5/5/2013 1 I. Old Growth Forest Forest Ecosystem I. Old Growth Forest Forest Ecosystem A. Ancient forests are defined by the _______ of the trees themselves. Western Hemlock, maximum age of ______ years, may be considered young when compared to the Douglas fir’s potential age of ______ years. Western red cedar or redwood can live ______ years, while a sequoia may exist over 3000 years. age 600 1200 2000
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I. Old Growth Forestmesacc.edu/~larur76621/b105common/images/Section 17 The... · 2013-05-05 · III. Forest Ecosystems and Fire D. Yellowstone fires of 1988. 1. A total of 793, 880
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I. Old Growth Forest F
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I. Old Growth Forest
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A. Ancient forests are defined by the _______
of the trees themselves. Western Hemlock,
maximum age of ______ years, may be
considered young when compared to the
Douglas fir’s potential age of ______ years.
Western red cedar or redwood can live
______ years, while a sequoia may exist
over 3000 years.
age
600
1200
2000
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I. Old Growth Forest F
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B. Besides the ancient forest of the
Pacific Northwest, other forests
across the country face threats
from intense logging and
development.
I. Old Growth Forest
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B. Besides the ancient forest of the
Pacific Northwest, other
forests across the country face
threats from intense logging
and development.
The Tongass National
Forest in ____________
contains one of the largest
remaining ____________
rain forests in the world. In
1990, the Tongass Timber
Reform Act was established
to protect this region from
logging.
S.E. Alaska
temperate
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I. Old Growth Forest F
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I. Old Growth Forest
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In the deep south, natural upland forests are being
replaced by pine forests. These “plantation” forests are
ear-marked for pulpwood. Removal of the native
hardwoods is dramatically reducing the ____________ of
plants and animals.
biodiversity
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I. Old Growth Forest F
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The unique “____________”
forests on mountain tops
rising from the deserts of
Arizona and New Mexico are
being threatened by extensive
logging and development.
Environmental groups are
proposing a reserve system
whereby existing old growth
is connected through a series
of wildlife corridors.
Sky island
I. Old Growth Forest
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The Great Northern Forest of New York, Vermont, New
Hampshire, and Maine, consists of _____________ acres
with most of the land privately owned. More than a million
acres are on the market, with current economic conditions
favoring the land to be sold, subdivided, and developed.
26 million
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a. Northern Spotted Owl
Juvenile Adult
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C. Old Growth Forests and Animals 2. Six species that prefer & may require old growth habitat
I. Old Growth Forest
b. Pine Marten c. Flying Squirrel
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d. Bald Eagle
f. Brown Creeper
e. Vaux’s Swift F
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Roosevelt Elk Sitka Deer
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D. The Multi-layered canopy
of ancient forests has special
qualities different from those in
a younger forest canopy. A
unique plant and animal
community has evolved in these
canopies. For example, 121
species of lichens have been
identified in these canopies.
Red voles and hoary bats co-
exist with the giant trees’ long
branches. This incredible
___________ makes old growth
invaluble.
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biodiversity
I. Old Growth Forest
Plant Diversity
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Douglas Fir Needles
Condensation accounts for
20% of annual precipitation.
Average tree contains 60
million needles.
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E. Roles of dead and decaying logs
1. Provide homes & food for
animals, fungi, bacteria & 300
species of insects.
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E. Roles of dead and decaying logs
2. Decaying logs act like sponges
storing water that animals and
plants use in the dry season.
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I. Old Growth Forest
E. Roles of dead and decaying logs
3. Logs in streams create resting
pools and serve as the base for
a streamside food chain,
leading from insects to fish &
birds, and eventually to larger
mammals.
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E. Roles of dead and decaying logs
4. Logs are nutrient “sinks”,
gradually releasing essential
elements back into the
environment over an 800 year
period
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I. Old Growth Forest
E. Roles of dead and decaying logs
5. Logs become a habitat for
nitrogen fixers such as lichens
(Lobaria oregana), and provide
a habitat for mycorrhizae.
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E. Roles of dead and decaying logs
6. “Nurse logs”, provide a site for the establisment of
other tree species.
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I. Old Growth Forest
E. Roles of dead and decaying logs
6. “Nurse logs”, provide a site for the establisment of
other tree species. For example, a fallen Douglas Fir
tree becomes a nurse log for a Western Hemlock.
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F. Loss of Old Growth Forest
• Less than 5% remains.
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F. Loss of Old Growth Forest
1. Example: Western Oregon & Washington.
a. Only about 2-3 million acres remain (about 7-10%)
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F. Loss of Old Growth Forest
1. Example: Western Oregon & Washington.
a. Only about 2-3 million acres remain (about 7-10%)
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Clear Cut and Logging Roads
I. Old Growth Forest
F. Loss of Old Growth Forest
1. Example: Western Oregon & Washington.
a. Only about 2-3 million acres remain (about 7-10%)
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F. Loss of Old Growth Forest
2. Many logs go unprocessed to Japan.
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F. Loss of Old Growth Forest
3. Unless logging practices change, old growth
ecosystems may disappear.
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G. Old Growth vs. Managed Douglas
Fir Forests
1. Managed Douglas fir forests result
in a ________ look. Old growth
results in a multilayered canopy
that allows more light to reach the
forest floor.
2. The major disadvantage of
intensive forest management
practices is eliminating ________
diversity.
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plantation
genetic
I. Old Growth Forest
H. Old Growth Forests in Arizona
1. How has cable logging affected old growth forest
habitats in Arizona?
• Cable logging allows logging in formally
unreachable remote canyons.
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H. Old Growth Forests in Arizona
2. 4 species of organisms that prefer old growth forest
habitats in Arizona.
a. Mexican Spotted Owl
b. Goshawk
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I. Old Growth Forest
H. Old Growth Forests in Arizona
2. 4 species of organisms that prefer old growth forest
habitats in Arizona.
c. Wild Turkey
d. Mt. Graham Red Squirrel
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Protesting Loggers F
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Protesting Environmentalists
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A. Definie Snag: a standing dead tree
B. Past thoughts were negative.
1. Lightning strike could turn
dead wood into torch.
2. Falling branches & trees could
be dangerous to humans.
3. The space occupied by a snag
could be better used by living
trees.
4. Forest disease and pests may
live in snags.
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II. Snag Ecology
II. Snag Ecology C. Research has changed past thoughts.
1. Snags are useful for cavity nesting birds.
a. How many species in the
1) U.S.? _______
2) In Arizona? _______
b. Other birds use dead trees for
perching, roosting, courting, &
territorial display.
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
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Research has changed past thoughts.
Most of these birds feed on insects.
1. Epidemics of tree killing insects, such
as the bark beetle, occur more often
in logged areas where snags were cut
down.
2. An insect epidemic, once begun,
cannot be stopped by birds. But birds
can hold bug numbers in check.
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II. Snag Ecology
Size of snags & snags per acre.
Number of snags per acre.
1. Pacific Northwest: 7
2. Arizona: 6
Characteristics of snags.
1. 6 or more years old.
2. More than 18 inches in diameter.
3. 40 or more % bark cover.
4. 46 feet tall had more holes.
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II. Snag Ecology
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III. Forest Ecosystems and Fire A. Healthy, functional forests have always been dependent on
______________ natural fires. The pre-settlement fires frequently spread over large areas usually in the abundant grasses associated with these forests.
B. Without natural fire, numerous consequences resulted. Forests became more dense because an unprecendented number of seedlings survived. Massive amounts of pine needles, branches, and logs accumulated on the forest floor, resulting in a dangerous _______________.
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low intensity
fuel buildup
III. Forest Ecosystems and Fire C. Diasastrous wildfires in Arizona have included:
1. 1990 Dude Fire - _____________ acres burned plus 6 fire fighters killed.
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1990
2012
28,480
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2. 2000 Coon Creek Fire (Sierra Anchas)
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III. Forest Ecosystems and Fire C. Diasastrous wildfires in Arizona have included:
2. 2000 - Coon Creek Fire (Sierra Anchas)
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III. Forest Ecosystems and Fire
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2010 - Coon Creek Fire (Sierra Anchas) F
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III. Forest Ecosystems and Fire F
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III. Forest Ecosystems and Fire 2010 - Coon Creek Fire (Sierra Anchas)
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III. Forest Ecosystems and Fire C. Diasastrous wildfires in Arizona have included:
3. 2002 Rodeo-Chediski Fire _______________ acres burned.
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467,066
2002 2012
III. Forest Ecosystems and Fire C. Diasastrous wildfires in Arizona have included:
4. 2003 Aspen Fire - ___________ acres burned.
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84,750
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III. Forest Ecosystems and Fire C. Diasastrous wildfires in Arizona have included:
5. 2011 Wallow Fire - __________ acres burned.
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538,049
2012
III. Forest Ecosystems and Fire D. Yellowstone fires of 1988.
1. A total of 793, 880 acres or 36% of the park was affected by the wildfires.
2. Over 9000 firefighters battles the fires, without any fatalities.
3. The fire fighting effort cost $240 million in 2012 dollars.
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III. Forest Ecosystems and Fire D. Yellowstone fires of 1988.
1. A total of 793, 880 acres or 36% of the park was affected by the wildfires.
2. Over 9000 firefighters battles the fires, without any fatalities.
3. The fire fighting effort cost $240 million in 2012 dollars.
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III. Forest Ecosystems and Fire E. In an effort to reduce such fires, the Forest Service uses
_____________. Such fires are low intensity fires used to reduce fuel acumulations, increase forest health and create the diversity needed by wildlife. Additionally, plant nutrients are recycled into the soil which encourages new growth in a variety of plants.
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prescribed fire
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III. Forest Ecosystems and Fire F. A catastrophic wildfire greatly effects ___________ . Animals may die from
the direct exposure to heat and smoke. More significant is the animal’s loss of habitat, food sources and their displacement. A prescribed fire reduces the direct threat to wildlife.
G. Prescribed fires usually resutlt in rapid smoke dispersal and reduction of ________________ . When weather conditions change and create a situation where smoke lingers over an area, burning is discontinued.
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wildlife
lingering haze
III. Forest Ecosystems and Fire H. Keep in mind, that all forest fires are not the devastating events that we have
been taught to believe. Forest ecology management will always benefit from the natural, low, intensity fire that mother nature had provided.
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IV. Can We Restore our S.W. Forests? A century of _______________, ____________ and ______________ have radically
changed our forests. Across the landscape, southwestern forests are now much younger,
shorter and more plantation-like. ___________ year old ponderosa pines were common
at the turn of the century while today, a _______ year old tree is considered mature.
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fire suspension overlogging grazing abuse
400
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IV. Can We Restore our S.W. Forests? A. Cause of our current condition.
There is growing consensus among forest activist groups as to what
specific steps must be taken to restore the southwest's ponderosa pine
and mixed conifer forests that have been severely impacted by
decades of fire suppression, over-logging and grazing abuse.
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IV. Can We Restore our S.W. Forests? B. Forest restoration planning requires an understanding of what
___________________ forests were like as well as an understanding
of the current state of southwestern forest health.
1. These forests were characterized by large diameter trees with
interlocking crowns that could be found in multi-aged clumps or
scattered even-aged blocks.
2. Additionally, they had dense, diverse, grassy understories with lush