5.2 Clear cutting

Direct effects of clear cutting

Soil erosion: loss of structure, removes soil matter & nutrients, deposits into streams

Increased soil & stream temperature: loss of tree shade increases soil temp (soil has lower albedo than leaves of trees), loss of shade among rivers warms them

Flooding and landslides: logging machinery compacts soil, increased sunlight dries soil out (all factors decreased H2O holding capacity of soil —> flooding and landslides)

Tree plantations

Areas where the same tree species are repeatedly planted grown and harvested

-lowers biodiversity (replaced with single species —> lower resilience, less habitat diversity for other organisms)

-all the same age (lowers biodiversity further)

Forest benefits you lose from TOC

-Filtering, air pollutants

-Removal and storage of CO2 from atmosphere

-Habitat for organisms

Deforestation consequence

-produces air filtering and carbon storing services

-cutting trees down releases CO2 from decomposition of leftover organic material

-slash & burn method of clearing land agriculture by cutting trees and burning them, which releases green house gases to the atmosphere