Forest Ecology - Chapter 2

Deforestation

The complete removal of trees for the conversion of forest to another land use (eg. agriculture, mining, and towns and cities)

Forest Degradation

Measures thinning of canopy or reduction of trees in area, without a change in land use.

Commodity-driven Deforestation

Long-term, permanent conversion of forest to other land use (eg. agriculture, mining, energy infrastructure)

Urbanization

Long-term, permanent conversion of forest to towns, cities, and urban infrastructure (eg. roads)

Shifting Agriculture

Conversion of forests to small to medium scale farming land, which is later abandoned to allow regrowth. Common practice in local, subsistence farming systems

Wildfires

Natural fires, or management through deliberate burning. Can be useful for clearing out undergrowth. Can allow for regrowth if severity is low

Forest Production

Logging and management of forests for products such as timber, paper, and pulp

Sustainable Yield

Management of forest in a manner that ensures that the resources are not harvested faster than they are grown

Pre-European Settlement

• About 46% of the land that would become the United States was covered in virgin (uncut) forests.

• Most of these forests were wilderness with much old growth forests being very large trees.

• Pre-1600, forests were very dynamic and shaped by various natural disturbances (fire and storms) and there were forests at all stages of growth.

• Many forested areas were occupied by Native Americans, who burned areas to clear out undergrowth for growing crops, as well as animal management. This was evident to European settlers.

Colonization

• Large changes in U.S forests came about with European colonization

• Early forestry harvesting from 1600 - 1763 did not have a major impact on forest habitats.

• In the Eastern part of the continent, colonization resulted in early changes to the forested landscape mainly from widespread clearing for building materials, shipbuilding, fuel, and export.

• During this time, forest cutting was unregulated and resulted in the devastation of many forests.

Westward Expansion

• The same pattern of unregulated forest clearing continued into the age of westward expansion, which lead to the conversion of vast forests and degraded land with no trees.

• Unregulated deforestation continued through the late 1800s and early 1900s. By 1850, substantial changes on the Eastern seaboard and through parts of the Midwest could be seen.

• Forest composition and quality rapidly changed in the places where forests regenerated, with the makeup of forests being greatly changed.

• Some species like the American chestnut were almost entirely lost.

• Fire regime changed, as did soil depth and fertility (declined).

Age of Legislation

• Because of environmental disasters like the Dust Bowl and widespread drought, people began to notice and realize that forest resources were not inexhaustible.

• This led to the age of legislation, where there were attempts to control deforestation and forest degradation.

U.S. Forest Service

• First big response, began with protecting 62 million acres of National Forest, with goal of wisely managing forests for timber supply.

• Gifford Pinchot was the first head, considered the father of U.S. Forestry, promoted the wise use of natural resources.

Civilian Conservation Corps (1930s)

2 million participants employed to support forest protection, responsible for tree planting, erosion control, park upkeep, and watershed restoration.

Multiple Use and Sustained Yield Act (1960)

Landmark policy that did two main things: Broadened the scope of forests for multiple uses such as recreation and required sustainable management

National Environmental Policy Act (1969) and National Forest Management Act (1976)

Required interdisciplinary planning of national forest operations before logging, required plans to prevent environmental damage, and ensured prompt regeneration of harvested forests

Modern Forestry

• Very little virgin forest exists in the U.S. (36%), with few isolated pockets in the East and some in the West

• Forest management and restoration strategies have been successful, since the 36% of remaining forests have been regenerated from previous harvesting practices.

Florida in 1800

Longleaf pine covered much of north and central FL, remaining forest land was wet or swamp land (mainly in South), most forest land was untouched

Florida in 1909

1.25 billion board feet of wood harvested continued through 1909, most was pine

Florida in 1920

Real estate boom, further pressure on forests for lumber

Florida in 1935

60% of Florida was forested, with 60% being secondary growth, 25% was deforested, and the remaining 15% had yet to be harvested

Florida in 1940s

Area was relatively constant through 1949, with cut forests being regenerated

Florida in 1950s - 1960s

Real estate boom, which increased forest loss, expansion of South

Florida in late 1900s

Urban and residential development, puts pressure on forests, but there are still sustainable management practices, only 0.01% of longleaf pine old growth forests

Florida currently

Currently 50% of Florida is forested, much are pineland and pine plantations

Net deforestation

Country’s imported deforestation - exported deforestation

Global Forest Loss

• 27% of forest loss was from agriculture, mining, and urbanization, remaining 73% is forest degradation split evenly by shifting agriculture, forestry products, and wildfires.

• About 95% of the world’s deforestation occurs in the tropics, mainly occurs in Latin America and Southeast Asia

• About 2/3 of forest degradation (dominated by wildfires and logging) occurs in temperate regions. The other 1/3 of degradation in the tropics is mostly driven by shifting agriculture.

Global Forest Loss Factors

• Agriculture is the largest driver of deforestation globally.

• Commodity-driven deforestation largely occurs in Southeast Asia and South America

• Shifting agriculture is mainly dominant in Central and South America, and Central and East Africa

• Forestry dominates North America, Europe, and East Asia

Global Deforestation Drivers

• In most high-income countries, forest cover is increasing, in low and middle-income countries, forest cover is decreasing

• Wealthier nations can prioritize forest conservation and impact forests in other places based on imported goods

• Net importers of deforestation contribute more to deforestation in other countries than their own countries, net exporter contribute to more deforestation in their own countries than in other countries.

• High-income countries cause deforestation in low-income countries through importing goods.