Forestry, Rangelands, Wilderness, and National Parks

1. Forestry, Rangelands, Wilderness, and National Parks Module 6 Lesson 2

2. Human Activities Affecting Land and Environment • Extensive logging – mudslides • Deforestation – climate change • Paving – water runoff, “heat islands” • Overuse of farmland – soil degradation, water pollution

3. Tragedy of the Commons • Land viewed as a common resource • Garrett Hardin a. Tragedy of the Commons - shared, limited resource becomes depleted due to people acting on self-interest for short-term gain • More common when there’s no land use agreement or regulation

4. Result of negative externality - can lead to serious environmental problems - no one be held legally or financially responsible • Solution - private ownership - regulation

5. Maximum Sustainable Yield (MYP) a. maximum amount that can be harvested without compromising the future availability of that resource b. keeps the resource population at ~1/2 carrying capacity of environment c. permits an indefinite use without depletion of resource

6. Role of Rural Lands • Ecosystem services • Wildlife habitat, flood/erosion control, ground water recharge • Breaks down pollutants & recycles waste • Provide habitat for organism • Recreational/spiritual uses • Hiking, boating, sport hunting, fishing • Used as bench marks for scientists to determine the impact of human activity

7. FORESTS • Occupy less than 1/3 of Earth’s surface • Supply: Fuel, timber, paper products, nuts, mushrooms, fruits, medicines • Provide many ecosystem services • Influence local climate - Transpiration • Regulating global biogeochemical cycles • Act as “sinks” for CO2 • Hold soil in place reducing erosion/mudslides • Watersheds: • Absorb, hold and slowly release water • Controls flooding & droughts • Animal habitat

8. FOREST MANAGMENT • Most “managed” forests are monocultures where trees are planted in rows and are of one variety • All trees are the same age & size • More prone to insects and diseases • Insecticides & fungicides are used • Monocultures can’t support large food webs

9. Sustainable Forestry • Seeks to: • Conserve forests for long-term commercial timber harvest • Sustain biodiversity by… • Provide improved habitat for many species • Decrease soil erosion • Preserve watersheds • COOPERATION is crucial! • environmentalists • government officials

10. Sustainable Logging Practices: • Unlogged areas are saved as sanctuaries • Wildlife corridors are created • (zones that connect isolated unlogged areas) Provide escape routes so animals can interbreed (help reduce extinction) Large animals can maintain large territories.

11. Harvesting Trees • 5 Countries harvest the most trees • US, Canada, Russia, China, Brazil • What happens to harvested trees? • 55% are burned • Fuel wood or made into charcoal (partially burn w/o O2) • Very important for developing nations • 45% used for paper/wood products in highly developed nations • Harvesting Methods • Selective cutting • Shelter wood cutting • Seed tree cutting • Clearcutting

12. 1. Selective Cutting Mature trees are cut individually or in small clusters while the rest of the forest remains intact. Remaining trees fill in with saplings Animals don’t lose habitat

13. 2. Shelterwood Cutting Some mature trees are harvested, leaving some to provide protection/shade for young trees and seedlings. The remaining mature trees are harvested once regeneration is well established. Little soil erosion

14. 3. Seed Tree Cutting Almost all trees are harvested from an area A few desirable trees are left to provide seeds for the regeneration of the forest.

15. 4. Clearcutting Removal of all trees from an area Area is allowed to reseed and regenerate naturally or is planted Timber companies prefer because it is cost effective. Destroys habitat & causes fragmentation Massive soil erosion issues

16. US FORESTS • 57% privately owned; 20% US Gov.; 15% Corporations; 8% State & local Gov. • Privately owned forests can be protected through the Forest Legacy Program • Landowner grants a conservation easement • US Gov. buys the land, agreeing not to develop it for a certain number of years • National Forests have multiple uses. • timber, livestock, water & watershed protection, mining, recreation & habitat • Issues • confrontations over multiple uses • building of logging roads with tax revenues • clear cutting

17. Land ownership in US • 55% owned privately • 3% owned by Native Americans • ~35% owned by the Federal Govt. • Includes ecosystems from tundra to desert • Contains important resources such as minerals, fossil fuels, historical significance or critical habitat • Mostly in Alaska and 11 western states • Managed by: 1. US Department of the Interior • Bureau of Land Management (BLM) • Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) • National Park Service (NPS) 2. Department of Agriculture • U.S. Forest Service (USFS) • ~7% owned by state/local Govt.

18. Public Land Use • ~ 11% of Earth’s land area is protected • International Categories of Public Lands a. National Parks b. Managed Resource Protected Areas c. Habitat/Species Management Areas d. Strict Nature Reserves and Wilderness Areas e. Protected Landscapes and Seascapes f. National Monuments

19. National Parks a. 3,400 in the world b. managed for scientific, educational, and recreational use c. not used for extraction of resources

20. Managed Resource Protected Areas a. 4,100 sites b. allows for sustained use of biological, mineral and recreational uses c. ex) national forests

21. Habitat/Species Management Areas a. 27,600 sites b. actively managed to maintain biological communities c. done through predator prevention, etc.

22. Strict Nature Reserves and Wilderness Areas a. 6,000 sites b. established to protect species and ecosystems

23. Protected Landscapes and Seascapes a. 6,500 sites b. nondestructive use of natural resources with opportunities for tourism and recreation c. ex) orchards, beaches, etc

24. National Monuments a. 20,000 b. protect unique sites of natural and cultural interest

25. Public Land in the US • Owned by federal, state, or local government’s • Federal is the largest (~25% of country) • Classification a. include - rangelands, national forests, national parks, wildlife refuges, and wilderness areas

26. Multiple-Use Lands a. used for recreation, grazing, timber, and mineral extraction

27. Federal Agencies a. Bureau of Land Management - grazing, mining, recreation, timber b. United States Forest Service - timber, grazing, mining c. National Park Service - recreation and conservation d. Fish and Wildlife Service - wildlife conservation, hunting, recreation

28. Land Management Practices • Rangelands a. dry, open grasslands b. primarily used for cattle grazing c. Grazing 1. benefit - uses less fossil fuel then feedlots 2. consequence - leaves land exposed to erosion

29. Forests a. dominated by trees b. used for commercial logging - pulp and wood c. harvesting techniques 1. clear-cutting - removing all trees in an area - forests are replanted all at once - steep slopes: loss of soil and nutrients - increases sunlight reaching water - replanting * use of herbicides and fire * reduces soil quality, contaminates water, reduces biodiversity

30. 2. selective-cutting - removes single tree among many - creates small openings - trees of different ages - shade-tolerant 3. Impacts of both types of harvesting - logging roads to carry equipment * destruction of habitats * compaction of soil  loss of nutrients and ability to infiltrate water

31. d. Fire Management - natural process for nutrient cycling - provides openings for early-successional species - prescribed burn * fire set under controlled conditions

32. Rangelands • Temperate & Tropical Grasslands • Predominant vegetation includes grasses, forbs, and shrubs • Provide fodder for livestock • Animals eat the leafy shoots of the grass and the fibrous roots continue to develop, allowing the plant to recover and re-grow • Can actually encourage greater plant diversity • Cannot exceed carrying capacity • Overgrazed land BAD!!!! • Can lead to Desertification: rangeland converted to desert due to drought and or overgrazing

33. Rangelands • Desertification is result of overuse of the land leaving it dry and erosion removes the little topsoil present and the sand left behind forms dunes. • Reduces agricultural productivity, forces organisms out and threatens endangered species • About 135 Million people are in danger of displacement due to desertification

34. National Parks Service • Protect land & biological diversity in an unimpaired condition • 385 sites (57 of them are National Parks) • Many parks are threatened • Human Activities- littering, graffiti, pollution, development around parks • Large mammal population decrease (Bears) • Large mammal population increase (Elk) • Parks are now managed using Natural Regulation • Populations are allowed to fluctuate naturally due to weather or predators • Fires are not suppressed unless they threaten people • Park managers DO control exotic species invasion

35. National Parks a. 58 in US b. Goal 1. based on multiple-use principle 2. set aside to protect ecosystems c. human activities 1. air and water pollution 2. lead to destruction of habitats

36. Wildlife Refuges and Wilderness Areas a. protecting wildlife b. limited human use and are road less

37. Federal Regulation a. National Environmental Policy Act - assesses all projects b. Environmental Impact Statement - analyzes environmental impact c. Environmental Mitigation Plan - how will the impact be addressed d. Endangered Species Act - designed to protect species