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BC’s Forests. Unit 1: Human Geography Ms. Thind. Why are forests important?. Emits O2 and Co2 sink Biodiversity of life forms Provides shelter Employment and revenue. Why are the world’s forests at risk?.
 
                
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BC’s Forests Unit 1: Human Geography Ms. Thind
Why are forests important? • Emits O2 and Co2 sink • Biodiversity of life forms • Provides shelter • Employment and revenue
Why are the world’s forests at risk? • Increasing industrial and population growth  clear cutting for housing, recreation, and agriculture.
Why are BC’s forests at risk? • Population growth • Urban development • Resource extraction • Climate change: hot/dry summers and mild winters  increased pine beetle infestation.
Species affected: Spirit Bear • Logging of old growth trees have removed close to 70% of dens. • Logging roads  easier access to remote areas for illegal poachers. • Logging roads fracture feeding area. • Logging  landslides  increased silt content in rivers and streams  diminishes salmon spawning grounds  lack of food.
Species affected: Sockeye Salmon • Forests hold together soil and rock and stabilizes stream channels  clearing creates more run off into ocean and diminishing spawning habitat. • Increased sediment in streams • Increased landslides • Loss of canopy  increased absorption of light  increased temperatures.
Case Study: Sawmill Explosions • January 2012: Babins Forest Products in Burns Lake killed 2 and injured 19. • April 2012: Lakeland Mills in Prince George killed 1 and injured a further 24.
Why? • Fuel + Explosive agent + Dust + confined space + Oxygen. • Connection between pine beetle and these explosions: • close to 70% of the wood supplied was pine beetle infested  dust produced does contains less moisture than healthy trees  can catch on fire easier.
Effects of deforestation • Destruction of habitat  loss of animal and plant species • Less fertile due to lack of humus soil  no regrowth  soil erosion • Soil erosion  more surface runoff and flooding • Barriers to fish spawning • Silt washes in from logging and urbanization washes away fish eggs • Lack of trees to absorb co2 and produce o2  global warming