Forestry and Resource Management

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to forestry, resource management, agriculture, and mining, based on lecture notes.

Renewable Resources

Resources that can be replenished naturally, such as soil and forests.

Nonrenewable Resources

Resources that cannot be replenished naturally within a human lifespan, such as fossil fuels.

Sustainability

Resource use that occurs only as fast as it can be naturally replaced.

Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY)

The maximum amount of resources that can be harvested without compromising future harvests.

Carrying Capacity

The maximum population size that an environment can sustain.

Ecosystem-Based Forest Management

Management approach aimed at harvesting resources while minimizing effects on the ecosystem.

Adaptive Forest Management

Management strategy that involves gathering data and adjusting practices based on results.

Ecological Value of Forests

Includes providing habitat, preventing erosion, and storing carbon.

Economic Value of Forests

Includes timber for lumber and fuel, and as a source of food and medicines.

Clear-Cutting

A logging method involving the removal of all trees in an area.

Seed-Tree Method

A logging method that leaves a small number of mature trees to reseed the area.

Shelterwood Method

A logging method where some trees are left to provide shelter for seedlings.

Selection System

A logging method that allows for cutting only a few trees at a time.

Deforestation

The permanent removal of forested areas for other land uses.

Old-Growth Forest

A forest that has never been logged.

U.S. National Forests

Established to grow trees for timber and protect watersheds; managed by the U.S. Forest Service.

National Forest Management Act (1976)

Requires renewable resource management plans for each national forest.

Logging on Private Land

Most logging occurs on privately owned plantations, often composed of monocultures.

Fire Suppression

Efforts to control fires that can have negative ecological consequences.

Prescribed Burns

Controlled burns to reduce fuel buildup and restore ecosystems.

Healthy Forests Restoration Act (2003)

Encourages practices like prescribed burns and salvage logging.

Sustainable Forestry Products

Wood products certified as produced sustainably.

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)

An organization with strict standards for sustainable forestry certification.

Erosion

The process of moving soil or material from one location to another.

Intercropping

Growing different crops in proximity for benefits such as reduced erosion.

Crop Rotation

Alternating different crops in the same area across seasons.

Shelterbelts

Rows of trees or tall plants that block wind and protect crops from erosion.

Conservation Tillage

A farming practice that minimizes soil disturbance.

Terracing

The practice of shaping the landscape into steps to reduce soil erosion.

Contour Farming

Planting crops across the slope of the land to prevent erosion.

U.S. Soil Conservation Act (1935)

Established the Soil Conservation Service to combat soil erosion.

Selective Breeding

The process of choosing certain plants or animals for specific traits.

Traditional Agriculture

Agriculture powered by human and animal labor without fossil fuels.

Industrial Agriculture

Agriculture that relies on mechanization and fossil fuels.

High-Yield Variety (HYV) Crops

Crops that have been genetically modified for increased yield.

GMOs

Genetically modified organisms with desirable traits for agriculture.

Synthetic Fertilizer

Man-made fertilizers that provide essential nutrients to plants.

Irrigation

The artificial application of water to soil for agriculture.

Pesticides

Chemicals used to kill pests that damage crops.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

A strategy that combines biological and chemical pest control methods.

Pollinators

Organisms that help plants reproduce by transferring pollen.

Food Security

The guarantee of an adequate food supply for all people.

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)

Organisms that have had their DNA altered for specific traits.

Industrial Food Production: Feedlots

A method of raising livestock in a confined space with controlled feed.

Industrial Food Production: Aquaculture

Fish farming in controlled environments for sustainable food production.

Sustainable Agriculture

Agriculture that does not deplete resources faster than they can regenerate.

Mining

The process of extracting valuable minerals or resources from the earth.

Ores

Minerals mined for metal extraction.

Mining Methods

Techniques used to extract minerals, including strip mining and underground mining.

Environmental Impacts of Mining

Effects of mining activities on ecosystems, including pollution and erosion.

Social Impacts of Mining

Consequences of mining on communities, including health hazards and conflicts.

General Mining Law of 1872

Established rules to manage mining and promote mining activities.

Mine Safety

Regulations and measures to ensure the safety of miners.

Responsible Mineral Use

Efforts to reduce and recycle minerals to minimize mining impacts.