i. old growth forestmesacc.edu/~larur76621/b105common/images/section 17 the... · 2013-05-05 ·...
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I. Old Growth Forest F
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A. Ancient forests are defined by the _______
of the trees themselves. Western Hemlock,
maximum age of ______ years, may be
considered young when compared to the
Douglas fir’s potential age of ______ years.
Western red cedar or redwood can live
______ years, while a sequoia may exist
over 3000 years.
age
600
1200
2000
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B. Besides the ancient forest of the
Pacific Northwest, other forests
across the country face threats
from intense logging and
development.
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B. Besides the ancient forest of the
Pacific Northwest, other
forests across the country face
threats from intense logging
and development.
The Tongass National
Forest in ____________
contains one of the largest
remaining ____________
rain forests in the world. In
1990, the Tongass Timber
Reform Act was established
to protect this region from
logging.
S.E. Alaska
temperate
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In the deep south, natural upland forests are being
replaced by pine forests. These “plantation” forests are
ear-marked for pulpwood. Removal of the native
hardwoods is dramatically reducing the ____________ of
plants and animals.
biodiversity
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The unique “____________”
forests on mountain tops
rising from the deserts of
Arizona and New Mexico are
being threatened by extensive
logging and development.
Environmental groups are
proposing a reserve system
whereby existing old growth
is connected through a series
of wildlife corridors.
Sky island
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The Great Northern Forest of New York, Vermont, New
Hampshire, and Maine, consists of _____________ acres
with most of the land privately owned. More than a million
acres are on the market, with current economic conditions
favoring the land to be sold, subdivided, and developed.
26 million
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a. Northern Spotted Owl
Juvenile Adult
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C. Old Growth Forests and Animals 2. Six species that prefer & may require old growth habitat
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b. Pine Marten c. Flying Squirrel
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d. Bald Eagle
f. Brown Creeper
e. Vaux’s Swift F
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Roosevelt Elk Sitka Deer
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D. The Multi-layered canopy
of ancient forests has special
qualities different from those in
a younger forest canopy. A
unique plant and animal
community has evolved in these
canopies. For example, 121
species of lichens have been
identified in these canopies.
Red voles and hoary bats co-
exist with the giant trees’ long
branches. This incredible
___________ makes old growth
invaluble.
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biodiversity
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Plant Diversity
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Douglas Fir Needles
Condensation accounts for
20% of annual precipitation.
Average tree contains 60
million needles.
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E. Roles of dead and decaying logs
1. Provide homes & food for
animals, fungi, bacteria & 300
species of insects.
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E. Roles of dead and decaying logs
2. Decaying logs act like sponges
storing water that animals and
plants use in the dry season.
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E. Roles of dead and decaying logs
3. Logs in streams create resting
pools and serve as the base for
a streamside food chain,
leading from insects to fish &
birds, and eventually to larger
mammals.
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E. Roles of dead and decaying logs
4. Logs are nutrient “sinks”,
gradually releasing essential
elements back into the
environment over an 800 year
period
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E. Roles of dead and decaying logs
5. Logs become a habitat for
nitrogen fixers such as lichens
(Lobaria oregana), and provide
a habitat for mycorrhizae.
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E. Roles of dead and decaying logs
6. “Nurse logs”, provide a site for the establisment of
other tree species.
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E. Roles of dead and decaying logs
6. “Nurse logs”, provide a site for the establisment of
other tree species. For example, a fallen Douglas Fir
tree becomes a nurse log for a Western Hemlock.
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F. Loss of Old Growth Forest
• Less than 5% remains.
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F. Loss of Old Growth Forest
1. Example: Western Oregon & Washington.
a. Only about 2-3 million acres remain (about 7-10%)
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F. Loss of Old Growth Forest
1. Example: Western Oregon & Washington.
a. Only about 2-3 million acres remain (about 7-10%)
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Clear Cut and Logging Roads
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F. Loss of Old Growth Forest
1. Example: Western Oregon & Washington.
a. Only about 2-3 million acres remain (about 7-10%)
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F. Loss of Old Growth Forest
2. Many logs go unprocessed to Japan.
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F. Loss of Old Growth Forest
3. Unless logging practices change, old growth
ecosystems may disappear.
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G. Old Growth vs. Managed Douglas
Fir Forests
1. Managed Douglas fir forests result
in a ________ look. Old growth
results in a multilayered canopy
that allows more light to reach the
forest floor.
2. The major disadvantage of
intensive forest management
practices is eliminating ________
diversity.
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plantation
genetic
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H. Old Growth Forests in Arizona
1. How has cable logging affected old growth forest
habitats in Arizona?
• Cable logging allows logging in formally
unreachable remote canyons.
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H. Old Growth Forests in Arizona
2. 4 species of organisms that prefer old growth forest
habitats in Arizona.
a. Mexican Spotted Owl
b. Goshawk
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H. Old Growth Forests in Arizona
2. 4 species of organisms that prefer old growth forest
habitats in Arizona.
c. Wild Turkey
d. Mt. Graham Red Squirrel
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Protesting Loggers F
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Protesting Environmentalists
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A. Definie Snag: a standing dead tree
B. Past thoughts were negative.
1. Lightning strike could turn
dead wood into torch.
2. Falling branches & trees could
be dangerous to humans.
3. The space occupied by a snag
could be better used by living
trees.
4. Forest disease and pests may
live in snags.
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II. Snag Ecology
II. Snag Ecology C. Research has changed past thoughts.
1. Snags are useful for cavity nesting birds.
a. How many species in the
1) U.S.? _______
2) In Arizona? _______
b. Other birds use dead trees for
perching, roosting, courting, &
territorial display.
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
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Research has changed past thoughts.
Most of these birds feed on insects.
1. Epidemics of tree killing insects, such
as the bark beetle, occur more often
in logged areas where snags were cut
down.
2. An insect epidemic, once begun,
cannot be stopped by birds. But birds
can hold bug numbers in check.
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II. Snag Ecology
Size of snags & snags per acre.
Number of snags per acre.
1. Pacific Northwest: 7
2. Arizona: 6
Characteristics of snags.
1. 6 or more years old.
2. More than 18 inches in diameter.
3. 40 or more % bark cover.
4. 46 feet tall had more holes.
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II. Snag Ecology
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III. Forest Ecosystems and Fire A. Healthy, functional forests have always been dependent on
______________ natural fires. The pre-settlement fires frequently spread over large areas usually in the abundant grasses associated with these forests.
B. Without natural fire, numerous consequences resulted. Forests became more dense because an unprecendented number of seedlings survived. Massive amounts of pine needles, branches, and logs accumulated on the forest floor, resulting in a dangerous _______________.
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low intensity
fuel buildup
III. Forest Ecosystems and Fire C. Diasastrous wildfires in Arizona have included:
1. 1990 Dude Fire - _____________ acres burned plus 6 fire fighters killed.
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1990
2012
28,480
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2. 2000 Coon Creek Fire (Sierra Anchas)
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III. Forest Ecosystems and Fire C. Diasastrous wildfires in Arizona have included:
2. 2000 - Coon Creek Fire (Sierra Anchas)
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III. Forest Ecosystems and Fire
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2010 - Coon Creek Fire (Sierra Anchas) F
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III. Forest Ecosystems and Fire F
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III. Forest Ecosystems and Fire 2010 - Coon Creek Fire (Sierra Anchas)
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III. Forest Ecosystems and Fire C. Diasastrous wildfires in Arizona have included:
3. 2002 Rodeo-Chediski Fire _______________ acres burned.
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467,066
2002 2012
III. Forest Ecosystems and Fire C. Diasastrous wildfires in Arizona have included:
4. 2003 Aspen Fire - ___________ acres burned.
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84,750
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III. Forest Ecosystems and Fire C. Diasastrous wildfires in Arizona have included:
5. 2011 Wallow Fire - __________ acres burned.
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538,049
2012
III. Forest Ecosystems and Fire D. Yellowstone fires of 1988.
1. A total of 793, 880 acres or 36% of the park was affected by the wildfires.
2. Over 9000 firefighters battles the fires, without any fatalities.
3. The fire fighting effort cost $240 million in 2012 dollars.
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III. Forest Ecosystems and Fire D. Yellowstone fires of 1988.
1. A total of 793, 880 acres or 36% of the park was affected by the wildfires.
2. Over 9000 firefighters battles the fires, without any fatalities.
3. The fire fighting effort cost $240 million in 2012 dollars.
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III. Forest Ecosystems and Fire E. In an effort to reduce such fires, the Forest Service uses
_____________. Such fires are low intensity fires used to reduce fuel acumulations, increase forest health and create the diversity needed by wildlife. Additionally, plant nutrients are recycled into the soil which encourages new growth in a variety of plants.
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prescribed fire
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III. Forest Ecosystems and Fire F. A catastrophic wildfire greatly effects ___________ . Animals may die from
the direct exposure to heat and smoke. More significant is the animal’s loss of habitat, food sources and their displacement. A prescribed fire reduces the direct threat to wildlife.
G. Prescribed fires usually resutlt in rapid smoke dispersal and reduction of ________________ . When weather conditions change and create a situation where smoke lingers over an area, burning is discontinued.
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wildlife
lingering haze
III. Forest Ecosystems and Fire H. Keep in mind, that all forest fires are not the devastating events that we have
been taught to believe. Forest ecology management will always benefit from the natural, low, intensity fire that mother nature had provided.
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IV. Can We Restore our S.W. Forests? A century of _______________, ____________ and ______________ have radically
changed our forests. Across the landscape, southwestern forests are now much younger,
shorter and more plantation-like. ___________ year old ponderosa pines were common
at the turn of the century while today, a _______ year old tree is considered mature.
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fire suspension overlogging grazing abuse
400
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IV. Can We Restore our S.W. Forests? A. Cause of our current condition.
There is growing consensus among forest activist groups as to what
specific steps must be taken to restore the southwest's ponderosa pine
and mixed conifer forests that have been severely impacted by
decades of fire suppression, over-logging and grazing abuse.
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IV. Can We Restore our S.W. Forests? B. Forest restoration planning requires an understanding of what
___________________ forests were like as well as an understanding
of the current state of southwestern forest health.
1. These forests were characterized by large diameter trees with
interlocking crowns that could be found in multi-aged clumps or
scattered even-aged blocks.
2. Additionally, they had dense, diverse, grassy understories with lush
___________ areas. Regularly occurring low-density ground fires
burned through the ponderosa pine forest while sporadic stand-replacing
ground fires occurred in the mixed conifer.
3. Southwestern forests are badly _______________. There is virtually no
place today where one can find areas described by early explorers as
"carpets of gamma" and "luxurious avenues of grasses and flowers." A
growing body of scientific literature cites grazing as a major contributor
to forest overstocking. __________ prevents tree establishment and
encourages fire. Without grass too many young trees spring up. It is now
believed that grazing plays an even greater role in the creation of dense
forest thickets than does fire suppression. The implications are clear.
We will never have balanced, functioning ecosystems as long as forest
lands are overgrazed.
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pre-settlement
riparian
overgrazed
Grass
IV. Can We Restore our S.W. Forests? B. Forest restoration
4. It is now time to begin the process of restoring southwestern forests. There is still
much we do not know about forest ecology so our approach to forest management
should be conservative. There is, however, general agreement among
southwestern forest activists that the following management goals must be
implemented:
a. Because of their rarity, there should be no further logging of mature yellow
pines and old growth habitat.
b. There should be no further logging of trees greater than _______ in diameter.
c. We must re-introduce fire in our forests with designate "___________" areas.
d. We must restore native grass communities and riparian areas.
e. _____________ should be removed from sensitive areas.
f. There should be some _________________________ of dense young tree
thickets to reduce fire hazard and protect older trees.
g. We should strive to develop sustainable rural economies with small logging
programs based around ecosystem restoration needs.
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16”
let burn
Livestock
selective thinning
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IV. Sustainable Alternatives to Wood A. Hemp
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IV. Sustainable Alternatives to Wood A. Hemp
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IV. Sustainable Alternatives to Wood A. Hemp
1. Hemp (from Old English hoenep) is mostly used as a low
tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) strains of the plant Cannabis sativa of
fiber and/or oilseed varieties.
• Hemp is one of the earliest known domesticated plants.
• For a crop, hemp is very environmentally friendly as it requires few
pesticides, no herbicides, less water and fertilizers than most crops.
• Hemp is one of the faster growing biomasses known making it a
sustainable crop.
• Over 30 countries produce hemp, including Australia, Austria, Canada,
Great Britain, France, Russia and Spain. China is the world-leading
producer of hemp.
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IV. Sustainable Alternatives to Wood A. Hemp
2. Historical of hemp and its uses included:
• Hemp use archaeologically dates back to the Neolithic Age in China from the 5th
century B.C.
• In late medieval Germany and Italy, hemp was employed in cooked dishes, as
filling in pies, and tortes, or boiled in a soup.
• The Spanish brought hemp to the Western Hemisphere and cultivated it in Chile
starting about 1545.
• In 1619, the first Virginia House of Burgesses passed an Act requiring all
planters in Virginia to sow hemp.
• Sails of the Mayflower were made of hemp.
• Drafts of the constitution were written on hemp paper.
• Covers for the Conestoga wagons were made of hemp.
• Hemp clothing (cotton clothing was worn by the elite)was the fabric of choice.
• The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 levied a tax on anyone who dealt commercially
in cannabis, hemp, or marijuana. It was repealed by an overriding law in 1970.
• Hemp was used extensively by the U.S. during WWII for uniforms, canvas and
rope. Much of the hemp used was cultivated in Kentucky and the Midwest
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IV. Sustainable Alternatives to Wood A. Hemp
3. Uses today include:
• Clothing
• Building supplies
• House wares
• Packaging
• Cosmetics
• Textiles
• Sports equipment
• Paper
• Fuel
• Toys
• Food and beverages (Hemp oil is a healthy cooking oil and the seeds are high in
protein)
• Has fibers that are much stronger, having a greater tensile strength than both
cotton and wood
• More sustainable and renewable
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IV. Sustainable Alternatives to Wood B. Bamboo
1. Is one of the fastest growing plants on earth with reported growth rates of _____
inches in 24 hours. These rates depend on local soil and climatic conditions as well as
_________ . More typical growth rates in temperate climates are _______ inches per
day.
2. Products from bamboo include wood flooring, ___________, _________,
__________ and _________________, and __________ _______________ .
3. Bamboo is a hardy, durable product from a ______________ resource which helps
deter harvesting of old-growth forests for _________ products.
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species 1 - 4
paper textiles
building construction musical intruments
renewable
wood
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IV. Sustainable Alternatives to Wood B. Bamboo
4. Growing bamboo does not require the use of _____________ and _______________.
Because of the rapid growth rate, bamboo sequesters ___________________ at rapid
rates.
5. The growing of bamboo and manufacturing of products does have social impacts on
__________, __________ ____________, and contains little or no _________
___________. For reduced indoor air pollution, these products are produced without
_________________ based adhesives.
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pesticides fertilizers
carbon dioxide
labor transit energy recycled
materials
formaldehyde
IV. Sustainable Alternatives to Wood C. Other Sustainable Options:
1. Wood-plastic composite (WPC's) -- are composite materials made of
______________________ and _____________.
• Introduced in the early 1990's, this product is now being used in ___________,
_____________, fences, landscape timbers, ________, park benches, molding
and trim, __________ and _________ frames and __________ ___________.
• Pros -- made from ____________ materials, resistant to rot, decay, and
__________ attack. They also lack the need to be __________.
• Cons -- have a lower strength and stiffness then wood. They have to be cleaned
(depending on the environment) several times a year to remove mildew spots.
Depending on the types of plastics used, WPC's may have higher ________
hazard properties.
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Wood-fiber/flour plastic(s)
outdoor
deck floors siding
window door indoor furniture
recycled
insect painted
fire
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IV. Sustainable Alternatives to Wood C. Other Sustainable Options:
2. Cork Flooring -- is made by removing bark of the _______ _______
without harming the tree. It is renewable, and a sustainable resource, Cork
is __________________, and an excellent ____________ ensuring minimal
heat loss. It also provides noise insulation.
3. Linoleum -- is made from dried and milled ________ seeds mixed with pine
resins, wood flour and ground ________. Attached to a jute backing makes
linoleum 100% biodegradable. It is antistatic, repelling ________ and does
not fade as pigments are embedded in the structure.
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cork oak
anti-microbial insulator
flax
cork
dirt