, jaguars, howler monkeys
subtropical
adjacent to tropical, slightly cooler
temperate
found between 25 and 50 degrees latitude in each hemisphere, in cooler climates with less precipitation, nutrient-rich soils
temperate species/countries
Hardwood oaks, maples, beech, and other deciduous trees, bears, deer, foxes, owls, Japan, North America, Eurasia
boreal
found between 50 and 60 northern latitude, colder, less precipitation than temperate, lower light intensity, mining of iron, coal, natural gas
boreal species/where
conifer and evergreen forests, distributed in Canada, Alaska, Scandinavia, and Siberia, moose, deer, bears, caribou, wolves, rabbits, birds, and rodents
1/4 of forests are
primordial
3/4 of forests are
natural reforestation
types of deforestation
clear-cutting, selective cutting, slash and burn
clearcutting
A form of deforestation; all trees are removed from an area, soil erosion problem afterwards
selective cutting
A form of deforestation in which a few trees are removed from an area.
slash/burn
Cutting down trees followed by burning, used by subsistence farmers for crops, nutrients wane, cycle continues
Deforestation in other countries (3)
cattle ranching/croplands, soybean production, palm oil
Subtropical forests are treated as…
a crop
Least disturbed forest
boreal
Climate change consequences (4)
Cold-tolerant species shift northward
Periods of flood/drought: more forest fires
Release of carbon by warming of boreal forests/peatlands
Spread of destructive insects
acid rain
Generated from burning of coal, oil, natural gas
Acidifies soil, leaches soil nutrients, impedes tree growth
More vulnerable to winter freezing
Alternative forestation practices to clear cutting
seed-tree cutting, strip cutting, shelter wood cutting
seed tree cutting
A form of deforestation in which almost all of the trees are removed from an area. The few remaining trees are allowed to reseed the cleared area.
Strip cutting
A form of deforestation in which trees are harvested in narrow strips.
Shelter wood cutting
A type of logging/deforestation targeting dead trees and undesirable trees.
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
ensure rate of deforestation does not exceed reforestation / wood is sustainably grown
National Forest Management Act:
all national forests assessed for need of restoration/pest infestations
Lacey Act of 1900
prohibits trade of illegally acquired wildlife
UN-REDD program
offers financial incentives for developing countries to lessen deforestation and carbon emissions
Debt-for-Nature Swap
developing countries exchange financial debt for the protection of forests
Salvage logging
removal of logs from burned area, reduces development of new seedlings/negative effects on water quality, soil, biodiversity
Inga Alley Cropping
South America: planting of crops between rows of Inga trees: fast growing/leguminous (fix nitrogen)
Weeds prevented through pruned leaves/leaves act as fertilizer
Wangari Maathai
2004 Nobel Peace Prize laureate; env. Activist who started Green Belt Movement and spoke against plastic bags
Grasslands make up…
1/4 of land surface
Grassland characteristics (4)
Occur on all Earth’s continents except for Antarctica and have nutrient-rich, fertile soils
Fairly flat/rolling terrain
Supply wheat, rye, barley, millet, oats and other grains, support small subsistence farmers and large commercial farms alike
Instrumental in production of meat, milk, leather, and wool
Rangelands
A combination of grasses and other plants and shrubs used for grazing.
What ecosystem services do grasslands provide? 6
soil generation, watershed protection, protection against soil erosion, maintenance of biodiversity, dispersion of seeds, mitigation of droughts/floods
Grasslands mitigate climate change by…
Reservoirs for ⅓ of carbon on land: mitigate climate change
Temperate grassland species
bison, badger, coyote
Tropical grassland species
gazelles, giraffes, zebras
How are grasslands maintained?
Maintained by fire, drought, presence of grazers
Anthropogenic threats grasslands face
livestock grazing, desertification, urbanization, fragmentation, invasive species
Sustainable grassland practices (4)
Delineation/monitoring of grasslands/rangelands (records)
Rotational grazing
LLC- landscape conservation cooperatives, other laws, conservation partnerships
Prescribed burning- removes dead vegetation/undesirable plants
rotational grazing
Subdivision of a pasture and then rotation of livestock sequentially among the subpastures in order to allow grazed vegetation to recover.
Wilderness Act
Established the National Wilderness Preservation System.
Wilderness Preservation System
Special system designed to set aside federal land and to offer these lands the highest form of federal protection
Threats to wilderness areas (8)
Climate change, invasive species, oversuse, mineral exploration, livestock grazing, pollution (POPs travel distances, combustion of coal releases mercury, accumulates, acid rain, light/sound pollution), drones, illegal crops, mining/livestock,
sustainable management
Management of wilderness falls to federal government jurisdiction
Ex. protect/recover threatened and endangered species, fish stockings, wildlife transplants, access of visitors
national parks
Land designations under management of the NPS: national monuments, national preserves, national cemeteries, national memorials
problems/challenges facing national parks (8)
Invasive insects, general management of wildlife, control of nonendemic plants and animals, Air pollution, climate change, development, water issues, chronically underfunded
Sustainable National Park Management (4)
Establish management plan,
determination of the area’s biological diversity and unique land features,
flexible plans to solve unforeseen problems, network with managers of other parks who are dealing with their own park problems,
Global database of protected areas
culling
Killing off of some of a population to reduce the population’s size.
