ENVIRONMENTAL(FORESTRY) Flashcards
why are forests important?
> RESOURCES
ECOSYSTEM SERVICES
what are some resources from forests?
TIMBER = structural uses, used for building construction, furniture and tools
FIBRES = most paper is made from flattened sheets of interwoven cellulose fibres from pulped wood
FUEL = wood is still used as a source of energy
FOOD = fruit and nuts from trees for humans
MEDICINES = produce chemicals that have medicinal uses. eg quinine for malaria from cinchona tree can now be artificially made
what are some ecosystem services?
ATMOSPHERIC REGULATION
REGULATION OF HYDROLOGICAL CYCLE
FOREST MICROCLIMATE
HABITAT AND WILDLIFE REFUGE
SOIL CONSERVATION
atmospheric regulation from forests
balance of photosynthesis and respiration is important in regulating atmospheric levels of carbon and oxygen.
act as huge reservoir for carbon. release oxygen for aerobic organisms and maintenance of ozone layer
total mass of carbon in forests is roughly double than the mass of carbon in the atmosphere
regulation of hydrological cycle from forests
transpiration rates from forests are higher than any other terrestrial ecosystem. important for increasing precipitation rates downwind.
interception by foliage of forests increases evaporation rates, but decrease infiltration.
reduce soil erosion
forests absorb sunlight during the day. much of this is converted to heat which is released at night. this reduces the extremes of temperature between day and night.
forest microclimate
the trees change the abiotic conditions beneath the canopy layer creating a wider range of conditions that different species may be adapted to.
> LIGHT = canopy vegetation absorbs a lot of the solar insolation, so plants living below the canopy have access to less light, and much of this green light is not effectively absorbed by chlorophyll, so these plants often have adaptations such as denser chlorophyll, additional pigments or growth periods where the trees have lost their leaves
> WIND VELOCITY = lower wind velocity produced by the shelter of the trees means that plants below the canopy use animals to help with pollination and seed dispersal rather than the wind
habitat and wildlife refuge in forests
most biodiverse terrestrial ecosystem. create diverse habitats with a large variety of possible ecological niches.
high primary productivity of forests provides a lot of energy to support higher trophic levels in the food chain.
soil conservation from forests
> dead vegetation contributes to humus and nutrients to the soil, and the food energy for detritivores and decomposers = aeration
trees help prevent soil being washed or blown away by intercepting rainfall and reducing wind velocity.
humus from decomposed vegetation binds the soil together
root binding
