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CHAPTER 12 BIODIVERSITY: PRESERVING

LANDSCAPES

Chapter Objectives

Discuss the types and uses of world forests.

Describe the location and state of grazing lands around the world.
Summarize the types and locations of nature preserves.

Key Terms

Deforestation Reforestation
Endemic Vulnerable
Indigenous Watershed
Niche diversification Windbreak

Concept Review

12.1 World Forests

Old-growth forests are not significantly modified by human activities

and contain much of the worlds biodiversity as a result.
Remote locations, rather than legislation, protect undisturbed old-
growth forests.
Secondary forests have restored the complexity of the ecosystem
through successional stages.
Tropical hardwoods are being cut at an unsustainable rate.
Developed countries produce less than half of the wood but consume
80 percent.
More than half of the people in the world depend upon firewood for
heating and cooking.
Approximately 25 percent of the worlds forests are managed for wood
production.
Cut trees are replaced by new seedlings.
Replanting of trees reduces flooding and erosion.
Monoculture forestry involves planting large plantations of one species
of tree as a crop that can be easily clear-cut.
Mixed species planting can be used for a variety of purposes and can
protect the ecosystem.
Tropical forests are the most diverse ecosystems on earth even
though they occupy less than 10 percent of the land.
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More than two-thirds of the plant species and one-half of plant, animal,
and microbial species occupy these forests.
The rate of deforestation is hard to determine but satellite data provide
the best estimates.
The Congo and Amazon River Basin have the highest rates of
deforestation, mainly to make way for farming and grazing.
Indigenous people practice swidden agriculture, which can be
sustainable if done in moderation.
Plots of land are cleared.
Branches and leaf litter are burned to make a seed bed.
Up to 80 types of fast-growing crops are planted.
After several years, forest succession takes place and the farmer
moves to a new location.
Conservation organizations, such as the Conservation International,
use debt-for-nature swaps to protect tropical forests.
Temperate forests are being overharvested, especially in eastern
Russia.
Timber management is an issue in the United States and Canada.
Less than 10 percent of the temperate rainforest in the United States
remains today.
A compromise forest management plan has been developed to allow
some cutting while protecting a high percentage of forest.
Most lumber and pulpwood is harvested using clear-cutting techniques
in which every tree is cut regardless of size.
The least disruptive harvest method is selective cutting, in which only a
small percentage of trees are harvested in a 10- to 20-year rotation.
Subsidized logging costs taxpayers because the lumber industry does
not pay for the roads and cleanup associated with the logging
operation.
The Bush administrations Healthy Forests Initiative has opened
more public land to logging, mining, and oil and gas drilling.
Until recently, the U.S. Forest Service had a policy of fire suppression.
By eliminating fires from forested lands, regeneration and clearing
through natural processes were unable to take place.
Forty million U.S. residents live in areas with a high potential for
wildfires.
Forest thinning and salvage logging are being used to reduce the risk
of wildfires.
Logging is not the only way to make a living from forest products
other sustainable crops include fruits, nuts, mushrooms, latex, and
gum.

12.2 Grasslands

Grasslands occur where there is enough rainfall to support drought-

tolerant plants but not enough to support forests.
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Overgrazing, soil erosion, and degradation contribute to grassland
losses.
When animal herds are migratory, grasslands remain healthy.
When plants are unable to recover and weedy invaders move in,
desertification occurs.
Native animals forage more efficiently than domestic livestock.
In the United States, grazing exceeds the carrying capacity of the
range.
Rotational grazing helps keep weeds in check and encourages the
growth of forage plant species.

12.3 Parks and Preserves

Many nations have set aside some natural areas for ecological,
cultural, or recreational purposes.
Currently, nearly 12 percent of land on earth is protected in some sort
of park, preserve, or wildlife management area.
Brazil has the largest total area in protected status of any country.
Even parks and preserves designed to have a high level of protection
arent always safe from exploitation.
Ocean fish stocks are being increasingly depleted, and biologists are
calling for protected areas where marine organisms are sheltered.
Coral reefs are among the most threatened marine ecosystems in the
world.
Many nations are discovering ecotourism as a way to preserve their
valuable assets.
A reserve should be large enough to support viable populations of
endangered species. Many natural parks and preserves are
increasingly isolated, remnant fragments of ecosystems.
Creating biological corridors where natural habitat connects smaller
habitat areas together is a solution when big preserves are not
possible.

Class Time: The Acorn outline suggests 10-15 percent of the course include
forestry and land management topics. Allow 3-5 days to cover the material
presented in this chapter.

Approach and Tips

More than anything else, this chapter is about loss of biodiversity and the impact
humans have had on the forest ecosystems around the world. Discuss how
forested lands are being converted for agricultural uses. Then have students
debate the rights of indigenous people to use their native lands as their cultures
have done for many years. Ask the class to think about what unknown species or
medical cures might be lost or already have been lost through human activities.
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People in highly developed countries use 80 percent of the wood harvested but
produce less than 50 percent. Less-developed countries produce more than 50
percent of the wood, yet they use less than 20 percent. Discuss the imbalance
and the impact on the long-term future of the people in these countries.

In the northwestern United States and Canada, logging contributes significantly

to the economy. Plans to protect endangered species and old-growth forests are
the center of debate. Have students research U.S. forest management practices
and debate the issue from the governments and the environmental groups
points of view.

Grasslands are being lost at a faster rate than forested lands. Examine the
difference between domestic livestock and wild herds in how they are allowed to
interact with the grassland. What factors contribute to the grassland degradation
and eventual desertification? How do government subsidies impact land use?

Application

Obtain a copy of Jared Diamonds Easter Islands End in Discover Magazine. It

can be found at http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/24/042.html, or an
Internet search will bring up many different websites that will have the article.

After reading the article, divide the class into groups of three having each group
answer the following questions. After 10 minutes bring the class back together
for a class discussion on what each smaller group decided.

1. Identify as many examples as possible from the article as to why the island
suffered such severe deforestation.

2. What incentives did the individual clans have for destroying the forest?

3. How is this an example of the tragedy of the commons?

4. In the end of the article, Jared Diamond parallels Easter Island to Earth.
Discuss how this comparison is both alarming and cause for hope.

5. Given their resources, promote a solution as to what the clans could have
done differently to preserve the forest.
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Common Mistakes and Misconceptions
Many students are of the impression that we need to make laws that protect the
rainforest. However, they need to understand that many success stories have
come from environmental organizations that have put their money where their
mouth is. This means that they have raised funds to buy up large expanses of
rainforest and once you own it, no one can cut it down. Private property creates
an incentive to preserve resources.

Suggested Website: Information about forest fires in Yellowstone can be

found at http://www.x98ruhf.net/yellowstone/fire.htm.

Questions

1. How does preserving forest plant species help regulate the hydrologic cycle
and provide clean drinking water?

2. Name three benefits of subsidizing the logging industry, and discuss the
environmental impact each has on the forest.

3. Describe a plan for using forested land that would accommodate recreation
as well as harvesting of wood products in a sustainable manner.