5.17: Sustainable Forestry

Learning objective: Describe methods for mitigating human impact on forest

Essential Knowledge;

• Some of the methods for mitigating deforestation include reforestation, using and buying wood harvested by ecologically sustainable forestry techniques, and reusing wood

• Methods to protect forests from pathogens and insects include integrated pest management (IPM) and the removal of affected trees

• Prescribed burn is a method by which forests are set on fire under controlled conditions in order to reduce the occurrence of natural fires

Mitigate = Reduce’

Ecologically sustainable Forestry

• Forestry (using trees for Lumber) that minimizes damage to the ecosystem (habitat destruction, soil erosion, etc.)

• Selective cutting or Strip cutting

  • Only cutting some of the trees in an area (biggest & oldest) to preserve habitat (biodiversity) and topsoil

• Human & Pack animal Labor to minimize soil compaction from machinery

• Replanting same species being logged

  • Maximizes long-term productivity of land & preserves forest for future generations

Sustainable Forestry Practices

• Using recycled wood, or simply reusing without recycling (Furniture, decoration)

• Wood can be chipped and used as mulch for gardens or agriculture fields

• Reforestation: Replanting of trees in areas that have been deforested

• Selectively removing diseased trees to prevent the spread of infection through the entire forest

  • Removes host for disease

  • Decreases density, making spread less likely

Fire Suppression

1. Stopping natural Fires

   • Fire suppression is the practice of putting out all-natural forest fires as soon as they start

2. This leads to more biomass buildup

   • Putting out fires immediately leads to more dry biomass buildup

   • Makes future fires worse

3. Monitoring instead

   • Close monitoring can prevent fire damage & prevent worse fires in the future

Prescribed Burns

1. Dead Biomass builds up

   • Fuel for large forest fires

   • Stored nutrients trapped in dead biomass

   • Dead trees = susceptible to disease & pest spread

2. Small controlled fires burn lots of dead biomass

   • Uses up dead biomass (fuel) preventing larger forest fires later

3. Promotes nutrient recycling

   • Nutrients in dead biomass are recycled →new growth