08/11 This is one in a series of fact sheets composed by the California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom (CFAITC). For additional educational materials: CFAITC, 2300 River Plaza Drive, Sacramento, CA 95833-3293 (916) 561-5625 (800) 700-AITC Fax: (916) 561-5697 Email: [email protected] Website: www.LearnAboutAg.org ©2011 California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom. All rights reserved. Sources – Approximately one-third of California’s 100 million acres is forests. Over half of California’s Forestland is under public ownership by the federal or state government. Approx- imately 11 percent of California’s forestland is privately owned and managed for timber production. California is home to 52 native spe- cies of conifer trees. Conifer trees produce cones, have leaves that are needle-like and are evergreen. Needles are like solar panels for the tree, capturing energy from the sun through photosynthesis and converting carbon dioxide and wa- ter into sugars used for growth and reproduction. The roots absorb water and nutrients from the soil, transporting them through the trunk to the rest of the tree. The trunk protects the tree and provides sup- port. In spring, a tree grows wood in a ring of large, light cells. In summer, it grows more slowly, forming a ring of darker, smaller cells. Dark rings are counted to tell the age of the tree. Coastal redwood, Douglas-fir, white fir, sugar pine, ponderosa pine and incense-cedar form the mainstay of California’s forest products industry. California utilizes the equivalent of one 100 foot tall tree per person per year in forest prod- ucts. Trees are a renewable resource. In addition to natural regeneration, foresters replant an average of 30 million seedlings annually—about one for each person in the state. Uses – California’s forests provide more than just forest products. They provide beauty, sources of recreation and are home to many Californians and to nearly 650 species of fish and wildlife. Forests protect against erosion, purify the air through photosynthesis and filter water. Nearly 100 per- cent of each tree is used to produce more than 5,000 prod- ucts. Lumber, furniture and paper are easily identified wood products. Other items are less obvious. Rayon is cellulose acetate, a by-product of tree fibers. Lignin, which holds tree cells together, is often used as a thickener in baby foods, pet foods and cosmetics. Baked goods sometimes contain torula yeast, derived from sugars in wood pulp. Flavorings and fra- grances from tree oils are often used in foods, beverages, cosmetics and medicines. Wood is 50 percent carbon. When trees are made into wood products, the carbon is stored for the life of the product. Wood waste from the milling process is often used to produce electricity. This provides a renewable source of power, which is an environmentally friendly alterna- tive to burning fossil fuels. History – Long before the ar- rival of Europeans, Native Ameri- cans lived in and around for- ests. They burned and opened up parts of the forest to provide wood for daily needs, build vil- lages, plant crops, make hunt- ing easier and to protect against enemies. The process helped maintain forest health. Arriving in the 1600s, European settlers respected the forests which gave them building materials and plenty of game. In colonial days, towns often had a liberty tree, under which important decisions were made. A tree was stamped on America’s first coins and trees were sewn on the flags of the first colonies. During the settlement of the West in the mid-1800s, wood was used without much thought of the future. The Gold Rush town of San Francisco was built almost en- tirely of redwood—even its curbs. Today, California foresters prac- tice sustainable forestry—more trees are grown than har- vested. The amount of U.S. forestland has increased in the last 20 years. Economic Value – California has more forestland than any state, except Alaska. Our state is among the top five pro- ducers of wood products in the nation. California’s lumber, wood products, paper and allied industries provide an an- nual payroll of more than $4 billion to employees annually. Approximately three percent of California’s lumber is exported outside the U.S. For additional information: The Forest Foundation (866) 241-TREE Fax: (530) 823-1850 Email: [email protected] Website: www.calforestfoundation.org Forest Resources Information compiled by the Forest Foundation Natural Resources Fact Sheet
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08/11
ThisisoneinaseriesoffactsheetscomposedbytheCaliforniaFoundationforAgricultureintheClassroom(CFAITC).Foradditionaleducationalmaterials:CFAITC,2300RiverPlazaDrive,Sacramento,CA95833-3293(916)561-5625 (800)700-AITC Fax:(916)561-5697Email:[email protected] Website:www.LearnAboutAg.org ©2011CaliforniaFoundationforAgricultureintheClassroom.Allrightsreserved.
Sources – Approximatelyone-thirdofCalifornia’s100millionacresisforests.OverhalfofCalifornia’sForestlandisunderpublicownershipbythefederalorstategovernment.Approx-imately 11 percent of California’sforestland is privately owned andmanaged for timber production.Californiaishometo52nativespe-ciesofconifertrees.Conifertreesproduce cones, have leaves thatareneedle-likeandareevergreen.Needles are like solar panels forthetree,capturingenergyfromthesun through photosynthesis andconvertingcarbondioxideandwa-terintosugarsusedforgrowthandreproduction. The roots absorbwater and nutrients from the soil,transportingthemthroughthetrunkto the rest of the tree. The trunkprotectsthetreeandprovidessup-port.Inspring,atreegrowswoodina ringof large, light cells. Insummer, it grows more slowly,forming a ring of darker, smallercells.Darkringsarecountedtotelltheageofthetree.
Coastal redwood, Douglas-fir,white fir, sugar pine, ponderosapine and incense-cedar form the mainstay of California’sforest products industry. California utilizes the equivalentofone100foottalltreeperpersonperyearinforestprod-ucts.Treesarearenewableresource.Inadditiontonaturalregeneration, foresters replant an average of 30 millionseedlingsannually—aboutoneforeachpersoninthestate.
Uses – California’s forests provide more than just forestproducts. They provide beauty, sources of recreation andarehometomanyCaliforniansandtonearly650speciesoffishandwildlife.Forestsprotectagainsterosion,purify theairthroughphotosynthesisandfilterwater.Nearly100per-centofeachtreeisusedtoproducemorethan5,000prod-ucts.Lumber,furnitureandpaperareeasilyidentifiedwoodproducts.Other itemsare lessobvious.Rayon iscelluloseacetate,aby-productoftreefibers.Lignin,whichholdstreecellstogether,isoftenusedasathickenerinbabyfoods,petfoodsandcosmetics.Bakedgoodssometimescontaintorulayeast,derivedfromsugarsinwoodpulp.Flavoringsandfra-grances fromtreeoilsareoftenused in foods,beverages,cosmeticsandmedicines.Woodis50percentcarbon.Whentreesaremadeintowoodproducts,thecarbonisstoredforthelifeoftheproduct.Woodwastefromthemillingprocess
isoftenusedtoproduceelectricity.Thisprovidesarenewablesourceofpower,whichisanenvironmentallyfriendlyalterna-tivetoburningfossilfuels.
History – Long before the ar-rivalofEuropeans,NativeAmeri-cans lived in and around for-ests. They burned and openedup parts of the forest to providewood for daily needs, build vil-lages, plant crops, make hunt-ing easier and to protect againstenemies. The process helpedmaintain forest health. Arrivingin the 1600s, European settlersrespected the forestswhichgavethembuildingmaterialsandplentyof game. In colonial days, townsoften had a liberty tree, underwhich important decisions weremade. A tree was stamped onAmerica’s first coins and treesweresewnontheflagsofthefirstcolonies.DuringthesettlementoftheWest in themid-1800s,woodwasusedwithoutmuchthoughtofthefuture.TheGoldRushtownofSanFranciscowasbuiltalmosten-tirelyofredwood—evenitscurbs.Today, California foresters prac-
tice sustainable forestry—more trees are grown than har-vested.TheamountofU.S.forestlandhasincreasedinthelast20years.
Economic Value – Californiahasmoreforestlandthananystate, exceptAlaska. Our state is among the top five pro-ducers ofwoodproducts in the nation.California’s lumber,wood products, paper and allied industries provide an an-nualpayroll ofmore than$4billion toemployeesannually.ApproximatelythreepercentofCalifornia’slumberisexportedoutsidetheU.S.
For additional information:TheForestFoundation(866)241-TREEFax:(530)823-1850Email:[email protected]:www.calforestfoundation.org
Forest ResourcesInformation compiled by the Forest Foundation
Natural Resources Fact Sheet
08/11
ThisisoneinaseriesoffactsheetscomposedbytheCaliforniaFoundationforAgricultureintheClassroom(CFAITC).Foradditionaleducationalmaterials:CFAITC,2300RiverPlazaDrive,Sacramento,CA95833-3293(916)561-5625 (800)700-AITC Fax:(916)561-5697Email:[email protected] Website:www.LearnAboutAg.org ©2011CaliforniaFoundationforAgricultureintheClassroom.Allrightsreserved.
Lesson Ideas• Listthevarietyofproductsinyourkitchenthatcomefromtrees.• Visitalumbermillorapaperprocessingplant.• Helpplanandcookabreakfast;listtheingredientsyouusedthatcomefromtrees.
• Makeacollageofeverydayitemsmadefromtreesthatdonotlooklikewood.
• Makeatrailmixmadefromtreeproducts.Includefruits,nuts,andsweeteners.
• Makeasandtableforestscene.ShowhowNativeAmericansmadeopeningsintheforestthroughfireandharvestingtoprovidefortheirneeds.
• Contactaforestertofindoutthekindsoftoolsusedtomeasureandworkwithtrees.
• Visitacogenerationplanttofindourhowelectricalenergyisproducedfromforestby-products.
• Findtheheightofatreeatyourschoolusingaclinometerandtriangulation,amethodofgeometry.
• Countthedarkringsofawaferofwoodtodetermineitsage.
Fantastic Facts1. ApproximatelyhowmuchofCaliforniaiscoveredinforests?2. WheredoesCaliforniarankinUnitedStatesproductionof
lumber?3. HowmuchofCalifornia’slumberisexportedoutsidethe
UnitedStates?4. Nameafabricmadefromtreefibers.5. ListonereasonNativeAmericansusedcontrolledburnsinthe
forest.6. HowmanyspeciesoffishandwildlifeinhabitCalifornia’s
forests?7. Abouthowmanyforestproductscomefromtrees?8. Namethreeofthesixmaintypesofconifersusedfor
Californiawoodproducts.
1)One-third2)Rankedamongthetop5producers3)Threepercent4)Rayon5)Buildingvillages,plantingcrops,hunting,orprotectingthemselvesfromattack6)Approximately6507)5,0008)Coastalredwood,Douglas-fir,whitefir,sugarpine,ponderosapineorincensecedar
Lesson Plan: Making Recycled PaperIntroduction:ThewordpapercomesfromtheLatinword“papy-rus,”namedaftertheEgyptianreedfromwhichpaperwasfirstmade.Inthisactivity,studentswillcreaterecycledpaper—aforestproduct.
Materials:Largesquarepanaboutthreeinchesdeep,largebowl,3cupsofwater,alargesectionofnewspaper,rollingpin.
Procedure:1. Tearoneortwopagesofnewspaperintosmallpiecesofone
inchorless.
2. Putthepaperchipsintoalargebowlandaddthreecupswatertoit.Keepaddingpaper,tearingitandsqueezingit,untilthemixturelookslikethickoatmeal.
3. Withthepanturnedupsidedown,placeabout1cupofthe
blendedpulpoverthebottomofthepan.Spreaditwithyourfingersevenlyacrosstheentirearea.
4. Layseveralsheetsofnewspaperoverthepulp,thencarefullyturnthepanover.Removethepan.Yourpulp“square”isnowsittingonthenewspaper.
5. Closethenewspaperoverthepulp.Usingtherollingpin,rolloverthenewspapertoblotouttheextrawater.
6. Uncoverandletthenew“paper”drycompletely.Whenitisthoroughlydry,peelyournew“recycledpaper”awayfromthenewspaper.Itcannowbecuttoanysizeandusedtomakeavarietyofthings.
7. Havestudentsmakeagreetingcardoutoftheirrecycledpaper.Theycandrawdesignsoruseglitterandgluetowriteamessage.
#1Seedlings are often damaged or destroyed by animals, insects, drought, and plant competition. Modern forestry techniques allow 80 percent of seedlings to reach cone-bearing age.
#2
Saplings grow vigorously, cleaning the air of greenhouse gases and releasing oxygen.
#3
Light filtering through adolescent forests stimulates growth of understory plants, providing idealforaging for animals, who then becomeprey to others.
#4
In established forests, foresters
control disease and insects. They build trails and roads to provide access to
firefighters.
#5
The mature forest provides recreation, warershed for urban
and rural communities, animal habitats, and a host of wood products for our everyday lives.
Forest Resources Activity Sheet
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