APES Video Notes 5.17 - Sustainable Forestry

Introduction to Sustainable Forestry

• Sustainable Forestry: Refers to methods of using wood that prevent degradation and depletion of forest ecosystems, ensuring resources for future generations.

• Objective: Describe techniques to mitigate human impacts on forests.

• Key Concept of Mitigating: Reducing or lessening negative effects on the environment.

Sustainable Forestry Practices

• Selective Cutting and Strip Cutting:

  • Involves cutting only the oldest trees to avoid clear-cutting, preserving the ecosystem.

  • Maintains soil health and protects animal habitats.

  • Diagram Explanation:

    • Selective cutting keeps a number of trees in place, preventing erosion and maintaining stream clarity.

    • Strip cutting leaves patches of trees, further preventing habitat loss and soil erosion.

• Use of Labor:

  • Human or Animal Labor vs. Machine Labor:

    • Large logging machines compress soil, increasing erosion.

    • Utilizing pack animals (e.g., horses) reduces soil compaction and environmental impact.

• Replanting Practices:

  • Replanting deforested areas with native species helps restore biodiversity and provides habitats for wildlife.

Goals of Ecologically Sustainable Forestry

• Long-Term Productivity:

  • Sustainable forestry focuses on maximizing productivity over centuries, unlike clear-cutting which offers short-term profits.

Benefits of Using Recycled Wood

• Recycling Wood:

  • Reduces demand for new logging by reusing materials (e.g., pallets as furniture).

  • Chipping old wood for mulch also minimizes new tree harvesting.

Reforestation Efforts

• Reforestation Defined:

  • Act of replanting in deforested areas.

  • Example: Brazilian photographers managed to replant millions of trees over 18 years, restoring ecosystems and biodiversity.

Selective Cutting of Diseased Trees

• Disease Management:

• Selectively cut diseased trees to prevent the spread of infections/pests within the forest by removing potential hosts.

• Concept of sacrificing one tree to save many from disease spread.

Fire Management in Forestry

• Fire Suppression Consequences:

  • Suppressing natural fires leads to greater future fire risks due to biomass buildup.

  • Accumulated dead biomass in dry ecosystems exacerbates fire conditions.

• Prescribed Burns:

  • Controlled burns are set intentionally to clear dead biomass and recycle nutrients back into the soil.

  • Prevents larger, uncontrolled wildfires by using fire management techniques (e.g., monitoring, creating fire lines).

  • Intentionally setting small fires mitigates future wildfire severity, as healthier plants are less flammable.

Suggested Science Skill Practice: FRQ 5.17

• Task 1: Identify two characteristics of forests affected by fire suppression.

• Task 2: Explain how prescribed burns can help mitigate those characteristics.