Saving the Old Growth Forests America’s Old Growth Forests are an endangered resource that is quickly disappearing. The ancient forests are being unnecessarily wasted, and are growing smaller and smaller with each passing moment. Because the logging industry and the organizations in control of much of the remaining old growth (approx. 5%) are failing to see its value from an ecological/spiritual perspective, the children of tomorrow may never gaze upon the history of today if we do not take
Management of Old-growth Forests in the Pacific Northwest When westward expansion brought settlers to the Northwest in the 1800s, they discovered that coniferous trees “forty feet in circumference [that] shot two-hundred feet straight up” flourished in the forests of the Pacific coast (Ervin 55). These early pioneers found the opportunity for economic growth in logging these vast forests of towering trees unlike any they had seen before. Today, the timber industry still remains the backbone
wildlife habitats and food sources, forest management, increased water yield, insect control, and much more. Many believe that deer, elk, and other animals shy away from logging areas. This thought is understandable because of the commotion logging creates. However, the account previously presented is real and... ... middle of paper ... ...cies: Opposing Viewpoints. Ed. Brenda Stalcup. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 1996.130-131. "Forests, Fire and Logging : Setting the Record
Discussion Reproduction and passing on genetic and behavioral traits to an offspring is a common fundamental to all the species on this planet. When studying forest ecology, it is crucial to study the proportion of individuals surviving at each stage of their growth as the lives and mortality experienced in a species population describes a characteristic of the species in question. In the case of American beech and sugar maple, their attempt to produce seeds is analogous to entering lottery, where
Pacific Northwest. Under the Act, logging of many old-growth forests has been suspended to protect the bird and its remaining habitat. Survival of the Northern Spotted Owl The Northern Spotted Owl can only live in old growth environment, it is considered an “indicator species”: The health of the Northern Spotted Owl population indicates the health of the old-growth forest ecosystem. An individual Northern Spotted Owl needs more than 3,000 acres of old growth to survive, because of its scarce food supply
Eric Katz’s The Big Lie: Human Restoration of Nature, written in 1992, he discusses the moral responsibility humanity has to restore nature. He starts by saying that current policies give the message that humanity has the responsibility and means to restore nature, and that these beliefs have become principles of environmental philosophers. Katz’s argues against the belief that humanity has the responsibility to restore nature, or the ability. This belief is based on a “misperception of natural
Eighty-five percent of the trees that are being cut down are old growth. Old growth forests are forests that provide a crucial habitat for wildlife, cleanse toxins out of the air and water, are the home to the cultural heritage of many indigenous groups and are the source of many useful plants. Only twenty-two percent of the world’s old growth remains intact. In the United States, less than four percent of its old growth forests are still standing. Brazil contains 65 percent of the Amazon
In an article in the U.S. News and World Report , author Stephen Budiansky tells of a similar situation in Wisconsin. He says, "rare orchids and the hardwood and hemlock forests have failed to reproduce for fifty years(85)." He tells about botanist, William Alverson of the University of Wisconsin who has studied old growth forests in Wisconsin for many years. In his studies, Alverson found that the dominant hemlocks and white cedars have failed to reproduce. When asked what was causing the problem
Games to showcase and implement solutions to global environmental problems, including alternatives to toxic materials and renewable energy. Protect oceans from overfishing and establish a global whale sanctuary. Protect the world's remaining old growth forests. Eliminate sources of dioxin and other persistent organic pollutants (POPs) including PVC, and ensure legislation to prevent toxic waste dumping. Protect future generations from the effects of nuclear contamination by ending the nuclear fuel
Under the Crown Timber Act, long term management was prepared. Then the many steps needed to rebuild a forest began. Included in this report will be information on the effects of cutting and replanting, such as Carbon Dioxide, and Global Warming. Following this will be methods for planning a forest, and how they are conveyed before planting in a forest begins. There are many reasons why forests are cut down. One is to benefit economically, with furniture and home building. But there is also another
being, conservationists and private landowners have been debating over whether to preserve the habitats of many endangered species found in unprotected areas (Ligon et al, 1986). Increasing levels of human development has led to the cutting of old-growth forests and construction of roads and other physical barriers to wildlife. These activities have greatly contributed to the fragmentation of wildlife habitat, which has had detrimental effects on the population structure and survivorship of the affected
near extinction of our national forests. Today, fewer than five percent of our country's original forests remain (Thirteen) and the U.S. Forest Service continues to allow more than 136,000 square miles to be logged each year (Byrant). Even more alarming, is the fact that only twenty percent of the current public forest lands are permanently protected by law, leaving nearly eighty percent to be consumed by chainsaws and bulldozers (Heritage...). National forests, or the sections of land set aside
(input and output) Climate Daylight Plant life Clear Cutting Clear Cutting seriously effects all aspects of an ecosystem Maine is, per capita, the most heavily logged state in the continental U.S. Why Clear Cutting is Used Simple Creates a uniform forest to harvest in 40 years or so Easy to replant Cheap to Maintain (pesticides) Clear Cutting Impacts on Streams Clear Cutting seriously effects stream ecosystems The effects of clear cutting can be felt on stream ecosystems for up to 60 years The First
greatly populated area but people came from miles around for the services. As the settlement grew so did the congregation and they soon built a new church on High Street in 1841. Even with the main church there were still occasional services held in the old one until is was blown down by a storm in 1866 (Hein, 957). In 1970, Mrs Harry Clark Boden IV led the building of a replication of the church as a tribute to the early settlers in the area, especially to their ancestors who first ran the Clark's ferry
Industry vs. The Old Growth Forests of the Pacific Northwest and the Northern Spotted Owl. The Pacific Northwest is perhaps most commonly known for its awe-inspiring old growth forests that have been gracing the land for hundreds and hundreds of years. The land in British Colombia, Canada, Washington state, Oregon, and parts of Northern California are the only areas in the world where these forests exist. One of the most unique and amazing inhabitants of this age-old forest is the Northern Spotted
The Northern Spotted Owl is said to be located in the Old Growth Forests of Northern California, Oregon, Washington and some small areas in British Columbia, and Canada. The northern spotted owl has inhabited these areas for hundreds of years, yet was only found as a species in the early 1900’s. We are all aware the Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis caurina) is a keystone species, but it is also known as an indicator species of Old Growth Forests. Thanks to the constant need for lumber from timber companies
Forest management is the maintaining and management of not only the trees in the forest, but the streams, habitat, watersheds, and even the decaying trees or logs on the forest floor. Managing our forests is not only important to the wildlife, but to our future economy and way of life. We need to continue to save the Oregon forests and help the ecosystems within them because human beings are also part of the ecosystem. By using forest management, it can help certain species of wildlife. Some species
well on its way to destroying most of the old growth forests of the Pacific Northwest. Environmentalists swarmed the area, sabotaging logging efforts and calling for strict limitations on logging in the region. The logging industry "successfully portrayed the animal as the reason for layoffs: "The connection with the spotted owl is jobs vs. environment.""(Brokaw, 1996). The spotted owl is an eighteen-inch tall bird-of-prey that roams the thick forests of the Pacific Norwest. The adult spotted
threaten the species or its' habitat. It is the latter part of the bill that causes the controversy. Under the ESA, loggers should not be allowed to cut down the old- growth of the forest. The old growth of a forest includes the largest and oldest trees, living or dead. In the case of the North Coast forests, this includes some thousand-year-old stands with heights above three-hundred feet and diameters of more than ten feet. In 1990, the number of spotted owls dropped to 2000 breeding pairs. The
Carbon Sequestration in Forest Ecosystems Amid growing concerns about increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, mitigation techniques that reduce levels of greenhouse gases are receiving attention as a possible remedy for climate change. Forest ecosystems play an important role in the global carbon cycle, but there are still questions about how significant of a role they play and how manipulating management plans affects a forested area’s carbon sequestration potential. Various