ENSC EXAM 3 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
forests and grasslands each cover ______% of the world's land surface - Answer -29
Forests and grasslands provide ____________,_______________, and
_______________. - Answer -lumber, paper pulp, and livestock grazing
Forests and grasslands provide many environmental services such as
_____________________,___________________,__________________________,__
___________. - Answer -regulating climate, controlling water run-off, purifying water
and air and providing wildlife habitat
forest - Answer -defined as any area where trees cover more than 10% of the land
The largest remaining forests on the planet are found in cold high latitude areas and
humid equatorial areas
Open savannas - Answer -trees cover less than 20% of the land
Closed-canopy forests - Answer -tree crowns overlap to cover most of the ground
The largest tropical forests are in..... - Answer -South America which has about 22% of
the world's forests and the largest undisturbed tropical rainforest
Primary Forests of Old Growth Forests - Answer -forests composed primarily of native
species in which there is little indication of human activity and ecological processes are
not significantly disturbed
These areas are home to much of the world's biodiversity, ecological services, and
indigenous human cultures
Status of Primary Forests - Answer -One-third of all the world's forests are Primary
Forests
6 million hectares of these forests are cleared or heavily damaged each year
In 9 out of 10 of the countries where 80% of these forests exist, logging rates are
unsustainable
wood consumption is _________ than steel and plastic combined - Answer -more
Developed countries produce _______ _________ ½ of all industrial wood but consume
____%
Tropics produce ____ of all industrial wood yet consume ____% - Answer -less than;
80
½; 20
,50% of wood is used for ____________ - Answer -firewood
Wood and paper - Answer -Paper pulp is ⅕ of all wood consumption - most is used in
wealthier countries in N. America, Europe, and Asia
Fuel accounts for half of global wood use
¼ of world's forests are managed for wood production, much of it replanted in single
species monoculture forestry
monoculture forestry - Answer -SINGLE SPECIES
Scientific planning for sustainable harvests
Monoculture forestry produces rapid growth and easier harvesting
Supports little diversity and few ecological services (soil erosion control, clean water
production, etc)
Forest Harvest Methods - Answer -1. clearcutting
2. shelterwood
3. group selection
4. singletree selection
Clearcutting - Answer -easiest, causes most damage, remove lots of trees, disrupt
wildlife
Shelterwood - Answer -Cut old ones to grow new ones
Don't cut as many trees
Only cut mature trees or those with disease/defective
Leave majority of trees = provide source of regeneration
Provide shade for new trees, and clear areas of light
Group selection - Answer -Similar to shelterwood
Mature trees cut at short intervals ex. 3 at a time
Singletree Selection - Answer -Staggering ages of trees that remain
Cut only a few single trees
Most of the habitat is maintained
Tropical Forests are Being Cleared - Answer -Tropical forests occupy less than 10% of
land surface but contain half of all plant, animal, and microbial species on earth
30,000 hectares are deforested every day
At the current rate of deforestation, no primary forest will be left in most countries
outside of parks or preserves by the end of this century
1.7 billion metric tons of carbon are released annually due to deforestation and land-use
changes, mostly in the tropics
Causes of Deforestation - Answer -Conversion of forest to agriculture
Accounts for ⅔ of destruction in Africa
, Conversion to cattle ranching and soybean farming is most common in Latin America
Large Scale Commercial Logging
Building roads to remove trees also allows entry to the forest by farmers, miners, and
hunters
Fires destroy 350 million hectares of forest per year
Many of these are set intentionally to clear land for other uses
Biofuel production is responsible for forest destruction in Southeast Asia. Oil Palm
plantations produce oil for cooking, industrial use, and biodiesel production
Debt for Nature Swaps - Answer -Conservation organizations buy debt obligations,
then offer to cancel the debt if the debtor country protects biologically important areas
Temperate Forests are also threatened - Answer -Although the total forest area in N.
America has remained constant for the last several years, forest management policies
in the US and Canada continue to be controversial
Large areas of the Temperate Rainforest in the Pacific Northwest have been set aside
to protect endangered species
Logging is still allowed in surrounding lands though, resulting in fragmented old-growth
forest habitat
Road building in wilderness areas is especially controversial as it causes erosion and
allows potential access for extractive activities like mining
Climate change, insect threats, and wildfires are also major threats to temperate forests
which are interconnected
Rising global temperatures can trigger droughts which make trees more vulnerable to
insect infestations and fires
Fire Management - Answer -US has had policy of aggressive fire control for the last 70
years
Recent studies indicate many biological communities are fire-adapted and require
periodic burning for regeneration
Eliminating fires has caused woody debris to accumulate over the years. As a result,
many fires are now larger and more severe
Today 40% of all federal lands are at risk of severe fires
Many Americans are moving to remote areas and 40 million now live in areas of high
wildfire risk
Ecosystem Management - Answer -_____________________
_______________________ attempts to integrate sustainable ecological, economic,
and social goals in a unified systems approach
Managing across whole landscapes over ecological time scales
Considering human needs and promoting sustainable economic development
Maintaining biological diversity and ecosystem processes
Utilizing cooperative institutional arrangements
Generating meaningful stakeholder and public involvement and facilitating collective
decision making
forests and grasslands each cover ______% of the world's land surface - Answer -29
Forests and grasslands provide ____________,_______________, and
_______________. - Answer -lumber, paper pulp, and livestock grazing
Forests and grasslands provide many environmental services such as
_____________________,___________________,__________________________,__
___________. - Answer -regulating climate, controlling water run-off, purifying water
and air and providing wildlife habitat
forest - Answer -defined as any area where trees cover more than 10% of the land
The largest remaining forests on the planet are found in cold high latitude areas and
humid equatorial areas
Open savannas - Answer -trees cover less than 20% of the land
Closed-canopy forests - Answer -tree crowns overlap to cover most of the ground
The largest tropical forests are in..... - Answer -South America which has about 22% of
the world's forests and the largest undisturbed tropical rainforest
Primary Forests of Old Growth Forests - Answer -forests composed primarily of native
species in which there is little indication of human activity and ecological processes are
not significantly disturbed
These areas are home to much of the world's biodiversity, ecological services, and
indigenous human cultures
Status of Primary Forests - Answer -One-third of all the world's forests are Primary
Forests
6 million hectares of these forests are cleared or heavily damaged each year
In 9 out of 10 of the countries where 80% of these forests exist, logging rates are
unsustainable
wood consumption is _________ than steel and plastic combined - Answer -more
Developed countries produce _______ _________ ½ of all industrial wood but consume
____%
Tropics produce ____ of all industrial wood yet consume ____% - Answer -less than;
80
½; 20
,50% of wood is used for ____________ - Answer -firewood
Wood and paper - Answer -Paper pulp is ⅕ of all wood consumption - most is used in
wealthier countries in N. America, Europe, and Asia
Fuel accounts for half of global wood use
¼ of world's forests are managed for wood production, much of it replanted in single
species monoculture forestry
monoculture forestry - Answer -SINGLE SPECIES
Scientific planning for sustainable harvests
Monoculture forestry produces rapid growth and easier harvesting
Supports little diversity and few ecological services (soil erosion control, clean water
production, etc)
Forest Harvest Methods - Answer -1. clearcutting
2. shelterwood
3. group selection
4. singletree selection
Clearcutting - Answer -easiest, causes most damage, remove lots of trees, disrupt
wildlife
Shelterwood - Answer -Cut old ones to grow new ones
Don't cut as many trees
Only cut mature trees or those with disease/defective
Leave majority of trees = provide source of regeneration
Provide shade for new trees, and clear areas of light
Group selection - Answer -Similar to shelterwood
Mature trees cut at short intervals ex. 3 at a time
Singletree Selection - Answer -Staggering ages of trees that remain
Cut only a few single trees
Most of the habitat is maintained
Tropical Forests are Being Cleared - Answer -Tropical forests occupy less than 10% of
land surface but contain half of all plant, animal, and microbial species on earth
30,000 hectares are deforested every day
At the current rate of deforestation, no primary forest will be left in most countries
outside of parks or preserves by the end of this century
1.7 billion metric tons of carbon are released annually due to deforestation and land-use
changes, mostly in the tropics
Causes of Deforestation - Answer -Conversion of forest to agriculture
Accounts for ⅔ of destruction in Africa
, Conversion to cattle ranching and soybean farming is most common in Latin America
Large Scale Commercial Logging
Building roads to remove trees also allows entry to the forest by farmers, miners, and
hunters
Fires destroy 350 million hectares of forest per year
Many of these are set intentionally to clear land for other uses
Biofuel production is responsible for forest destruction in Southeast Asia. Oil Palm
plantations produce oil for cooking, industrial use, and biodiesel production
Debt for Nature Swaps - Answer -Conservation organizations buy debt obligations,
then offer to cancel the debt if the debtor country protects biologically important areas
Temperate Forests are also threatened - Answer -Although the total forest area in N.
America has remained constant for the last several years, forest management policies
in the US and Canada continue to be controversial
Large areas of the Temperate Rainforest in the Pacific Northwest have been set aside
to protect endangered species
Logging is still allowed in surrounding lands though, resulting in fragmented old-growth
forest habitat
Road building in wilderness areas is especially controversial as it causes erosion and
allows potential access for extractive activities like mining
Climate change, insect threats, and wildfires are also major threats to temperate forests
which are interconnected
Rising global temperatures can trigger droughts which make trees more vulnerable to
insect infestations and fires
Fire Management - Answer -US has had policy of aggressive fire control for the last 70
years
Recent studies indicate many biological communities are fire-adapted and require
periodic burning for regeneration
Eliminating fires has caused woody debris to accumulate over the years. As a result,
many fires are now larger and more severe
Today 40% of all federal lands are at risk of severe fires
Many Americans are moving to remote areas and 40 million now live in areas of high
wildfire risk
Ecosystem Management - Answer -_____________________
_______________________ attempts to integrate sustainable ecological, economic,
and social goals in a unified systems approach
Managing across whole landscapes over ecological time scales
Considering human needs and promoting sustainable economic development
Maintaining biological diversity and ecosystem processes
Utilizing cooperative institutional arrangements
Generating meaningful stakeholder and public involvement and facilitating collective
decision making
