Forests and Fisheries

An overview 7th grade West Frederick Middle School

Introduction
How

are fish and trees similar?

What

products do you use daily that were created from living organisms?

Forest Resources
Forests

contain many natural resources we need for the materials we use such as:
Maple syrup, seeds, nuts, rubber, lumber, and paper

What

other renewable resources are trees needed for?

Why are trees important?

They

absorb carbon dioxide and other toxins Help prevent flooding Help prevent erosion

Because their roots absorb rain water and hold the soil together

Managing Forests Intro

Nearly

a third of the United States is comprised of Forests. forests are public property, however, some are privately owned.

Most

What do you think the privately owned forests are used for?

Managing Forests- Logging

Clearing

Cutting- the process of cutting all the trees in an area

Advantages- quick, less time, less money spent to produce the products people need. Disadvantages- exposes soil to wind and rain

Managing Forests- Logging

Selective

cutting- cutting down some of the trees in a forest and leaving a mixture of different sized trees left in the forest.

Advantages- saves the environment. Allows new trees to grow and the animals still have a home. Disadvantages- slow, takes more money to produce the materials people need.

Sustainable Forestry
Is

when a forest is able to produce a regular amount of renewable resources that can be harvested without reducing the future supply.

How is this possible?

Planting

trees to replace the ones that were taken.

Certified Wood
Forests

that are managed in a sustainable manner can be certified by the Forestry Stewardship Council.

They contain a stamp which says: well managed This allows businesses to choose from forests which are sustaining our natural resources.

FISHERIES- Intro
Once

the ocean seemed like an endless supply of fish for the taking.
However, due to overfishing whole schools of fish starting disappearing. The fish that were left were not reproducing at the same rate at which people ate them.

Fisheries
Are

an area with a large population of valuable ocean organisms. found that 70 percent of the worlds fisheries have been overfished. do you propose they get a sustainable yield of fish once more?

Scientists

How

Fishing Limits
Laws

can limit the amount of fish taken and can also limit the size of the fish caught for consumption.

This allows the fish to get to breeding age and continue to reproduce.

What

other limit might they set to ensure continued breeding?

Aquaculture
This

is the practice of raising fish and other water dwelling organisms.

The fish may be raised in artificial ponds or bays.
Salmon,

shrimp, and catfish are all farmed this way in the United States.

Disadvantages:

Can cause disease to wildlife, replaces natural environment in the area.