Essay on Clear cut

Lorie- What is a clear cut and why is it so criticized in the US?

Clear cutting is the practice of uniformly cutting down all or the majority of trees in an area, typically to create certain types of forest ecosystems and to encourage growth of select species that require vast amounts of sunlight. There are several methods of clear cutting; the most common is the removal of every tree or stem so no canopy remains. (What is Clearcutting?).

Some countries support this practice for economic or safety measures, while some use clear cutting as a means of clearing space for agriculture (crops and cattle farms) in areas of increasing population. Clear cutting is criticized in the US because of the negative impacts on the environment, animals, and humans including: increased soil erosion, global warming, destruction of natural habitats, possibility of rapid runoff of water causing flooding, increased effects of wind on crops, and temperature changes to nearby water sources which can cause the extinction of some species.

Imagine your family lives in a country where the average annual income per household is only $300. However, you live in an area where the ground would support crops; all you have to do is cut down trees (clear cut). What would you do?  How would you feel toward the family if they cut down all the trees to raise food or to provide additional income?

Given the fact that the average annual income is only $300, I think I would agree with clear cutting in this situation to grow crops since food is probably lacking. As long as the land would be used for crops, would not potentially kill off other species such as fish and amphibians in nearby water sources, would not cause drought due to evaporation of water sources, would not be excessive, and would be of benefit to everyone in the area, I wouldn’t be opposed to clear cutting the land.

*What effects might an increasing population have on this subsistence farming?  Using the web, find a currently used viable alternative to this type clear cut subsistence farming and describe it in your post.

An increasing population would have devastating effects on forests through subsistence farming activities. As people move into these areas, after cutting down trees for use as building materials, they use the slash-and-burn technique to clear the forest for short-term agriculture causing a decline in the soil nutrients leaving the area infertile making it hard for newly planted trees to grow. (Mongabay).

One alternative is selective cutting where only some of the trees in a smaller area are cut down at a single time, and new trees are planted. The next time resources are needed, another section of trees of a different age, size, or species is cleared allowing the previous section time to regenerate. Although selective cutting takes longer and is more expensive, it preserves the soil, decreases potential erosion, and ensures protection of the ecosystem. (Alternatives to Clear Cutting).

Other alternatives include: (1) strip cutting where narrow rows of the forest are cut, leaving wooded corridors of trees that provide seeds; (2) shelter wood cutting where dead and less desirable trees are cut down first, and then mature trees are cut down later; and (3) seed tree cutting which is the removal of all but a few seed trees that will promote regeneration of the forest. These methods permit lumber to still be used for economic purposes, but helps reduce mass amounts of trees being cut down while preserving the environment. (Alternatives to Clear Cutting).

Works Cited

Alternatives to Clear Cutting. (n.d.). Retrieved March 29, 2021, from http://deforestationapes.weebly.com/alternatives-to-clear-cutting.html

Mongabay. (2020, March 22). Subsistence agriculture and deforestation. Retrieved March 29, 2021, from https://rainforests.mongabay.com/0804.htm

What is Clearcutting? (2019, May 12). Retrieved March 29, 2021, from https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/clearcutting/

Rebecc- Clearcutting is the term that describes the practice of cutting down most to all trees in a certain area. I would think that it would be criticized in the U.S. because it leads to the defragmentation of forests. I probably would cut the trees down but only plant more somewhere else that is more sustainable to them. I do not think I would feel different from the family that is trying to survive and create food. However, I would hope that they would be planting more trees somewhere else, where they could grow and the crops as well. I do think taking trees down is that bad if there is a replacement tree being planted for it. The increasing population would make clear-cutting more prevalent on the land. There would have to have more land in to feed the growing population. An alternative to clearcutting is selective cutting. It is still cutting down trees but in more of a selective area. Only certain areas are cut down so there is fewer trees being cut down at a time. This would result in the forest never being completely cut down and would always contain varieties of trees. This would help from the forest being completely taken down at once.

Conservation of Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources, fl-pda.org/independent/courses/elementary/science/section2/2j9.htm#:~:text=An%20alternative%20to%20clear%2Dcutting,in%20the%20forest%20is%20harvested.

Types of diversity- *List and define the three types of diversity.  Based on your reading, what is the most important kind of diversity?  Explain and justify your answer.

Genetic Diversity: genetic diversity is the variety of genes that are present in all species. Each species has there own genetic composition, then when they breed with others, that creates a whole new set of genetics. Genetic diversity is to help prevent species extinction.

2. Species Diversity: Species diversity is the variety of species that are contained by a geographical area. This would include all living species that live in a certain area. This keeps a variety of species all over the world.
3. Ecological Diversity: Ecological diversity is a broader concept than species diversity. It deals with the species richness and the interaction with the rest of the environment.

I would think that species diversity would be the most important kind of diversity. This helps make sure that a species would not go extinct. The new species would then be able to adapt to the new conditions of the whole which in return help the species live one. I personally think that is very important so more species are able to live longer and also create new species. Even though extinction is a natural process but hopefully species diversity would be able to help slow the process.