CHAPTER 9: Sustaining Biodiversity: Saving Ecosystems

old-growth forest

uncut or regrown forest that has not been seriously disturbed by human activities or natural disasters for 200 years or more

second-growth forest

stand of trees resulting from secondary ecological succession

tree farm

managed forest that contains only one or two species of trees that are all the same age

Ways to harvest trees

• Selective cutting

• Clear-cutting

• Strip Cutting

Selective cutting

Cutting of intermediate-aged, mature, or diseased trees in an uneven-aged forest stand, either singly or in small groups.

Clear-cutting

Method of timber harvesting in which all trees in a forested area are removed in a single cutting.

• The most efficient.

Strip Cutting

A variation of clear-cutting that produces a more sustainable timber yield without widespread destruction

Deforestation

temporary or permanent removal of large expanses of forest for agriculture, housing settlements, or other uses

Reforestation

the process of replanting trees on land that was previously forested but destroyed by wildfire, disease, or human activity like logging and agriculture. It restores ecosystems, enhances biodiversity, stabilizes soil, improves water quality, and sequesters carbon dioxide to combat climate change.

Afforestation

abandoned farmland can be turned into healthy forests that improve air and water quality

Ways to reduce Deforestation.

• Individuals:

  • Small-scale agriculture.

  • Recycle and use recycled products.

• Government:

  • End subsidiaries that fund logging roads.

  • Subsidize reforestation/afforestation programs.

  • Offer protection.

conservation agreement

In exchange for making specific conservation commitments to protect their lands — such as keeping forests standing by not logging them — communities receive benefits from the funder, such as organic fertilizer and pruning tools to improve their coffee farms or training and wages for patrolling forests to stop illegal logging.

Debt-for-nature swaps

are financial arrangements designed to alleviate the foreign debt burden of developing nations while simultaneously promoting environmental conservation

Rangelands

unfenced grasslands in temperate and tropical climates that supply forage, or vegetation for grazing (grass-eating) and browsing (shrub-eating) animals.

• Ovegrazed.

Pastures

Managed grassland or enclosed meadow that usually is planted with domesticated grasses or other forage to be grazed by livestock.

Overgrazing

Destruction of vegetation when too many grazing animals feed too long on a specific area of pasture or rangeland and exceed the carrying capacity of a rangeland or pasture area.

Wildenerss areas

areas essentially undisturbed by humans and protected by federal law from harmful human activities

Biodiversity Hotspots

highly endangered species in areas with ecological disruptions

ecological restoration

the process of repairing damage to ecosystems caused by human activities.

Examples include replanting forests

reconciliation ecology

It focuses on establishing and maintaining new habitats to conserve species diversity in places where people live, work, or play.

ocean acidification

A process that occurs when carbon dioxide is absorbed by the ocean and reacts with the seawater to produce acid.

Overfishing

Cused by:

• Fihsery

• Industrial fishing

Fishery

concentration of a wild aquatic species suitable for commercial harvesting in a given ocean area or inland body of water.