Defining Forests

1
Defining Forests
Reminder student learning activities are at the
end of this power point.
2
Common Core/Next Generation Science Standards
Addressed!

• MS-LS2-1.- Analyze and interpret data to provide
  evidence for the effects of resource availability
  on organisms and populations of organisms in an
  ecosystem. Clarification Statement Emphasis is
  on cause and effect relationships between
  resources and growth of individual organisms and
  the numbers of organisms in ecosystems during
  periods of abundant and scarce resources.
• SL.8.5 - Integrate multimedia and visual displays
  into presentations to clarify information,
  strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest.
  (MS-LS1-7),(MS-LS2-3)
• 6.RP.A.3 - Use ratio and rate reasoning to solve
  real-world and mathematical problems. (MS-LS2-5)

3
Bell Work!

• Define a forest.
• Explain the importance of forests.
• Identify the types of forests
• Describe the uses of forests.
• Identify the major forest regions of the United
  States

4
How does the forest promote the interaction of
all living organisms?

• Examine the various trees within the forest.
• Identify the deciduous and conifer trees.
• Examine a section of the forest floor, list all
  organisms found within.
• List the various components found on the forest
  floor. Why dont they build up over time?

5
Terms

• Commercial forestry
• Forest
• Forestry
• Forest region
• Log

Microsoft.com
6
Terms

• Native forest
• Old-growth forest
• Pulpwood
• Regrowth forest
• Silviculture
• Tree farm

Microsoft.com
7
What is a forest?

• I. A forest is a living, complexly interrelated
  community of trees and associated plants and
  animals.
• It is an ever-changing community.

8
What is a forest?

• A. Plants dominate the land area.
• Animal wildlife may live in association with the
  forest community.
• B. Forests will live indefinitely on a given area
  of land unless seriously disturbed by people or
  altered by catastrophic events.

9
What is a forest?

• C. Forests contribute to the stability of nature
  and consequently benefit many forms of life,
  including human beings.
• D. The study of forests and associated
  communities is known as forestry.

10
(No Transcript)
11
What is the importance of a forest?

• II. Forests are a very important part of the
  environment.
• Forests cover about one-third of the earths
  surface and approximately one-third of the
  continental United States.

12
What is the importance of a forest?

• The art of producing and tending a forest is
  called silviculture.
• The relationship between genetics and
  environmental influences must be understood for
  silviculture to be effectively practiced.

13
What are the types of forests?

• III. Forests once covered most of North America.
• This vast natural resource promoted the growth of
  our nation.

14
What are the types of forests?

• A. There are several types of forests.
• 1. A native forest is one in which the species
  are voluntarily growing and are naturally present
  in the area.
• Native forests often have a variety of species
  and provide wildlife habitat.

15
What are the types of forests?

• a. The majority of the forests east of the Rocky
  Mountains have been cut one or more times.
• This area is known as regrowth forest because it
  regrows approximately every quarter century after
  cutting.

16
What are the types of forests?

• b. An uncut forest is known as an old-growth
  forest.
• Most old-growth forests are in the Pacific coast
  states.
• National parks and National Forests protect much
  of the old-growth forest.

17
What are the types of forests?

• 2. A tree farm is an area that has been planted
  to select and improve tree species.
• Undesirable native species are not allowed to
  grow on tree farms.
• Practices are used to protect the trees and
  promote rapid, desirable growth.

18
(No Transcript)
19
What are the types of forests?

• a. Regular harvest schedules are followed and
  usually result in higher wood production.
• 3. Commercial forestry is caring for a forest to
  improve the quality and quantity of wood when it
  is marketed.

20
What are the uses a forest provides?

• IV. Forests have many uses. Products from the
  trees that grow in forests are used in many ways.
• A. The uses of forests are far greater than just
  the trees.

21
What are the uses a forest provides?

• 1. Economic benefits are the commercial uses made
  of forests. Raw materials are used for
  manufacturing useful products.
• a. A log is a segment of the main stem, or trunk,
  of a tree that is suitable for sawing into
  lumber.
• b. Pulpwood is the wood that is used to make
  paper and similar products.

22
What are the uses a forest provides?

• c. Forests provide a large number of other
  products including fence posts, maple syrup,
  nuts, berries, and many specialty wood materials.

Microsoft.com
23
What are the uses a forest provides?

• 2. Forests provide a number of important benefits
  to the environment.
• a. Forests influence local climate.
• Trees can cool small areas in warm weather and
  reduce wind movement throughout the year.

24
What are the uses a forest provides?

• b. Forests conserve moisture.
• Trees reduce the loss of water to runoff and help
  retain snow as it is melting maintaining
  groundwater supplies and reducing the chance of
  flooding.

25
What are the uses a forest provides?

• c. Forests provide habitat for wildlife.
• Many trees produce nuts or berries that are used
  as food by wildlife.
• Some wildlife species use leaves, holes in trees,
  and other places as nesting or bedding areas.

26
What are the uses a forest provides?

• d. Forests can be used for pollutant removal and
  detection.
• Trees remove some pollutants from the air.
• Trees reduce particulate in the air by holding it
  on leaf surfaces.
• e. Trees are used for noise reduction.
• Trees are often planted along roads to reduce the
  noise from passing vehicles.

27
What are the uses a forest provides?

• f. Forest provide recreational activities.
• People enjoy hiking in forests and observing tree
  growth and wildlife.

28
(No Transcript)
29
What are the major forest regions of the United
States?

• V. Forest industries often develop around the
  type of forest in an area.
• Some industries prefer hardwoods, while other
  prefer softwoods.

30
What are the major forest regions of the United
States?

• A. A forest region is an area with a predominance
  of related tree species present.
• Regions are also based on the climate that
  promotes the forest growth.
• 1. Moisture, temperature and soil influence the
  types of forests that grow.
• 2. Forest regions vary within and between states.

31
What are the major forest regions of the United
States?

• 3. The United States can be divided into six
  major forest regions.
• a. Northern forest region is the largest of the
  six forest regions.

32
What are the major forest regions of the United
States?

• 1. The northern portion of this region produces
  small-size trees that are primarily black and
  white spruce, balsam fir, larch, paper birch,
  aspen balsam, poplar and willows.
• 2. The southern portion of this region is
  characterized by highly valuable timber species,
  such as spruce, birches, beech, basswood, maples,
  and red oak.

33
What are the major forest regions of the United
States?

• b. Southern forest region is one of the most
  important timber producing areas in North
  America.
• 1. This region produces seven species of pine,
  bald cypress, tupelo gum, sweet gum, beech,
  ashes, elms, oaks, hickories and others.

34
What are the major forest regions of the United
States?

• c. Central hardwood region.
• 1. The oaks are the dominant species.
• Other important species include hickories, ashes,
  elms, maples, gum, beech, yellow poplar walnut,
  cottonwood, sycamore, and dogwood.

35
What are the major forest regions of the United
States?

• d. Tropical forest region contains trees that are
  small and often lack commercial value.
• 1. Palms, ebony, mesquite and other thorny
  species are typical.

36
What are the major forest regions of the United
States?

• e. Rocky mountain forest region.
• 1. The primary tree species are spruce, lodgepole
  pine, aspen, poplar, ponderosa pine, Douglas fir,
  oaks, pinyon pine, junipers and cottonwood.

37
What are the major forest regions of the United
States?

• f. Pacific coast forest region supports the
  largest and tallest trees in the world.
• 1. The single most important timber species in
  the world is Douglas fir and it is the found in
  this region.

38
(No Transcript)
39
Review / Summary

• What is a forest?
• Explain the importance of forests.
• Identify the types of forests
• Describe the uses of forests.
• Identify the major forest regions of the United
  States.

40
The End!
NEXT Student Learning Activities
41
Student Learning Activities

• Sample tests are available in the Lesson Plan
  tab.

42
Name ____________________
Color each state based on how much forest land
they have. Be sure to make a key.
43
KEY
The students maps should look something like
this.
44

• Have students create posters explaining the
  importance of forests and some of their uses.
• Here are some example posters.

45
(No Transcript)
46
Key