Compare and contrast an old-growth (primary) forest with a tree farm.
What will be an ideal response?
Old growth forests have the following characteristics: very high levels of biodiversity, many unique species live only in old-growth forests, they accumulate more total biomass in standing vegetation per unit area than any other ecosystem, little or no erosion, nutrient-rich soil, only a small percentage remains and large percentages of that are scheduled to be harvested, the most valuable of these forests are protected (at least for now). Tree farms have the following characteristics: the types and sizes of trees can vary depending upon the cutting technique that is used; however, most are made up of one type of tree, most of which are about the same age and size (clear-cutting), typically soil erosion is prevalent due to lack of undergrowth, rotting logs, and other vegetation, soil is also typically nutrient-poor (no vegetation to be recycled-everything is removed), very little biodiversity due to little variation in habitat, alternative methods of cutting such as selective cutting are much better environmentally-decreases erosion, improves soil quality, increases biodiversity among other benefits.
You might also like to view...
An elephant and a feather fall from a tree through the air to the ground below. The amount of air-resistance force is greater on the
A) elephant. B) feather. C) is the same on each
Evaluate how ethnic clustering could prevent the integration of diverse ethnic groups in the United States and Canada
What will be an ideal response?
An arête is a narrow, serrated ridge between two glacial valleys or adjacent cirques. Indicate whether the statement is true or false
Creep is a slow type of mass wasting that moves at a rate of a few centimeters per year
Indicate whether this statement is true or false.