ENVS10011 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Bush Tucker, Secondary Forest, Bioenergy
17 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
WEEK 5: GOODS + SERVICES: FORESTS + WOODLANDS
Timber + Pulpwood
Wood (Timber)
• Lignocelullose: env friendly, renewable resource, fixes carbon + degradable
• USES: construction (buildings, vehicles, vessels, furniture), energy, weaponry, storage
• TYPES: roundwood, sawn timber
• Global Timber Production:
o Continual increase from 1960’s to present
o 5th highest material produced in 2010
Paper (Pulpwood)
• Made of cellulose fibres – lignin must be discarded
• Supposedly invented in China AD 105
• Reached Europe in the 11th century
• Before 1800’s: made from fibres of flax or cotton
• 1840’s: first tech for making pulps from wood
• 1980: paper made by 75% virgin wood fibre from trees
• 2007: 47% wood fibre, 48% recycled paper, 5% alt fibres
Non-Wood Forest Products
• Medicinal plants
• Animal based NWFP: bushmeat, game, honey
• Plant based NWFP: bushfood, mushrooms, gum, cork
Bioenergy
Using wood as fuel
• Historically: wood accounted for >90% of energy production in US (1850)
o By 1910, reduced to 10% - availability of coal
• Today: Africa (27%), Latin America (13%), Asia + Oceania (5%)
o 40% of pop in developing countries cook with firewood
Ecosystem Services
Water Supply
• Forested catchments provide clean + continuous water supply + protect water quality
• Transpiration: water vapour expelled from plant surfaces
• Value has been recognised for a long time
• Young forests: use more water than old forest
Regional Climate + Forests
• Create precipitation – hard to prove
• Moisten continental air, drying therefore warming = after deforestation
• Drag rains inland – humid air wouldn’t move so far without trees – trees remoisten air
Forests + Water
• Stabilise water supply
• Ensure water quality – filter runoff + reduce erosion
• Feed air humidity through transpiration
• Access deep groundwater + connect to water cycle
Document Summary
Week 5: goods + services: forests + woodlands. Non-wood forest products: medicinal plants, animal based nwfp: bushmeat, game, honey, plant based nwfp: bushfood, mushrooms, gum, cork. Water supply: forested catchments provide clean + continuous water supply + protect water quality, transpiration: water vapour expelled from plant surfaces, value has been recognised for a long time, young forests: use more water than old forest. Regional climate + forests: create precipitation hard to prove, moisten continental air, drying therefore warming = after deforestation, drag rains inland humid air wouldn"t move so far without trees trees remoisten air. Forests + water: stabilise water supply, ensure water quality filter runoff + reduce erosion, feed air humidity through transpiration, access deep groundwater + connect to water cycle. Protective functions: mountains: protect from landslide + floods. Social + cultural services: forests are managed for public recreation services, camping, hiking, national park.
