MILLER/SPOOLMAN, SUSTAINING THE ENVIRONMENT, 12E
CHAPTER SUMMARY
CHAPTER 6
6-1 What are the major threats to forestecosystems?
Human activities have caused or contributed to the premature extinction of hundreds of species. They have, in addition, degraded from 50–83% of the earth’s land surface.CONCEPT 6-1 Unsustainable cutting and burningof forests, especially in tropical areas, is a potentiallycatastrophic problem because of the vital ecologicalservices at risk and the growing contribution to globalwarming.
- Distinguish between old-growth forest and second-growth forest. List five reasons why forests are commercially important. List five reasons why forests are ecologically important.
- List three ways to help reduce the interlocking problems of tropical deforestation and the fuelwood crisis.
- State the rates of tropical deforestation. List five ways that tropical forests touch lives in the temperate zones. List three factors underlying causes of tropical deforestation. List eight human activities that actually destroy the tropical forests. List five ways that tropical deforestation could be reduced.
- Describe the advantages and disadvantages of clear-cutting a forest ecosystem.
- Describe the natural capital of forests in terms of ecological and economic services.
6-2 How should we manage and sustainforests?
In order to preserve natural environments, countries must establish and manage nature reserves as well as wilderness areas.CONCEPT 6-2 We can sustain forests by emphasizingthe economic value of their ecological services, protectingold-growth forests, harvesting trees no faster than they arereplenished, and using sustainable substitute resources.
- Describe the steps in forest management. List and summarize the goals for three types of tree harvesting.
- Define and describe at least seven characteristics of sustainable forestry.
6-3 How should we manage and sustain parksand nature reserves?
Sustainably managing and protecting wilderness helps preserve large areas of biodiversity.CONCEPT 6-3 Sustaining biodiversity will requireprotecting much more of the earth’s remainingundisturbed land area as parks and nature reserves.
8.Briefly describe the extent of national parks worldwide. Describe a major problem of national parks. State three steps that could improve the national park system. Evaluate the wolf controversy, take a stand, and defend it.
9.Define wilderness. Describe a biosphere reserve. State one problem of wilderness areas and describe how that problem could be managed better.
10.Compare the status of U.S. forests from 1900 and the present. Summarize how U.S. forests are currently managed. List ways environmentalists recommend to reform federal forest management, including: (a) two changes in resource-use practices, (b) three economic strategies, and (c) three political strategies.
6-4 What is the ecosystem approach tosustaining terrestrial biodiversity?
We must focus on protecting and sustaining ecosystems and the biodiversity within them rather than on saving individual species. CONCEPT 6-4 Sustaining terrestrial biodiversity willrequire preserving threatened areas that are richestin biodiversity (hotspots), mounting a global effort torehabilitate and restore damaged ecosystems, and sharingas much of the earth’s land as possible with other species.
11.What is a biodiversity hotspot? Give three supporting reasons why it is important to protect such areas.
12.Define and give three examples of ecological restoration.
6-5 How can we protect and sustain marinebiodiversity?
Marine biodiversity must be protected in all ocean zones through marine sanctuaries and integrated coastal management. CONCEPT 6-5 We can help sustain marinebiodiversity by using laws and economic incentives toprotect species, setting aside marine reserves to protectecosystems and using community-based integrated coastalmanagement.
13.Summarize ways to globally manage marine fisheries to prevent over fishing.
14.Define the importance of aquatic biodiversity and describe three ways to protect and sustain marine biodiversity.
6-6 How can we protect and sustainfreshwater biodiversity?
Everything that is done on land and in the water has some effect on freshwater aquatic systems, so they must be protected through laws, economic incentives, and restoration efforts. CONCEPT 6-6 Protecting freshwater ecosystems mustinclude protection of their watersheds, preservation ofremaining wetlands, and restoration of degraded anddestroyed wetlands.
15.Define the importance of aquatic biodiversity and describe three ways to protect and sustain freshwater biodiversity.
16.Describe three ways that freshwater ecosystems are threatened.
6-7 What should be our priorities forsustaining biodiversity?
Lessons from ecology can help us in sustaining the earth’s biodiversity as we live upon it. We must understand our dependence on the earth and sun; understand that everything is inter-dependent; maximize protection of ecosystems; foresee and provide for our actions, and discontinue depleting and degrading our environment.CONCEPT 6-7 Sustaining the world’s biodiversity andecosystem services will require mapping terrestrial andaquatic biodiversity, maximizing protection of undevelopedterrestrial and aquatic areas, and carrying out ecologicalrestoration projects worldwide.
17.List and briefly explain four of the priorities for protecting most of the world’s remaining ecosystems as proposed by Edward O. Wilson.