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5.5 Protecting forest ecosystems (Ecological Restoration (Ecosystems re…
5.5 Protecting forest ecosystems
Protected Areas
In order to preserve biological diversity we need strict protection of 20% of earth's land area
Not enough is protected due to governments prioritizing the short term economic benefits from the resources rather than the long term insurance from protecting those ecosystems
Wilderness areas: undisturbed by humans and protected by federal law
Parks and nature reserves: can provide humans a place to enjoy nature with certain restrictions however littering and other accomodations required by humans damage parks
Biodiversity Hotspots: areas rich in highly endangered species
Ecological Restoration
reintroducing keystone species
removing invasive species
Replanting forests
removing dams
restoring grasslands, coral reefs, etc
Ecosystems re not always restored to the orignal which is why it is better to protect rather than restore
4 steps to ecological restoration
identifying causes of degration
remove the causes of degration
reintroduction of keystone species
protect areas from more damage and allow natural recovery
Sustainable forestry
Use of selective or strip cutting
Selective cutting
Cuts mature and intrermediate age forests in small groups. Less effective in tropical areas and more time consuming
Strip Cutting
Cut a strip of tress withing a narrow corrider to allow growth, then cut the next strip, so on and so for. Cheaper than selective cutting but less destructive than clear cutting
Measures for forest fires
Small forest fires that will brun the leaves in the ground and any other potential fuel for a large fire. Basically an artificial surface fire
Strips of forests that can be cut in order to prevent fire from spreading to more treetops in the event of a large fire
Tree Plantations
Managed forest that contains about 1-2 species of trees and are all around the same age for commercial use
PROS
If managed correctly it can provide a lot of wood while not damaging already existing forests
CONS
Not as good for the environment in terms of biodiversity . repeated cutting and replacement eventually deplet the nutrients of the top soil