Forests Flashcards
forest
any ecosystem with a high density of trees
Forests provide…
(1) plants (medicines, dyes, fibers)
(2) food (animals, plants, food)
(3) wood (fuel, shelter, paper)
About _____ of world’s forests were designated primarily for timber production.
31%
Most comerical timber is extracted from…
(1) boreal forests (Russia and Canada)
(2) rainforests (Brazil and Indonesia)
(3) pine plantation and conifer forests (US)
Forests regulate the flow of water and stabilize soil by…
(1) slowing runoff
(2) providing continual recharge of groundwater and streams
(3) reducing soil erosion and stream sediments
(4) transport minerals to soil surface to deeper layers
(5) return organic matter to soil
Forests influence climate and are vital to the carbon cycle because…
(1) increase local precipitation and lower local temperatures
(2) account for 90% of carbon stored in vegetation and soils and release oxygen
About ____ of Earth’s land surface is forested.
31%
boreal forests (AKA coniferous forest)
Located in Europe, North America, Asia
temperate forests
Located in northern and southern hemisphere (temperate regions)
Characterized by wide leaves, large/wide trees and non-seasonal vegatation
tropical forests
Formed in hot/moist climates near equator
World’s largest tropical rainforest in Brazil
deforestation
clearing of forests more quickly than they can regrow
Consequences of deforestation include…
(1) biodiversity loss
(2) soil degradation
(3) desertification
(4) climate change
Forests are cleared for…
(1) agricultural land
(2) wood and paper
UN concludes that the world has lost _____ million hectacres of forest since 1990.
178
From 1990-2020, the rate of net forest loss has decreased due to…
(1) reduction of deforestation in some countries
(2) increases in forest area through afforestation and natural expansion of forests
Rate of net forest loss has _____ in Africa since 1990.
increased
Rate of net forest gain has _____ in Asia from 2010-2020, followed by Oceania and Europe.
increased
old-growth forests (AKA primary forests)
uncut/regenerated forests that have been seriously disturbed or several hundred/thousands of years
Old-growth forests are characterized by…
diversity of tree ages.
secondary forests
contain second-growth trees (trees grown to partial maturity after old-growth timber has been cut)
Secondary forests characterized by…
(1) smaller trees
(2) different species, structure and nutrient balance
The area of primary forest has _____ since 2010, but the rate has slowed down during the last decade.
decreased
Heavy deforestation through the mid-1800s in North America has resulted in…
very little primary forest being left behind.
Forests are being cleared most rapidly in…
developing nations.
concession
corporations par government for right to extract resources
When forests are cut and burned/decomposed, CO2 is…
released into atmosphere and less vegetation remains to soak it back up.
forestry
practice of managing society’s demand for forests against maintaining them as ecosystems