Forests Flashcards

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1
Q

forest

A

any ecosystem with a high density of trees

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2
Q

Forests provide…

A

(1) plants (medicines, dyes, fibers)
(2) food (animals, plants, food)
(3) wood (fuel, shelter, paper)

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3
Q

About _____ of world’s forests were designated primarily for timber production.

A

31%

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4
Q

Most comerical timber is extracted from…

A

(1) boreal forests (Russia and Canada)
(2) rainforests (Brazil and Indonesia)
(3) pine plantation and conifer forests (US)

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5
Q

Forests regulate the flow of water and stabilize soil by…

A

(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

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6
Q

Forests influence climate and are vital to the carbon cycle because…

A

(1) increase local precipitation and lower local temperatures
(2) account for 90% of carbon stored in vegetation and soils and release oxygen

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7
Q

About ____ of Earth’s land surface is forested.

A

31%

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8
Q

boreal forests (AKA coniferous forest)

A

Located in Europe, North America, Asia

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9
Q

temperate forests

A

Located in northern and southern hemisphere (temperate regions)
Characterized by wide leaves, large/wide trees and non-seasonal vegatation

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10
Q

tropical forests

A

Formed in hot/moist climates near equator
World’s largest tropical rainforest in Brazil

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11
Q

deforestation

A

clearing of forests more quickly than they can regrow

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12
Q

Consequences of deforestation include…

A

(1) biodiversity loss
(2) soil degradation
(3) desertification
(4) climate change

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13
Q

Forests are cleared for…

A

(1) agricultural land
(2) wood and paper

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14
Q

UN concludes that the world has lost _____ million hectacres of forest since 1990.

A

178

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15
Q

From 1990-2020, the rate of net forest loss has decreased due to…

A

(1) reduction of deforestation in some countries
(2) increases in forest area through afforestation and natural expansion of forests

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16
Q

Rate of net forest loss has _____ in Africa since 1990.

A

increased

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17
Q

Rate of net forest gain has _____ in Asia from 2010-2020, followed by Oceania and Europe.

A

increased

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18
Q

old-growth forests (AKA primary forests)

A

uncut/regenerated forests that have been seriously disturbed or several hundred/thousands of years

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19
Q

Old-growth forests are characterized by…

A

diversity of tree ages.

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20
Q

secondary forests

A

contain second-growth trees (trees grown to partial maturity after old-growth timber has been cut)

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21
Q

Secondary forests characterized by…

A

(1) smaller trees
(2) different species, structure and nutrient balance

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22
Q

The area of primary forest has _____ since 2010, but the rate has slowed down during the last decade.

A

decreased

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23
Q

Heavy deforestation through the mid-1800s in North America has resulted in…

A

very little primary forest being left behind.

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24
Q

Forests are being cleared most rapidly in…

A

developing nations.

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25
Q

concession

A

corporations par government for right to extract resources

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26
Q

When forests are cut and burned/decomposed, CO2 is…

A

released into atmosphere and less vegetation remains to soak it back up.

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27
Q

forestry

A

practice of managing society’s demand for forests against maintaining them as ecosystems

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28
Q

resource management

A

describes overall strategy of managing and regulating harvest of renewable resources

29
Q

Resource managers try to determine maximum sustainable yield, allowing them to…

A

achieve the greatest amount of resource extraction without depleting the resource.

30
Q

ecosystem-based management

A

managers try to minimize impacts on the ecosystem and its processes

31
Q

Ecosystem-based management works to…

A

(1) protect certain forest areas
(2) restore ecologically important habitats
(3) consider patterns at landscape level

32
Q

Ecosystem-based management is difficult to implement because…

A

ecosystems are so complex that scientists often disagree on how to set it up.

33
Q

adaptive management

A

testing different approaches and trying to improve methods over time

34
Q

even-aged

A

production of same species, age, size (mono-culture tree farms)

35
Q

uneven-aged

A

simultaneous production of diverse types and ages

36
Q

Modern timber industry focuses on…

A

monoculture of fast-growing trees that are all planted at the same time.

37
Q

clear-cutting

A

simplest method of harvesting where all trees are cut at once

38
Q

What are consequences of clear-cutting?

A

(1) site generally planted with seedlings, leading to even-age strands
(2) severe soil erosion

39
Q

selective cutting

A

involves removing only some trees allowing for natural regeneration from surrounding trees

40
Q

seed-tree approach

A

seed-producing trees are left to reseed harvested area

41
Q

shelterwood approach

A

mature trees are left behind to shelter growing seedlings

42
Q

US established and began managing the national forest as high rates of deforestation contributed to…

A

fears of national timber famine.

42
Q

In US, public lands fall into three categories:

A

(1) multiple-use lands
(2) moderately-restricted use lands
(3) restricted-use lands

43
Q

multiple-use lands

A

National Forests and National Resource Lands

44
Q

moderately-restricted use lands

A

National Wildlife Refuges

45
Q

restricted-use lands

A

National Parks and National Wilderness Preservation system

46
Q

What two principles do multiple-use lands in the US follow?

A

(1) principle of sustainable yield: potentially renewable resources should not be harvested or used faster than they are replenished
(2) principle of multiple use: same land should be managed simultaneously for a variety of uses

47
Q

National forest system

A

public lands set aside to grow trees, produce timber, protect watersheds, and ensure future timber supplies

48
Q

US Forest Service

A

Established in 1905
Manages logging/replanting trees, dominant use logging
USFS sells timber below its own costs; taxpayers subsidize private timber harvesting on public land

49
Q

National Resource Lands

A

Western states and Alaska managed by Bureau of Land Management
Used for grazing and supply minerals/energy resources
Grazing permits sold below prices on private lands

50
Q

National Wildlife Refuge

A

Wildlife havens
US Fish and Wildlife Service administers refuges (non-commercial hunting, photography, and environmental education)

51
Q

National Park Service

A

Administers 408 parks and monuments

52
Q

Wilderness Act

A

Designates federal areas to be wilderness areas off-limits to development, but open to low-impact public recreation

53
Q

US Forest Service follows the multiple-use policy in which…

A

forests are managed for recreation, wildlife habitat, mineral extraction, timber, etc..

54
Q

National Forest Management Act

A

Requires Forest Service to draw up renewable resource management plans for each national forest

55
Q

new forestry

A

approaches calling for timber cuts that mimic natural events

56
Q

roadless rule

A

Clinton-era executive order that placed 1/3 of national forests off-limits to road construction

57
Q

Bush administration rolled back regulations in 2003, resulting in…

A

(1) loosening environmental protections and public oversite
(2) repealed roadless rule
(3) states were to decide how national forests would be managed

58
Q

Obama administration reinstated…

A

most roadless policies.

59
Q

prescribed (controlled) burns

A

burning areas of forests under carefully controlled conditions to clear away fuel loads, nourish soil, and encourage growth of new vegetation.

60
Q

What are some characteristics of tropical forests?

A

(1) Contain 50-90% of Earth’s wildlife
(2) Yield many economic products
(3) Home and source of livelihood for indigenous peoples
(4) Technology allows for faster forest clearing
(5) Brazil had highest rate of deforestation of any country

61
Q

Tropical deforestation caused by…

A

(1) Population growth and poverty
(2) Timber and fuel wood demand
(3) Conversion to cattle-ranching
(4) Government policies
(5) Mining and oil-drilling

62
Q

Tropical deforestation can be reduced by…

A

(1) ecotourism
(2) debt-for-nature swaps
(3) conservation concessions
(4) REDD
(5) Land trusts
(6) decrease the fuel-wood crisis
(7) increase awareness

63
Q

ecotourism

A

promote tourism that benefits from aesthetic, education, and recreational opportunities provided by intact forest

64
Q

debt-for-nature swaps

A

forgive foreign debt in exchange for setting lands as reserves and preserving forests

65
Q

conservation concessions

A

direct compensation for effective preservation of specific forest areas

66
Q

Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD)

A

Wealthy nations pay poor nations to conserve forests to prevent/store greenhouse gas emission to offset their own carbon emission

67
Q

decrease the fuel-wood crisis

A

plant fast-growing fuel-wood trees, practice less destructive logging methods, and switch the other fuels