APES Forest and Urbanization: Key Concepts and Management Strategies

Forest

Any ecosystem with a high density of trees.

Canopy

Upper level of leaves and branches in the treetops.

Subcanopy

Middle portion beneath the canopy.

Understory

Shaded lower level with shrubs and small trees.

Forest Floor

Soil layer containing leaf litter, roots, decomposers.

Snags

Dead and dying standing trees valuable for insects, woodpeckers, and cavity-nesting animals.

Treefall gaps

Openings created when large trees fall, allowing sunlight to reach the forest floor.

Ecosystem Services of Forests

Forest services include stabilizing soil, preventing erosion, purifying water, slowing runoff, producing oxygen, cycling nutrients, storing carbon, supporting biodiversity, and providing wood and non-market values like recreation.

Carbon Storage

Forests store ~296 billion metric tons of carbon and absorb carbon through photosynthesis.

Deforestation

Clearing and loss of forests when trees are removed more quickly than they can regrow.

Primary Forest

Natural forest uncut by people.

Secondary Forest

Forest grown back after primary forest was cut; younger, smaller trees.

Causes of Forest Loss

Farming, ranching, mining, logging/timber management, slash-and-burn agriculture, wildfire.

Concessions

Government grants rights to corporations to extract forest resources like timber.

Palm Oil

Large monocultural oil-palm plantations that displace biodiverse rainforest and often clear peat forests, releasing massive carbon.

Conservation Concessions

Nations are paid to conserve forests instead of cutting them.

Debt-for-Nature Swap

Countries reduce debt in exchange for environmental protection commitments.

REDD+

Program paying developing nations to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.

Resource Management

Managing resources so they are used without depleting them.

Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY)

Harvesting at the rate where the population grows fastest.

Ecosystem-Based Management

Manage resource harvesting to minimize impacts on the entire ecosystem.

Adaptive Management

Management strategy using scientific monitoring to improve management over time.

Tree Harvesting Methods

Clear-cutting, seed-tree, shelterwood, selection systems.

Multiple Use Policy

National forests managed for recreation, wildlife, habitat, logging, grazing, and other uses.

National Forest Management Act

Requires renewable resource management plans and sustainable harvest practices.

New Forestry

Approach calling for timber cuts that mimic natural disturbances.

Wildland-Urban Interface

Where residential areas meet forests, increasing wildfire risk.

Fire Suppression

Full suppression historically caused fuel buildup → worse fires.

Salvage Logging

Removing dead trees after disturbance; often harmful because it damages soil and prevents recovery.

Pest Outbreaks

Example: Pine bark beetles proliferate due to warmer winters and drought.

Protected Area Types

National Parks, National Monuments, National Wildlife Refuges, Wilderness Areas, Land Trusts, Peace Parks, Paper Parks, Biosphere Reserves, World Heritage Sites.

Habitat Fragmentation

Breaking up contiguous habitat into smaller patches.

Edge Effects

Conditions at habitat edges differ from interior (more light, wind, predators).

Island Biogeography Theory

Biodiversity is highest on large islands near the mainland.

SLOSS Dilemma

Debate: Single Large Or Several Small reserves?

Corridors

Strips connecting fragments, allowing movement of organisms.

Urbanization

Movement of people from rural to urban areas.

Suburbs

Smaller communities that ring cities.

Exurbs

Communities beyond the suburbs, even lower density.

Sprawl

Low-density outward spread of urban or suburban development from a city center.

Causes of Sprawl

Population growth and increased per-capita land consumption.

Consequences of Sprawl

Transportation, Pollution, Health, Land use, Economics.

City Planning

Designing cities to maximize efficiency, functionality, and beauty.

Zoning

Classifying areas for different types of development and land use.

UGB (Urban Growth Boundary)

Boundary separating urban areas from rural to limit sprawl.

Gentrification

Renovation and increase in value of urban neighborhoods, often displacing existing residents.

Smart Growth

Urban planning approach aiming to mix land uses, create walkable neighborhoods, provide transportation choices, preserve open space.

New Urbanism

Designing neighborhoods that are walkable, mixed-use, and compact.

Transit-Oriented Development

Communities designed around transit stops to reduce reliance on cars.

Mass Transit

Public transportation systems (rail, bus, etc.) designed to move many people efficiently.

Parks

Urban green spaces for recreation and ecosystem services.

Greenways

Strips of land that connect parks or neighborhoods.

Greenbelts

Ring of preserved open land around a city.

Green Buildings

Structures designed to minimize environmental impact.

LEED Certification

Rating system for evaluating green building performance.

Urban Heat Island Effect

Cities become warmer than rural areas due to heat-absorbing infrastructure.

Urban Ecology

Study of urban areas as ecosystems and designing cities to mimic natural ecological processes.

Urban Sustainability

Creating cities that meet present needs without compromising future ecological or social health.