Tropical countries have a vast frontier to develop

• Logging concessions are often bought by foreign owned multinational corporations

• Economic benefits are not seen by local residents most affected

• Sarawak has lost millions of acres of TRF to oil Palm production

• Indigenous people have lost their homes, pesticides contaminate water supplies

Loss of TRF on the island of Borneo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-1DQwaauwE

Forestry

• U.S. National Forest service est. 1905 (Pinchot)

• Goal: protect watersheds, extract timber

• Forest service builds roads for timber companies and oversees timber extraction

• Plantation Forestry: • even aged stands of one

species (monoculture) much like crop agriculture

• Uneven-aged stands – simulates a natural forest

Timber Harvesting• Clear cutting: most

cost efficient BUT has greatest ecological impact

• Seed tree or Shelterwood: small numbers of large trees are left to reseed the area or provide shelter for young saplings

• Selection system: A selected minority of trees are removed at one time

• No system is without environmental impact

The role of fire• For many years forest fires were

suppressed• Now, ecologists recognize the value

of prescribed / controlled burning.• Suppression leads to a build up of

dead wood (kindle for a huge fire)• Climate change brings drier warmer

weather• Prescribed burning allows

germination of certain forest species• However, it can get out of control• Salvage logging: physical removal of

dead trees• However, such trees are ecologically

valuable

Parks and Reserves

1. monumentalism: preserving unique features of the land ex. Grand canyon

2. Recreational value: hunting, fishing etc

3. Utilitarian benefit: watershed protection

4. To make use of land that is hard to develop

5. Preservation of biodiversity

• Areas of outstanding biodiversity

• Couple preservation with sustainable development

Why we created parks and reserves

Biosphere reserves

SLOSS dilemma• Habitat fragmentation is a big issue in the

conservation of biodiversity• Is a single large reserve better than several

small?• Depends on the species you want to protect and

their range• Ex. Large mammals need a large area. BUT

insects or birds can fly from fragment to fragment