RETURNING TREES TO HAITI

CHAPTER 11 FORESTS

Repairing a Forest Ecosystem One Tree at a Time

Deforestation is the net loss of trees in a forested area.

Forests are biomes dominated by trees. Each biome is determined by the temperature and amount of precipitation in the area

The ___________ forest does not have distinct temperature season but is characterized by wet and dry seasons. The soils in this biome are thin and acidic, and decomposition rates by fungi and bacteria are rapid. 

A. borealB. temperateC. tropicalD. chaparral

Clicker Question

Forests:

cover 30 percent of the planet

contain 50 percent of Earth’s terrestrial life

contain 60 percent of Earth’s green, photosynthesizing leaves

Forests provide so many ecosystem services that human needs are often pitted against forest conservation goals.

In Haiti, where most people live on less than $2 a day, trees provide food, energy, building material, and desperately needed income.

About 500 years ago, two-thirds of Haiti was covered in forests. Today, less than 2 percent of that original forest remains and 6 percent of the land has no soil left at all.

Much of the forests have been cleared for coffee and sugar plantations, and

small subsistence farms.

Crop yields have shrunk and mudslides have increased—with no trees to stop water rushing down mountains. In 2004, mudslides killed more than 2,000 people in Gonaives.

Haitians roast wood to create charcoal they can

use for fuel and to sell. The process releases carbon

dioxide and soot, polluting the air.

Charcoal produced from wood is the only means

Haitians have to heat homes, prepare food, and fuel their

businesses.

Forests pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. They

are the world’s largest carbon sinks: areas that

store more carbon than they release.

Forest leaves produce so much oxygen that they are

commonly referred to as “the lungs of the planet.”

Today, Haitians are working with American ecologists to plant thousands of fruit and

timber trees.

Most forests have four layers. The saplings the Haitians are planting

make up the understory layer.

Nearly every layer of forest provides food and habitat for animals, fungi, and microbes

that help the ecosystem function.

Forests also provide economic benefits: wood products, food, recreational

hunting.

Global deforestation has slowed considerably, from 9 million hectares in the 1990s to 5.2

million hectares in 2000.

A hectare (ha) is a metric unit to measure area: 1 ha = 2.5 acres. So, 15 acres is equal to ______ .

A. 6 haB. 15 haC. 37 haD. 9 ha

Clicker Question

The planet still has a net loss of forests every year, mostly due to harvesting for wood, conversion of forests into agricultural land, and urbanization.

In 1905, the United States created the National Forest Service (NFS), which today

oversees 155 national forests.

The NFS promotes Forest Ecosystem Management (FEM), which includes less-disruptive harvesting techniques, as well as forest restoration and research.

When trees are harvested properly, they can provide immediate and long-term economic benefits without serious environmental damage.

Forest management has its critics: Conflicting interests make it difficult to achieve a balance

between multiple forest uses and ecosystem protection.

For example, Pacific Northwest trees provide jobs and products,

but harvesting can harm biodiversity and salmon runs, vital

for ecosystem health, native cultures, and the tourism industry.

One solution is to price the ecosystem services: In Costa Rica, higher utility bills offset the costs

of maintaining rainforests that purify and replenish water.

Other options include the promotion and increased

availability of sustainable wood products.

Worldwide, more than 6 percent of forests are certified

by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) as sustainably

managed.

Some countries can also promote forest protection as part of

ecotourism: low-impact travel to natural areas that contributes to

protecting the environment.

Forests are so important economically, ecologically,

recreationally, and spiritually that they will always be a

contentious resource.