Ch 12.1: World Forests

Which of the following are threats to U.S. temperate rainforests?

1) Road building 2) Logging

Currently, the US Forest Service uses nearly all of its fire-fighting resources to protect _________ in fire-prone areas.

private property

Forests are vital because they ________

- purify air and water - control water runoff - represent cultural and historic values - provide habitat for wildlife - help to regulate climate

How does road building threaten temperate forests?

1) Fragments the habitat into smaller parcels 2) Provides a route of entry for invasive species

Which of the following are characteristics of monoculture forestry?

1) Single-species of trees 2) Provides poor ecological services 3) Easy to harvest 4) Little biodiversity

Why is the Smokey Bear policy of immediately suppressing all fires misguided?

1) Some forest habitats need fire for regeneration. 2) Fire plays an ecological role in forests. 3) The buildup of woody debris creates a threat of very big and dangerous fires.

What are some ways that you can help protect forests?

1) Store information in a digital form. 2) Recycle paper products. 3) Practice double-sided printing.

Rank the following world forest types from greatest percentage of world land coverage at the top to the smallest percentage of world land coverage at the bottom

1) Tropical Moist Forest 2) Boreal Forest 3) Temperate Forest 4) Tropical Dry Forest

Old-growth forests _________

1) can be centuries old 2) allow trees to live out their natural live cycle 3) are part of a large, functioning ecosystem

Climate change can negatively affect forests by _______

1) creating drier conditions that increase the threat of fires 2) creating drought conditions that kill off trees 3) expanding the range of insects that can damage and/or kill trees

Fire control helps ______

1) protect private property 2) reduce buildup of dead understory material in the forest 3) support ecosystem regeneration

Approximately how much of the world's forests are protected?

12.5%

How much tropical forest is destroyed every day (from all activities)?

22,000 hectares

Forests and woodlands cover approximately _________ percent of the world's land surface.

29

How many people in the world today depend on fuelwood and charcoal as their main source of heating and cooking fuel?

About 25 percent

Clearcutting

All trees are removed

Why is climate change a great threat to temperate forests?

Hot, dry weather weakens trees making them vulnerable to fire and insects.

Single Tree Selection

Individual mature trees are removed

How did prohibiting clear-cut logging help with the restoration of riparian (streamside) areas and salmon populations?

Limiting logging on steep hillsides led to less erosion of soils into the water, which improves water quality where salmon spawn.

Group Selection

Mature trees are harvested, or intermediate size trees are thinned, at regular intervals.

What is monoculture forestry?

Monoculture forestry involves large plantations of single-species, single-use, intensively cropped trees

Shelterwood

Most mature trees are removed, but an overstory is left to protect new growth.

Compared to 100 years ago, approximately how much intact tropical primary forest exists today?

One-half

Which of the following products is linked to the destruction of lowland rainforests in Indonesia?

Palm oil

If you need to use wood for a project, how can you help lower your forest impact?

Purchase sustainably harvested wood.

What is a benefit of the U.S. Northwest Forest Plan to regulate forest harvesting on federal lands in Oregon, Washington, and northern California?

Researchers identified areas of essential forest for sustaining viable populations of endangered species.

Why are the North American and Eurasian net forest areas increasing despite regular harvesting?

The countries practice forest replanting and regeneration

Savanna

These areas are open wooded land where trees cover between 10 to 20 percent of the ground.

Which of the following best describes the balance between production and consumption of industrial wood products in developed countries?

They consume more wood than they produce.

Closed-Canopy Forests

This is wooded land with a significant amount of overlap of tree crowns.

Forest

Trees cover more than 10 percent of the land.

True or false: The vast majority of fire-fighting resources and effort by the US Forest Service are used to protect private property.

True

Much of North America and Eurasia is covered in unaltered __________, and biomass is actually increasing despite regular logging because of replanting and natural regeneration.

boreal forest

One of the most destructive types of forest harvest methods is __________ , as it removes all the trees in a stand and leads to the degradation of habitat and soil.

clearcutting

An organization known as Conservation International bought $650,000 of Bolivia's debt for $100,000, and in exchange for canceling their debt, Bolivia agreed to protect 1 million ha of their land. This is an example of a __________

debt-for-nature swap

True or false: The effectiveness of forest protection is consistent throughout the world.

false

Both natural and human-caused, _________ is/are a major destroyer of forests.

fire

About 350 million ha of forest every year are destroyed by ___________, and are often set to cover up illegal logging or land clearing. (Use only one word per blank.)

fire or fires

When trees cover more than 10 percent of the land, this area is a(n) _______

forest

The demand for fuelwood and charcoal today is ___________

increasing, contributing to deforestation

Debt-for-nature swaps encourage ________

land protection or restoration in exchange for a discount on a debt or canceling of a debt

While not untouched by humans, primeval forests, also called _________ forests, are ecosystems where trees have lived out their natural life cycle, often lasting for centuries.

old growth or old-growth

The lowland rainforests in Indonesia are home to rare species such as orangutans, tigers, rhinos, and elephants, yet are rapidly being destroyed to make room for __________ plantations. (Use just one word for your answer.)

palm

The most common type of forest on earth's surface is the _______ moist forest

tropical

Which commodity is used most heavily in industrial economies?

wood