Forestry and Rangelands
To halt long-term negative effects of overgrazing, conservation biologists are urging land managers to take action in semi arid areas. Which of the following actions would not be recommended by these conservation biologists?
To provide water for animals, use natural riparian zones instead of water tanks and troughs.
Reducing deforestation ultimately means protecting more land. Only 5% of the world's land is actually protected from harmful human activities. Conservation scientists argue that more land needs to be set aside to properly support the biodiversity and other ecosystem services these areas provide. Establishing buffer zones around designated conservation areas is one strategy that can meet both conservation and development goals. People living adjacent to these conservation areas can sustainable use resources in the buffer zone . However, the extraction of any resource is restricted in the inner core
Adjacent- Buffer zone Protected- Inner core
Satellite images are an important tool for observing change in the environment. To examine and compare satellite images, analysts typically interpret linear features, subtle color changes, and large areas of color or texture contrast. In the following images, linear feature exposing the ground are typically roads or pathways. Repetitive patters of trees or vegetation with some regrowth often indicate plantations or agriculture. Deeper shades of green correlate to densely forested areas, whereas light browns correlate to different types of development. Additionally, varying shades of deep green with no discontinuities suggest original forest. Compare the two satellite images. With more densely intact forests, you can conclude that Image A was taken in 1986.
Image A
Overgrazing occurs when too many animals grades for too long, exceeding the ability of a grassland area to support them. In the past, overgrazing was NOT a major problem, as grazing animals moved in response to rainfall, humans moved with the animals in response to food and water availability. This constant movement over rangeland prevented overgrazing of plants in anyone area. Today, some use of fences has prevented domestic and wild animals for moving in response to water and food availability. As a result, overgrazing is becoming an increasingly global problem in the world's rangelands. The following images show two different riparian zones: one is healthy and one has been overgrazed. Which is more overgrazed?
Image B
To avoid purchases that support destructive logging practices, many companies and individuals are choosing to buy sustainably produced paper products. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a well-known forest certification program comprising multiple members, including environmental groups, industrialist practicing sustainability, scientists, and groups representing labor, religious, and indigenous people's interests. The best way to determine if raw material was logged from a sustainable source is to check whether is it approved, or certified, by the FSC. The following map illustrates the proportion of non-certified and certified forest in various location around the world. Note also that the size of each pie chart corresponds to the amount of forest area, in hectares, for each region. Carefully review the information provided in the map before answering the question that follows.
Least to greatest 1). African tropics 2). Australia 3). United States
To harvest timber from forested land, loggers can use several different techniques: clear-cutting, selective cutting and strip cutting. Although each type can degrade land by increasing soil erosion, water runoff, and stream pollution, some logging methods are more destructive than others. For each logging technique listed in the following table, use the dropdown menus to best describe which trees are cut and rank their degrees of land destruction relative to each other.
Selective cutting: ONly in certain trees and lowest degree Strip cutting: Bands of trees and intermediate degree Clear cutting: All or most trees and highest degree
One concern with buffer zones, is that ineffective management of these areas can result in further development over time. A hypothetical scenario of changes made to a protected forest and its buffer zone is depicted in the following illustration. Review the illustration carefully and answer the questions that follow. The descriptions explain the changes made to the illustrated protected forest and associated buffer zone area. According to the illustration, match the description with its appropriate time frame, using the drop-down menu's provided.
a). To assists species movement between areas, biologists build habitat corridors of forest between the separated inner cores. ~2010 b). A road is built through the original conservation area, which then limits the movement of forest species between the two newly established inner cores. ~1990 C). A large designated conservation area is surrounded by a buffer zone to protect land. ~1970 D). Typically, biodiversity and ecosystem services are best preserved with large, contiguous habitats are intact. Based on the illustration, which of the following best ranks the total area of contiguous forest, from smallest to largest? ~Forest 1970 > Forest 2010 < Forest 1990 E). Which of the following years depicts a forest that is least effective in protecting biodiversity and ecosystem services? ~2010
Rwanda is a nation that has experienced massive migration of human populations. Rwanda's economy is primarily agricultural, and its exports significant amounts of tea and coffee. As a result, Rwanda has experience fairly fast rates of deforestation over time. Which of the following are consequences of deforestation in Rwanda? Select all that apply.
~Increased emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere ~Increased soil erosion ~Disruption of water cycle
Overtime, overgrazing can drastically alter the surrounding landscape and it's associated ecosystem services. Which of the following will occur as an area becomes overgrazed? Select all that apply.
~Too much material is removed and new growth cannot become established; plants die. ~Increased opportunities for invasive species to establishing take over this area. ~Increased soil erosion due to decreased availability of soil to absorb and hold rainwater.
