Cows Forests

Shift from sheep to cows contributed to reforestation & current VT landscape

• Cows fall over

steep slopes are spared

• Cows are hard work• More $$ per cow

fewer cows

• Cows need to be fed

hayfields, cornfields, pastures diversify landscape

These are a few of my favorite trees…

Gray pines (Pinus sabiniana)

Sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana)

Pinus lambertiana (Sugar Pine)

Slide 2

Urban 2%

Tundra and wetlands 9%

Desert 20%

Cropland 11%

Range/pasture26%

Forest32%

Slide 3

Forest30%

Parks,wildlife refuge,wilderness 9%

Desert, tundra,wetlands 13%

Urban 2%

Cropland 17%

Range/pasture29%

Global Land Use US Land Use

Federal Lands

Slide 5

National parks and preserves

National forests

National wildliferefuges

Alaska Federal Lands

Slide 6

National parks and preserves National forests National wildlife refuges

Fig. 23.4b, p. 587

Benefits of Forests:Ecosystem services

• Act as giant sponges – watershed protection– Reduce / regulate flows of runoff– Reduce sediment movement to waterways

• Influence regional & local climate

• Support food webs/nutrient cycling

• Provide habitat and niches for wildlife

• Purify the air

Benefits of Forests: Resource for Humans

• Fuelwood – cooking & heat• Construction material• Pulp for paper• Medicines & food from plants & animals• Recreation• Aesthetic • Spiritual• Resource / refuge for the marginalized

Despite many benefits…

Slide 22

Largely uncut, old growth forests, 1620Fig. 23.13a, p. 600

… we have largely deforested the US

Slide 23

Largely uncut, old growth forests, 1998Fig. 23.13b, p. 600

Why is deforestation, especially of old growth intact forest, a worldwide problem?

Slide 11

Annual Deforestation Rates

More than 1% loss

0.5–1% loss

0–0.5 loss

Stable or increased forest

No data

Fig. 23.8, p. 594

Why is deforestation, especially of old growth intact forest, a worldwide problem?

Claims on land• Trees = unclaimed land (in some cultures)• Trees = in way of agriculture or development

Wood• Trees = stacks of cash• Trees = fuel – cooking, heating, processing

Non-market nature of forest benefits• Trees = no value other than wood/pulp

Early Days of Forest Conservation

• Original public lands policy – disposal!“Before the nation could be convinced of the need to conserve

resources, those resources had to become valuable; and for that to happen, they had to be recognized as scarce.” -- Dana & Fairfax, 1980

• 1864 – Man & Nature by G. P. Marsh• First Arbor Day, Nebraska, 1872• New York – 1st to establish State forest

– study 1872– “forever wild” Adirondack preserve 1894

Why US National Forests were Established

• Forest Reserve Act of 1891 – “protection forests”

• 1897 “Organic Act” for national forestsDefined the purpose of Forest Reserves:

1. “Preserve & protect the forest”

2. “Secure favorable conditions of water flow”

3. “Furnish a continuous supply of timber”

• 1960 Multiple Use Sustained Yield Act– Specified / added recreation, range, timber,

water, wildlife and fish

Timber harvest levels in US National Forests

Slide 24

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

01930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

Year

Tim

ber

cu

t (b

illio

ns

of

bo

ard

fee

t)

Fig. 23.14a, p. 601

Recreational Visitor Days in US Nat’l Forests

Slide 25

An

nu

al r

ecr

eat

ion

al v

isit

s (m

illio

ns)

350

300

250

200

150

100

50

01930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

YearFig. 23.14b, p. 601

Sustained yield & community stability – example from Trinity Co

Public (USFS) vs Private Timber Harvests, Trinity County 1978-1998

0

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

1978

1979

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

Private

Public

Timber harvest vs Employment, Trinity County

Timber Harvest vs. Manufacturing EmploymentTrinity County, 1972-2000

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

350,000

1972

1974

1976

1978

1980

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

Thou

sand

Boa

rd F

eet (

MB

F)

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

Em

ploy

ed P

erso

ns

Timber Harvest (MBF) Manufacturing Employment

The times they are achanging…

• USFS mission changing

• USFS land not enough! – Exhibit all of Rick’s reasons why reserve

systems don’t work for biodiversity.– More people want more out of the forest lands

than they can provide.– US wood demands are real! – can’t just push

off onto countries with weaker environmental protections

Readings for today

Miller, parts of Chapter 23

– In addition to sections Rick specified:

pp. 586-589, 591-593, 600-604 (all of section 23-3)

Exam 1 – Distribution of grades

0

1 0

20

30

40

50

60

<40 40-49 50-59 60-69 70-79 80-89 90-99 100-105

A

Average = 76%Exam 1 = 20% of grade

BCD

F

200 of 1000 points for the semester

Concerns about the exam?

• General questions: ask TAs

• Right answers: ask TAs – check the website

• Disputed grade – ask Cecilia –

email or after class Friday Oct. 25

Check how numbers were added up!