Role of Forests in the Environment

28.00 Describe the role of forests and their growth

in the environment and society
Forests
28.01 Describe the impact of forests, their products, and
processing on our environment, economy, and society.
Forests
 A mixture of trees, shrubs, plants, and animals
 A community of sort
 A balanced ecosystem
Early days…
 An asset
 Produced wood, which was exported
 Game, which was used for food
 Problem/Enemy
 Many trees had to be removed to grow crops
 Plains states and Southwest were too dry to support
forests.

 Forestry: Keeping NC Green and Growing

Limitations
 Types of trees that will grow in an area are affected
by:
 Climate
 Soil Type
 Altitude
Benefits of Forests
 Transpiration by trees cools the air
o
 As much as 8 less than the surrounding area
 Act as windbreaks
 Quieten Noise
 Release oxygen into the air
 Conserve soil and water
 Provide homes for wildlife
 Provide recreation, rest, solace, and nature study for
people.
Forest products
 WOOD!
 Converted to:
 Paper  Wood Fiber
 Charcoal  Simulated leather
 Rayon  Shatterproof glass
 Cellulose  Imitation vanilla
 Photographic Film  Artificial hair
Products from commercial trees
 Nuts and fruits
 Oils, decorations, extracts
 Resins, gums, turpentine
 Mulch, tannin, drugs, oils, dyes
 Sugar, syrup
 Veneer, charcoal, pitch, pine oil
 Poles, posts
 Paper, paper products, wall boards
 Lumber, bolts, timber, wastes, ties
 Relationship between forests and other
natural resources
 Forests play important roles in the water cycle
 As water circulates from oceans to rivers to lakes, the forest
filters the rain as it falls and serve as storage areas. A forest
regulates water flow, making it possible for fish and other animal
and plant life to survive
 Forests filter rain and help reduce the erosion of soils
 Trees and shrubs are responsible for removing much of the
pollutant materials from the air and water run off. They also help
reduce the harmful effects of excess fertilizer that enters
underground water systems.
 Forests and living organisms have many relationships
 Algae, fungi, mosses, and other plants make their homes in
the forest. Forests also provide shelter, food, protection and
nesting sites for many species of birds and fish. Shade provided
by the forest maintains proper water temperatures for the growth
and reproduction of aquatic life.
 Forests and wildlife relationships greatly vary
 Depending on species, the wildlife in each forest region varies
due to climate and harvesting times
Summary
 Affect our climate
 Control erosion on our lands
 Provide wildlife habitats
 Provide recreational areas for humans
 Benefit society
Tree Anatomy
28.02 – Describe the parts of a tree and their functions.
Parts of a Tree
 Root System
 Trunk
 Crown
Root System
 Function of Roots
 Anchor and support the tree
 Take in water and nutrients from the soil
 Help to hold soil in place and improve soil quality
 Store manufactured food
 Root hairs take in (absorb) water and nutrients
Trunk
 Functions
 Supports the crown
 Transports sap (water and nutrients) to the crown
through xylem and sapwood
 Transports food from crown to roots through the
phloem
 Annual rings determine the age of the tree
Mature Trunk
 Heartwood
 Center of trunk, darker in color
 Sapwood
 Outside the heartwood, lighter colored
 Transports water and nutrients upward from the
roots
 Cambium
 Surrounds the sapwood
 Inner bark
 Known as phloem
 Transports food downward from the leaves to the
roots
 Outer bark
 Provides protection from drying to the inner bark
Crown
 Branches, twigs, buds, and leaves of the tree
 Functions
 Leaves are chemical factory of the tree
 Food production is a result of photosynthesis
 CO2 + H2O + sunlight + chlorophyll = C6H12O6 + O2
 Transpiration – evaporation of excess water from stomata
 Food is manufactured
 Seeds, fruits, nuts, and berries are produced
Measuring the Forest
29.02 Apply tree measurement techniques and skills that are
used by professional foresters.
Board foot
 Standard unit of measurement for lumber
 Sold in board feet
 Definition
 Piece of rough wood one foot long, one foot wide, and
one inch thick
 Volume is equal to 144 cubic inches
 Formula
 Length (feet) x width (inches) x thickness (inches)
12
 Length x width x thickness (all in inches)
144
Cubic foot
 Another unit of measure
 Equal to the amount of wood needed to fill a space
one foot wide, one foot thick, and one foot high
 Formula
 Length x width x
thickness (inches)
1728
Cord
 Was a common measure for pulpwood
 Common now for firewood
 Defined as a stack of wood 4 feet x 4 feet x 8 feet
 Formula for computing cords in a stack of wood
 Length x width x
height (all in feet)
128
Gross weight
 Actual weight of the wood
 Easy to use for selling pulpwood
 Ensures the buyer fresh wood because green wood is
heavier, having more water.
Measuring Tree Diameter
 Volume is determined by its diameter and length
 Measured at DBH (diameter at breast height)
 Thickness across the truck at 4.5’ above the ground.
 Recorded in 2” increments and rounded to nearest
inch
 10.9 inch = 10 inches
 11.1 inch = 12 inches
Measuring Tree Diameter
 Dendrometers
 Biltmore stick
 Least accurate
 Common and quick to use
 Held at 25 inches from one eye against the tree at DBH
Measuring Tree Diameter
 Tree Calipers
 One side of caliper is placed against the tree
 Other side is placed on the other side of the tree
 Measurement is read from caliper.
 Diameter Tape
 Tape is wrapped around the trunk at 4.5’
 Read directly.
Measuring Tree Height
 Only includes the USABLE length of trunk
 Sawtimber
 Expressed in 16 foot logs, called merchantable logs
 Sometimes, 8 or 32 feet lengths may be used.
 Measured
 From height of the stump to where the cutoff
diameter is either:
 6-8 inches for sawtimber
 4 inches for pulpwood
Measuring Tree Height
 Hypsometer
 Biltmore Stick – most common, older, and least
expensive
 Abney Level
 Hager altimeter
 Suunto clinometer
Using the Biltmore Stick
 Locate log scale, or Merritt Scale, on the stick
 Step away 66 feet from tree
 Hold stick 25 inches from the eye
 Line up base of stick with stump height of tree
 Without moving the stick or your head, sight
upward along the trunk to estimate cutoff diameter
point
 Read the number from the scale.
Estimating Timber Volume
 Need to know to estimate board feet or pulpwood
volume
 DBH
 Small-end diameter
 Number of logs or bolts
 Rules or Tables used
 Doyle’s Rule
 Scribners rule
 International rule
 More complex
 More accurate
 Used in CDE
 Estimating standing timber volume
 Measuring and calculating come together
 Forester must be able to make an accurate
estimation of the volume of wood in a stand of
timber
 Cruising
 Could be done by estimating each individual tree selected
for use
 Generally done by using a sampling of trees.
Forest Management Techniques
29.03 Describe cutting and reproducing techniques used
in the forestry industry to improve forest quality
Intermediate Cuttings
 Cuttings made between reproduction and harvest in a
forest
 Different types depending on:
 Climate
 Tree Species
 Owner/manager objectives
Thinning
 When only some of
the trees in the stand
are removed
 Reduces the
competition for
essential needs from
other trees
Liberation
 Removal of the
taller, dominant
trees from a stand
Sanitation
 Cutting that removes
the injured, diseased, or
insect-infested trees
from the stand
Salvage
 Cutting that involves
removal of trees that
are dead or damaged
by storms,
construction, etc.
Removal
 Removal of
undesirable trees
involves removing
trees that could be
compared to weeds
 Forked trees
 Crooked trunks
 Pine trees in a
hardwood stand
Prescription Burning
 Controlled burning of
the undergrowth in a
forest
Harvest Cuttings
 Selective Cutting
 Shelterwood Cutting
 Seed-tree Cutting
 Coppice Cutting
 Clear Cutting
Selective Cutting
 Individual trees are
selected for harvest
based on maturity, size,
species, etc.
 Goals are to produce
an income and a better
timber yield
Shelterwood Cutting
 Harvesting a mature
forest in two or three
stages
Seed-tree Cutting
 The entire stand is
removed except for a
few of the best trees that
are left to produce seeds
Coppice Cutting
 Similar to seed-tree
cutting
 Rather than remaining
trees providing seed, the
remaining trees develop
root suckers to produce
new trees
Clear Cutting
 All the trees in a stand
are
harvested at one time
 Most economical and
most controversial
Reproducing the Forest
 Natural Seeding
 Direct Seeding
 Cuttings
 Plant Seedlings
Natural Seeding
 Allowing trees to
naturally reseed to
produce new growth
 Economical
 Least amount of
control by the forest
manager
Direct Seeding
 Applying tree seeds
directly to the desired
area
 Can be done by:
 Hand
 Seed spreaders
 Grain drills
 Aircraft
Cuttings
 Cuttings can be taken
from existing trees,
allowed to root, and
then planted
Plant Seedlings
 Planting a
nursery-
produced
seedling
 More labor and expensive
 Allows complete control over
reproduction
 Tends to get results quickly
Plant Seedling Continued
 Some states offer
government rebates to
landowners who reforest
their land after harvest
 The most certain and
quickest way to
reproduce trees