APES 2.3- Forest Management

Lesson 2.3

• Describe the effect of clearcutting on forests.
• Describe methods for mitigating human impact on forests.

Forest Management

Benefits & Services of Forests

Methods of Sustainable Forestry

Clearcutting & Its Impacts

ECONOMIC

ECOLOGICAL

SUSTAINABLE TIMBER HARVESTING

• Timber/lumber
• Ecotourism
• Increases real estate values
• Source of potential medicine

• Habitat
• Soil formation & retention
• Moderates climate
• Food source
• Removes air/water pollutants
• Decreases albedo
• Involved in biogeochemical cycles

PEST CONTROL

CONTROLLED BURNING

Clearcutting can also impact aquatic environments.

Clearcutting & Its Impacts

Clearcutting is a logging practice in which all of the trees in an area are uniformely cut down. It results in...

DECREASE of:

INCREASE of:

LOSS of:

• Habitat/biodiversity
• Economic opportunities
• Food sources
• Aesthetic value

• Albedo
• Soil erosion & desertification
• Water evaporation from soil
• Air pollution & climate change

• Infiltration
• Soil formation
• Transpiration

Clearcutting is done to clear land for agriculture or ranching or simply to provide timber and other wood products. In some cases, clear-cutting may be carried out as a forest management tool in degraded forests prior to reforestation.

Sustainable Timber Harvesting

The goal of sustainable timber harvesting is to maintain both biodiversity & old growth. Seed-tree system = small numbers of mature, vigorous seed-producing trees are left standing to re-seed the logged area Shelterwood system = small numbers of mature trees are left in place to provide shelter for seedlings as they grow Selective Cutting = only some trees are cut at any one time

Pest Control

Pests, such as insects and diseases, are more harmful to a forest that is a monoculture (same tree species all planted at the same time). This happens as a result of reforestation (re-planting trees after clearcutting). This happened in Michigan!

IPM (Integraged Pest Management) is the most effective and sustainable way to manage pests because it prioritizes ecologically safe methods before the more dangerous ones (pesticides).

Controlled Burns

Prescribed or controlled burning is the practice of applying fire to forest, brush, or vegetation with careful planning and consideration, confined within a predetermined area.

Purposes:

• Removes old vegetation to make room for new growth
• Helps reduce the spread of invasive and pest species
• Consumes excess fuel, such as dead and downed trees, reducing dangerous and intense wildfires