Deck 6: Environmental Conservation: Forests, Grasslands, Parks, and Nature Preserves

Question 1

What are some tropical forest (or formerly forest) resources you use?

Answer 1

We use mainly two types of resources from tropical forest (or formerly forest) are wood and non-wood.
1. Wood products :
These include following products like:
• Wood for making food
• Wood for fire.
• Logs, which are used as a building material.
• Wood is also used in making plywood, which can be used to make other products such as furniture: table, chair etc.
• Wood also used to make pulp for paper.
2. Non-wood products are food coloring, fruits, nuts, rubber, bark, dyes, fibers, gums, latexes, oils, resins, tanning compounds, waxes and fragrances etc.

Question 2

What continent is experiencing the greatest forest losses?

Answer 2

In
, Brazil (South America) was reported to have lost
million ha of forest to reimbursement and fires. This was the highest rate in the world, but Brazil also has by far the largest tropical forest. In
, Brazil claimed its deforestation rate had fallen below 1 million ha.

Question 3

Apply the principles you have learned in this chapter to discuss these questions with other students.
Calculating forest area and forest losses is complicated by the difficulty of defining exactly what constitutes a forest. Outline a definition for what counts as forest in your area, in terms of size, density, height, or other characteristics. Compare your definition to those of your colleagues. Is it easy to agree? Would your definition change if you lived in a different region?

Answer 3

The democratic procedure is reliant on compromise and popularity. Olden time has frequently verified that popularity is not the top sign of suitability. The truth, demands that the scientist look for accurate outlooks of phenomena, rather than support popular outlooks. A small amount of the scientists most respected at present were popular in their lifetimes, since of their tendency to accurate misreading, however we declare these counter-culture persons to be the top of civil servants.
Scientists have always been beset by the problem of funding, whether open or secret. When study brings an undesired result support tends to dry up, forcing the scientist to search for funding away or work at a different career. The community is not served when this happens.

Question 4

What is REDD, and how might it work?

Question 5

Apply the principles you have learned in this chapter to discuss these questions with other students.
There is considerable uncertainty about the extent of degradation on grazing lands. Suppose you were a range management scientist, and it was your job to evaluate degradation for the state of Montana. What data would you need? With an infinite budget, how would you gather the data you need? How would you proceed if you had a very small budget?

Question 6

Why is fire suppression a controversial strategy?

Question 7

Apply the principles you have learned in this chapter to discuss these questions with other students.
Why do you suppose dry tropical forest and tundra are well represented in protected areas, while grasslands and wetlands are protected relatively rarely? Consider social, cultural, geographic, and economic reasons in your answer.

Question 8

What portion of the United States' public rangelands are in poor or very poor condition due to overgrazing? Why do some groups say grazing fees amount to a "hidden subsidy"?

Question 9

Apply the principles you have learned in this chapter to discuss these questions with other students.
Oil and gas companies want to drill in several parks, monuments, and wildlife refuges. Do you think this should be allowed? Why or why not? Under what conditions would drilling be allowable?

Question 10

What is rotational grazing , and how does it mimic natural processes?

Question 11

How do the size and design of nature preserves influence their effectiveness? What do landscape ecologists mean by interior habitat and edge effects ?

Question 12

What percentage of the earth's land area has some sort of protected status? How has the amount of protected areas changed globally?

Question 13

Apply the principles you have learned in this chapter to discuss these questions with other students.
Conservationists argue that watershed protection and other ecological functions of forests are more economically valuable than timber. Timber companies argue that continued production supports stable jobs and local economies. If you were a judge attempting to decide which group was right, what evidence would you need on both sides? How would you gather this evidence?

Question 14

What is ecotourism , and why is it important?

Question 15

How does deforestation contribute to carbon emissions?

Question 16

What is a biosphere reserve , and how does it differ from a wilderness area or wildlife preserve?

Question 17

What do we mean by closed-canopy forest and old-growth forest?

Question 18

Apply the principles you have learned in this chapter to discuss these questions with other students.
Divide your class into a ranching group, a conservation group, and a suburban home-builders group, and debate the merits of subsidized grazing in the American West. What is the best use of the land? What landscapes are most desirable? Why? How do you propose to maintain these landscapes?