Sustaining Terrestrial Biodiversity:

The Ecosystem Approach

G. Tyler Millers
Living in the Environment
13th Edition
Chapter 23
Dr. Richard Clements
Chattanooga State Technical Community College

Key Concepts
Human land use
Types and uses of US public lands
Forests and forest management
Implications of deforestation
Management of parks
Establishment and management of
nature preserves
Importance of ecological restoration

Land Use in the World

Fig. 23-2
p. 595

Land Use in the United States

Rangeland
and pasture
29%

Fig. 23-3 p. 595

Types of US Public Lands

Multiple-use lands: National Forests;
National Resource Lands Land uses? Mining,
logging, oil/gas drilling, atv, hunting, commercial fishing

Moderately-restricted use lands:

National Wildlife Refuges permitted logging
and mining, hunting, fishing, camping

Restricted-use lands: National Park System;

National Wilderness Preservation System
camping, hiking, highly restricted logging/mining, fishing with permits

US Public Lands

Fig. 23-4
p. 596

Managing US Public Land

Biodiversity and ecological function
No subsidies or tax breaks for use
Public should get fair compensation
Users held responsible for actions
Takings and property rights

Managing and Sustaining Forests

Ecological Importance of Forests
Food webs and energy flow
Water regulation-removing trees alters water cycle and soil
Water holding capacity

Local and regional climate

Numerous habitats and niches
Air purification

Managing and Sustaining Forests

Economic Importance of Forests
Fuelwood (50% of global forest use)-

Developing countries rural use of fuelwood, urban areas use coal but require wood to create
Alternatives are often dung, removes nutrients that would be part of manure, forests are
depleted in circle around urban areas.

Industrial timber and lumber

Pulp and paper-3 most polluting industry in N. Am. Due to
rd

Chlorine bleaches water, air, soil pollution

Medicines
Mineral extraction and recreation

Forest Structure
Fig. 23-9 p. 601

Types of Forests
Old-growth (frontier) forests
Second-growth forests
Tree farms/plantation
Fig. 23-18 p. 609

Forest Management
Rotation cycle
Even-aged management
Industrial forestry
Uneven-aged management
Improved diversity
Sustainable production
Multiple-use

Management Strategies
Fig. 23-11 p. 601

Fig. 23-12 p. 602

Logging Roads
Increased erosion and runoff
Habitat fragmentation
Pathways for exotic species
Accessibility to humans Fig. 23-13 p. 602

Harvesting Trees
Selective cutting
High-grading
Shelterwood cutting
Seed-tree cutting
Clearcutting
Strip cutting

Fig. 23-14 p. 603

Sustainable Forestry
Longer rotations
Selective or strip cutting
Minimize fragmentation
Improved road building techniques
Certified sustainable grown-ecosystem approach
Pg. 606

(See Solutions p. 598)

Pathogens
Fungal Diseases
Chestnut blight
Dutch elm disease
Dogwood Anthracnose
Insect Pests
Bark beetles
Gypsy moth
Woolly adelgid (hemlock)

Fire
Surface fires

Crown fires

Fig. 23-17 p. 607

Forest Resources and

Management in the United States
Habitat for threatened and endangered
species
Water purification services
Recreation
3% of timber harvest
Sustainable yield and multiple use
Substitutes for tree products

Tropical Deforestation
Rapid and increasing
Loss of biodiversity
Cultural extinction
Unsustainable agriculture and ranching
Clearing for cash crop plantations
Commercial logging
Fuelwood

Degradation of Tropical Forests

Fig. 23-22
p. 615

Reducing Tropical Deforestation

Identification of critical ecosystems
Reducing poverty and population growth
Sustainable tropical agriculture
Encourage protection of large tracts- government
policies

Debt-for-nature swaps
Less destructive harvesting methods

The Fuelwood Crisis

Planting fast-growing fuelwood plants
Burning wood more efficiently
Switching to other fuels= cheap and easy to construct solar
ovens

Fig. 23-25 p. 618

Managing and Sustaining National

Parks
Most parks are too small to maintain
biodiversity
Invasion by exotic species
Popularity a major problem-since end of WWII
Traffic jams and air pollution
Visitor impact (noise)
Natural regulation
Better pay for park staff

Establishing, Designing, and

Managing Nature Reserves
Include some moderate disturbance
Sustain natural ecological processes
Protect most important areas
Buffer zones
Gap analysis
Wilderness areas

See Solutions p. 625

Ecological Restoration
Ecological restoration
Restoration ecology
Rehabilitation
Replacement

See Individuals Matter p. 630

Creating artificial ecosystems

Natural restoration