ESC110 Chapter Six: Environmental Conservation: Forests, Grasslands, Parks, and Nature Preserves

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ESC110 Chapter Six Environmental Conservation
Forests, Grasslands, Parks, and Nature Preserves
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Chapter Six Readings Objectives
Required ReadingsCunningham Cunningham,
Chapter Six

• At the end of this lesson, you should be able to
• discuss how and why old growth temperate and
  tropical forests are being disturbed, as well as
  ways they might be preserved
• explain why conservationists criticize large
  clear-cuts and forest road building
• recount how overgrazing can lead to
  desertification in arid lands
• understand the origins and current problems of
  national parks in America and other countries
• evaluate the tension between conservation and
  economic development, and how the Man and
  Biosphere program and ecotourism projects address
  this tension
• evaluate some of the controversy over wilderness
  area management, as well as how people in
  developing countries feel about the concept of
  wilderness and
• explain the need for, and problems with, wildlife
  refuges and nature preserves in the United States
  and elsewhere in the world.

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Chapter Six Key Terms McGraw-Hill Course Glossary
? biogeographical area ? biosphere reserves ?
clear-cutting ? closed-canopy forest ?
corridors ? debt-for-nature swaps ?
desertification ? ecotourism

• inholdings
• ? Man and Biosphere (MAB) program
• ? monoculture forestry
• ? old-growth forests
• ? pastoralists
• ? poaching
• ? relevé
• ? rotational grazing
• ? selective cutting

• ? strip-cutting
• ? wilderness
• ? wildlife refuges
• ? world conservation strategy

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Chapter Six Topics

• World Forests
• Rangelands
• Parks and Nature Preserves
• World Parks and Preserves
• Wilderness Areas
• Wildlife Refuges

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PART I WORLD FORESTS
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Regional World Forests
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Forest Products
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Wood Consumption

• Total annual world wood consumption is about 3.7
  billion metric tons, more then steel and plastic
  consumption together.
• Firewood accounts for slightly more than 50 of
  all wood harvested worldwide.
• Developed countries produce less than half of all
  industrial wood, but account for about 80 of its
  consumption.
• By 2025, demand for fuelwood may be twice the
  available supply.

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• About 25 of the worlds forests are managed for
  wood production.
• Monoculture forestry - single species
• Ideal scientific planning for sustainable
  harvests

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Some Causes of Tropical Deforestation

• Logging for valuable hardwoods such as mahogany
• Clearing of land for cattle ranches and export
  crop production (bananas, pineapples, etc.)

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Cutting and burning of tropical rainforest
results in

• Wildlife destruction
• Habitat loss
• Rapid water runoff
• Soil erosion and
• Waste of forest resources.

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Contrasts in Impact of Human Habitat on Forests
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Temperate Forest Issues

• Logging of old-growth
• Endangered species vs. jobs
• Northern spotted owl
• Salmon

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Clear-cutting and Road Building
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Fire Management Issues
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PART 2 RANGELANDS
Number of threatened plant species - U.S.
(1990)
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Overgrazing
Overgrazed rangeland
Lightly grazed pasture
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New Approaches to Ranching

• Using short-duration, rotational grazing
• Raising wild native species, such as bison

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Part 3 Parks and Nature Preserves
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U.S. National Park System

• 376 parks, monuments, historic sites, and
  recreation areas
• Total size 108,000 square miles
• 300 million visitors each year

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Canadian Park System
Canada has a total of 1,471 parks and protected
areas.
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Park Problems

• Development pressures at boundaries
• Overcrowding and visitor demands for facilities
• Pollution, noise, and environmental degradation
  due to motorized vehicles
• Mining and oil interests

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Wildlife Issues

• Reintroduction of predators
• Hunting
• Increased human/ animal interaction
• Manipulation of nature to provide a more
  enjoyable experience for visitors

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Who thinks this guy deserves to be a bear snack?
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Parks as Ecosystems

• Park boundaries usually based on political rather
  than ecological considerations
• Biogeographical area important
• IUCN categories

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Part 4 World Parks and Preserves
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Size and Design of Nature Preserves

• SLOSS debate - is it better to have single large
  or several small reserves?
• Edge effects
• Corridors of natural habitat essential

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Conservation and Economic Development

• Immediate human survival always takes precedence
  over long-term environmental goals.
• Ecotourism - a viable option ?
• Indigenous peoples

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A model biosphere reserve.
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PART 5 WILDERNESS AREAS
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Do we need more wilderness?

• Arguments for refuge for endangered wildlife,
  opportunity for solitude and primitive
  recreation, baseline for ecological research
• Arguments against natural resources locked up,
  decreased access for motorized recreation,
  traditional ways of life threatened
• For many people, especially those in developing
  countries, the idea of having pristine wilderness
  is not very important.

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PART 6 WILDLIFE REFUGES

• Troubled system for wildlife preservation in U.S.
• Approximately 1 of U.S. surface area
• About 60 of all refuges allow activities that
  are harmful to wildlife.
• More than 75 of U.S. refuges have water
  pollution problems.

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