the role of forests Flashcards
what is forestry
- The art, science, and practice of managing forested landscapes to provide a sustained production of a variety of goods and services for society
- Involves the whole ecosystem
- Important for environment and economy
- a system of many components for different services and products
what are the forest ecological values for the world
total value of forest goods and services of a 4.7 trillion USD annually
what are the forest ecological values for china
1.5 trillion USD in 2009 including carbon/oxygen, water/soil conservation, biodiversity and air purification (6 services only)
true or false :forest ecological values are at lead 10 times their commercial value
true
what are the ecological roles of forest
- Climate and global warming
- Protection of water and water associates values (fish habitats, recreation and power regeneration
- Protection of soil
- Important for channel morphology and aquatic habitat
- Other (spiritual values and visual quality)
what is the microclimate related to forest ecosystems
changing radiation balance, temperature and local precipitation
how do forests deal with carbon
Forests can sequester carbon through photosynthesis, and also release carbon from respiration and decomposition; healthy forests normally have net high carbon storage changes and growth rates.
what is the projection for global warming
by the year 2060, the amount of CO2 is expected to double. A change of world average temperature of between 1.5 to 4.5 Celsius is predicted to result from this doubling
what are hydrological processes related to the protection of water
o Mean flows
o Peak and low flows
o Patterns and timing
o Implications for may other related values
Water quality: sediments, nutrients, temperature etc.
Forests and nutrient cycling / budgets
what are effects of soil erosion
o Water quality
o Channel morphology / reservoir capacity
o Loss of soil and land
what is the universal soil loss equation (USLE)
Soil loss = vegetationslopeprecipitation*soil erodibility
Suggesting that vegetation is the only thing we can deal with
How are ways forests help channel morphology
Hydrology, sediments and in-stream wood affect channel morphology
o Forests and hydrology
o Forests and sediments (delivery, transportation, accumulation, deposition processes)
o Forests and In-stream wood (recruitment, transport and accumulation)
why are forests important for habitat and wildlife
in a forest, more species can have high stability (ability to withstand or recover from damage); issues with monoculture
Forests provide critical habitats (vegetations, snags, in-stream wood etc.) for wildlife species
what are hardwood trees
usually broad leveled
not necessarily harder than softwood but they have more complex structures
have pores
what are softwood trees
conifers
what is plywood
manufactured made from thin sheets of wood
thin layers glued together so adjacent piles have their wood grain at right angles to each other for more strength
what is stake
wooden shingles made from split logs
used for covering the top of a house
what is ACC
allowable annual cut
amount of wood permitted to be harvested within one year to ensure sustainability and productivity of the forests
what is the economic significance of forests in BC
has 1 billion hectares of land and half for forests
highly competitive in world production (top 4)
very important for the economy 30% of total exports to places like china
vital for forest communities in BC
What are challenges in forestry
how to maintain stability in the face of declining ACC and increasing logging cost
what are strategies for forestry in BC
Diversification:
it is simply the pursuits of jobs and industries that are not related to forestry. The resource sector tends to be very cyclical, and any economic diversification will help the communities even out the volatility
Value-added:
it includes activities that add further value to the timber that is harvested: from logs – lumber – sash and frame –fully prefabricated house. Each step is an example of adding value
Non-timber economic values:
botanical products (pine mushrooms, green foliage, medical products); tourism; and protection of environmental resource is also vital to long-term economic well-being
what are MPB implications for the future of the forests
Potential environmental problems: hydrology, habitat, soil etc.
Potentially > 200 million m3 of un-salvaged beetle wood in recent 5-10 years.
Harvest levels will decline by over 50% in some areas once the beetle wood is either harvested or no longer of economic value.
Climate change and wildfire add more pressures
We need to act now to maximize the forest’s value and prepare for future adjustment
how are the indigenous included in forest management decisions
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (the Act) Under the Act, the Government of Canada will work in consultation and cooperation with Indigenous peoples to ->
o Take all measures necessary to ensure the laws of Canada are consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (the Declaration)
o Prepare and implement an action plan to achieve the objectives of the Declaration
