Terrestrial Biodiversity

Managing and Protecting Forests

More than a third of the land in the U.S.

consists of publicly owned national forests, resource lands, parks, wildlife refuges, and protected wilderness areas. National Forest System—managed by U.S.

Forest Service. Used for logging, mining, grazing, farming, oil and gas extraction, recreation, hunting, fishing, etc.

National Resource Lands– managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Mining, oil and gas extraction, and livestock grazing.

Public Lands in the U.S.

National Wildlife Refuges—Managed by U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service (USFWS). Protect habitats and breeding areas for waterfowl and big game. Permitted activities: hunting, trapping, fishing, oil and gas development, mining, logging, grazing, and farming.

National Park System—Managed by National Park Service (NPS). Only camping, hiking, sport fishing, and boating can take place here.

National Wilderness Preservation—open only to recreational activities.

Public Lands in the U.S.

Old-growth (22%)

An uncut forest or regenerated forest that has not been disturbed by human activities or natural disasters for at least several hundred years.

Storehouses of biodiversity Second-growth (63%)

Results from secondary ecological succession, develop after trees have been removed by human activities or natural forces

Tree Plantations (5%) Managed tract with uniformly aged trees of one species that

are harvested by clear-cutting as soon as they become commercially valuable

They are then replaced and clear-cut again in cycles

Types of Forests

Logging RoadsIn order to access timber, roads must first be built. This can fragment habitat and create biodiversity loss. Increased erosion and sediment runoff may also occur.

Roads can expose forests to nonnative species, diseases, and other wildlife species.

Even-aged management: maintaining trees in a given stand at

about the same age and size (industrial forestry). Uneven-aged management: maintaining a variety of tree

species in a stand at many ages and sizes to foster natural regeneration

Forest Management

Selective cutting: old trees are cut singly or in

groups, reduces crowding, encourages growth, allows natural regeneration. High-grading: used to cut down tropical trees—

can result in a lot of damage to surrounding environment

Clear-cutting: removes all trees from an area in a single cutting Strip cutting: type of clear-cutting that can

provide a sustainable timber yield with minimal damage

How do we harvest trees?

Monoculture Rotation

Temporary or permanent removal of large

expanses of forest for agriculture or other uses. Decreased soil fertility from erosion Runoff of eroded soil into aquatic ecosystems Premature extinction of species with specialized

niches Loss of habitat for migratory species Regional climate change from extensive clearing Releases CO2 from burning and decay Accelerates flooding

Deforestation

Grow more timber on long rotations Rely more on selective cutting and strip cutting No clear-cutting, seed-tree, or shelterwood cutting on

steeply sloped land No fragmentation of remaining large blocks of forests Sharply reduce road building into uncut forest areas Leave most standing dead trees and fallen timber for

wildlife habitat and nutrient recycling Certify timber grown by sustainable methods Include ecological services of trees and forests in

estimating economic value

Sustainable Forestry