GEE 18 (Environmental Conservation)

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…Let us continue our environmental journey…we are now on our fifth leg…this time we will
explore our forest reserves …

Chapter IV: Forests, Parks, Landscape, Wildlife and Endangered Species

… Ever since humans evolved, we have changed the land cover of the earth gradually…
…Forests and woodlands occupy some 4 billion ha(roughly 15 million m2 ), or about 29
percent of the world’s land surface…
…Grasslands (pastures and rangelands) cover almost as much area…
…Forests and grasslands cover nearly 60 percent of global land area…
…Together these ecosystems supply many essential resources, such as lumber, paper pulp,
and grazing lands for livestock…
…They also provide vital ecological services, including regulating climate, controlling water
runoff, providing wildlife habitat, and purifying air and water…
…The vast majority of humans live in these biomes, and we obtain many valuable materials
from them…

…so how we can live sustainably on our natural resources while preserving the natural
environment?...

Learning Objectives: At the end of the unit, students must have:

1. described landscape, forests and forest management, parks, nature reserves and
wilderness, and endangered species; and
2. analyzed cases of landscape, forest, parks, wildlife, fisheries, and endangered species.

Lesson 1: Forests, Landscape, Parks and Nature Reserves

…before we start with our lesson proper, let us have a glimpse of these videos about forests and
conservation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jufnzNXCJTs https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=7CJc8zj3q9M

…Millions of people around the world depend on forests for hunting, gathering and
medicine, forest products such as rubber and rattan, and small-scale agriculture…
…Forests provide a vast array of resources to all of us, including food, wood, medicine, fresh
water, and the air we breathe…
…Without the trees, species can disappear, the natural water balance can become disrupted
and the ecosystem that supports the human population can fall apart…
• Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, using, conserving and repairing
forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits.
• Forest management is a branch of forestry concerned with overall administrative, legal,
economic, and social aspects, as well as scientific and technical aspects, such as
silviculture, protection, and forest regulation.
• Forests are so much more than a collection of trees.
o Forests are home to 80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity.
 These ecosystems are complex webs of organisms that include plants,
animals, fungi and bacteria.

• The forest is a complex ecosystem consisting mainly of trees that buffer the earth and
support a myriad of life forms.
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o The trees help create a special environment which, in turn, affects the kinds of
animals and plants that can exist in the forest.
o Trees are an important component of the environment.
 They clean the air, cool it on hot days, conserve heat at night, and act as
excellent sound absorbers.
• Forest according to FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) is a land with tree crown
cover (or equivalent stocking level) of more than 10% and area of more than 0.5 hectare.
• Forests are subdivided into plantations and natural forests.
o Natural forests are forests composed mainly of indigenous trees not deliberately
planted.
o Plantations are forest stands established by planting or seeding, or both, in the
process of afforestation or reforestation.
• Forests can develop wherever the average temperature is greater than 10 °C in the
warmest month and rainfall exceeds 200 mm annually.
o In any area having conditions above this range there exists a variety of tree species
grouped into a number of forest types that are determined by the specific
conditions of the environment there, including the climate, soil, geology, and biotic
activity.
• Forests can be broadly classified into types such as the taiga (consisting of pines, spruce,
etc.), the mixed temperate forests (with both coniferous and deciduous trees), the
temperate forests, the sub-tropical forests, the tropical forests, and the equatorial
rainforests.
o Coniferous forests are dominated by cone-bearing trees, like pines and firs that can
thrive in northern latitudes where these forests are often found.
o Many temperate forests house both coniferous and broad-leafed trees, such as oaks
and elms, which can turn beautiful shades of orange, yellow and red in the fall.
o The most biologically diverse and complex forests on earth are tropical rainforests,
where rainfall is abundant and temperatures are always warm.
• Forest types ranges from open savannas, where trees cover less than 20 percent of the
ground, to closed-canopy forest, in which tree crowns overlap to cover most of the
ground.
o The largest tropical forest are in South America, which has about 22 percent of the
world’s forest area and by far the most extensive area of undisturbed tropical
forest.
• Forests of greatest ecological importance are the primeval forests (frontier, old growth,
or virgin forest) that are home to much of the world’s biodiversity, ecological services,
and indigenous human cultures.
• Forests are essential for life on earth.
o Forests also provide habitat for a vast array of plants and animals, many of which
are still undiscovered.
o They protect our watersheds. o They inspire wonder and provide places for
recreation.
o They supply the oxygen we need to survive.
o They provide the timber for products we use every day.
• Forests are the important natural resources provided to human beings for their
development.

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• Forests also play a critical role in mitigating climate change because they act as a carbon
sink—soaking up carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that would otherwise be
free in the atmosphere and contribute to ongoing changes in climate patterns.
o But forests are being destroyed and degraded at alarming rates.
 Tropical forests are especially threatened. They are among the richest and
most diverse terrestrial systems.
o Deforestation comes in many forms, including fires, clear-cutting for agriculture,
ranching and development, unsustainable logging for timber, and degradation due
to climate change.
 This impacts people’s livelihoods and threatens a wide range of plant and
animal species.
o Forests are disappearing at an alarming rate—18.7 million acres of forests are lost
annually, equivalent to 27 soccer fields every minute.
 The Amazon, the planet’s largest rainforest, lost at least 17% of its forest cover
in the last half century due to human activity.
 In Indonesia, the island of Sumatra has lost 85% of its forests—primarily due to
conversion for oil palm and pulp plantations—and a similar level of destruction
is taking place on the island of Borneo.
o Deforestation also undermines the important carbon sink function of forests.
o It is estimated that 15% of all greenhouse gas emissions are the result of
deforestation.
• Forest reserve is an area of forest set aside and preserved by the government as a
wilderness, national park, or the like.

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Conservation of Forests
• Conservation of forests is the practice of saving the trees that are cut by industries and
other organizations in the name of development and urbanization. o It is planting new
and more trees and taking care of them as well as maintaining the forested areas for the
sustainability for future generations.
• Some of the major steps for conservation of forest:
o Introducing afforestation programs.
o Proper utilization of forest resources: With the advent of industrialization, several
trees have been cut at an alarming rate for raw materials and various other
purposes.
 This felling of trees can be regulated by selective cutting, clear-cutting and
shelter-wood cutting.

o Controlling forest fires: Forest fires are one of the common causes of loss of forests.
 Sometimes the forest land is set on fire to make the land available for
commercial purposes and once cleared, there can be no vegetation.
 Natural forest fires are also responsible for the destruction of huge forest
covers.
 Latest firefighting techniques should be adopted to conserve the forest.
However, forest fires are an important part of the ecosystem and it helps
replenish nutrients in the soil from dead and decaying matter.
o More trees should be planted to increase the forest cover.
 Trees should be selected according to the geographical conditions of a
particular region and proper care should be taken during the growth of trees.
o Prevention of exploitation of forestry and forest products is necessary for the
conservation of forest.
o The existing forests should be protected from diseases by spraying chemicals,
antibiotics or development of pest-resistant strains of trees.

• Forests can be conserved by maintaining biosphere reserves, wild life sanctuaries and
national parks, zoological parks and botanical gardens.
o A biosphere reserve is a place reserved for all life forms found in a particular area.
 A biosphere reserve comprises an area which can be divided into many
zones, each having a particular activity.
• The zones of biosphere can be named as core, buffer zone and a manipulation zone.
 Biosphere reserves help in protecting wild population, traditional life style of
regional people and also domestication of plant and animal life.
 A biosphere reserve comprises of a number of national parks and wildlife
sanctuaries.

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o National parks are large and diverse reserves which help in protection of different
ecosystems.
 These can protect flora, fauna and many other aspects of the ecosystem.
o Wildlife sanctuaries are the areas which help in preservation of species of wild
plants and animals.
 Wildlife sanctuaries are the places where killing animals and cutting trees
are prohibited.

 We depend on forests for our survival, from the air we breathe to the wood we use.
Besides providing habitats for animals and livelihoods for humans, forests also offer
watershed protection, prevent soil erosion and mitigate climate change. Yet, despite
our dependence on forests, we are still allowing them to disappear.
 When we take away the forest, it is not just the trees that go. The entire ecosystem
begins to fall apart, with dire consequences for all of us.

Things to Ponder

 How have forests affected your life today? o Have you

had your breakfast? Travelled to work in a bus or car?
Sat on a chair? Made a shopping list? Got a parking
ticket? Blown your nose into a tissue? Forest products
are a vital part of our daily lives in more ways than we
can imagine.

Parks, Gardens and Landscapes

• Parks, gardens and landscapes contain evidence of the layers of human activity,
occupation and use over time.
o They reflect the time in which they were developed and about the way of life,
tastes and interests of their original and subsequent owners and designers.
o Landscapes include scenic areas, cemeteries, stock routes, tramway routes, early
coach routes, avenues of trees and individual trees.
 They might also be sites of significant events and are as much cultural
artefacts as buildings.
 Original or early elements such as design, layout, plantings, fencing, paving,
furniture, garden structures, culverts and abutments, should be retained and
conserved.
o According to International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) nearly 11.6
percent of the surface area of the earth is protected in some sort of park, preserve,
or other natural area.
 This represents about 19.6 million ha (7.6 million mi2) in 107, 000 different
preserves.

IUCN Categories of
Protected Areas
Category Allowed Human Impact on
Intervention

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1.Ecological reserves and Little or none
wilderness areas 2. Low
National parks Low to medium
3. Natural monuments
and archaeological sites Medium
4. Habitat and wildlife Medium to high
management areas
5. Cultural or scenic
landscapes, High
recreational areas
6. Managed resource
area
Source: Data from World Conservation
• Some parks and some gardens are clearly identified as registered landscapes.
o Conservation of these landscapes is important for the conservation of the place as a
whole and work to these areas requires approval by the department  Maintenance
of parks, gardens and landscapes includes: o pruning of trees to control size, shape,
flowering or fruiting and removal of dangerous, diseased or dead vegetation
o replanting to maintain garden beds o installation of garden sprinkler system
• Registered gardens and landscapes should continue to use plants that reflect the original
species used in the design. o Otherwise the original character of the garden may be lost
or obscured.
o Replacement or additional plantings should be chosen from the range of species
originally planted, or from plants that are similar in form and character and were
available at the time of the original plantings.
o The pattern of planting in beds, rows or hedging should also match the original.
• Caring for parks, gardens and landscapes should include:
o investigating the history and design, the elements and the condition o
maintaining an appropriate design that fits the character of the place and the needs
of the owner
o maintaining the elements

The Best National Parks in the Philippines

• Biak-na-Bato National Park
• Caramoan Peninsula National Park
• Hundred Islands National Park
• Minalungao National Park
• Fuyot Springs National Park
• Mount Arayat National Park
• Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park.
• Guadalupe Mabugnao Mainit Hot Spring National Park

…Forests are the major part of an ecosystem…They are an abode to various plants and
animals…

…They maintain environmental balance by inhaling carbon dioxide and regulating rainfall…

…They provide food and space to animals that help to maintain the ecological balance…

…If all the forests are destroyed, it will have a severe impact on the environmental balance…

…There will be frequent earthquakes and floods…

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…The temperature of the earth will rise enormously…

..Life on earth will be impossible…

…let’s move on with our next lesson…

Lesson 2: Wildlife, Endangered Species and Approaches to Wildlife Management

Wildlife
• Wildlife refers to undomesticated animal species that include all organisms that grow or
live wild in a given area.
o Wildlife can be found in all ecosystems.
 Deserts, forests, rainforests, plains, grasslands, and other areas, including
the most developed urban areas, all have distinct forms of wildlife.
• Wildlife refers to animals that are untouched by human factors and are affected by
human activities.
• Wildlife are animals that have not been domesticated or tamed and are usually living in a
natural environment, including both game and nongame species. o Wildlife animals live
independently of people in natural conditions.

Endangered Species
• Endangered species are the species of plants and animals that are at a high risk of
getting extinct in their habitat.
o Endangered species are those species which are under risk or threat of
being extinct or about to extinct and sooner or later enter the extinction
phase.
 Many factors are responsible for this which may be natural or
manmade.
• Endemic species are the animals and plants exclusively found in a specific geographical
area or species of plant and animal native to a region.
o When endemic species population strength reduced from 50 percent to 5 percent, such
species are known are endangered species as categorized by IUCN and are place
under a list called red list.
• Extinct species are the animals or plants that have disappeared and no longer exist
anywhere on the earth.
• Different factors that risk the survival of animals and plants are hunting, loss of habitat,
climate changes, diseases, pollution and other natural calamities.
o Species which have limited population strength are more likely to become
endangered.
o Presently, the rate of extinction is also much faster than before; these are mainly
the consequences of human activities like deforestation, industrialization etc.
• Some of the endangered species are Greater Horseshoe Bat, Loggerhead turtle, Siberian
tiger, White-tailed eagle and Bluefin tuna etc.
• As per current status, about one-fourth of all mammals are endangered. These not only
affect the ecological values but also economical, legal and ethical values. The entire globe
will lose its equilibrium since they are the sources of food, medicines, and many more.
Wildlife Conservation

• Wildlife is a very important and vital aspect of our ecosystem.

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• The importance of wildlife conservation are: o Important for their medicinal values:
More than one-third of our pharmaceutical needs are catered by wild plants.
o Forests provide great scope for breakthroughs in the field of medical science and
technology along with the requirements for the large-scale manufacture of antibiotics
and other medicines for therapeutic uses.
o Helps keep our environment healthy: They are responsible for maintaining
temperatures globally, thereby fighting against the greenhouse effect and in turn
preventing the sea levels to rise sharply.
o Important to maintain ecological balance: the interdependence of plants and animals
is very essential.
o Economic importance: Fossil fuels obtained from forests help in the economic growth
of the country, which in turn contributes towards a better standard of living.
o Helps preserve biodiversity: There are thousands of species that take shelter in these
huge forests.
o Microorganisms in wildlife take part in nitrogen fixation, thus, bringing about an
increase in the levels of soil fertility.

• Wildlife destruction is caused by:

o Increasing demand for hides and meat has led to the hunting of animals.
o Cutting down of forests has led to the scarcity of food and space that has killed many
animals. o Frequent floods and earthquakes are the natural causes of wildlife
destruction.

• Wildlife can be conserved by:

o Developing protective areas such as national parks, wildlife sanctuaries to protect
the animals in their natural habitat.
o The endangered and vulnerable species can be kept in captivity in places such as
zoos and bred to increase their population.
o The cutting of forests should be strictly prohibited. It is an abode of a variety of
wild animals. o Hunting of wild animals should be banned.

Reasons Why Forests and Wildlife Matter

• There is an absolute need to save our flora and fauna in the forests for the following
reasons:
o It is all about breathing: Without oxygen, no living organisms can survive.
o Roughly 20.9% of earth’s gases consist of oxygen and dependence on oxygen is
higher, hence plants are essential.
o It plays a specific and significant role in the carbon cycle by absorbing carbon
dioxide during photosynthesis.
o It is home for different species: Modernization has caused deforestation.
o This has led many animals to become homeless, leading to the death of these
animals in most cases because of unfavorable conditions.
o Provides employment: Forests provide a source of livelihood to millions around the
world.
o Raw materials that can later be sold come from these forests.
o Forests provide wood: Wood serves as an important raw material for
manufacturing industries as well as commercial purposes not only animals and
plants, millions of people still live in the forests and in its vicinity.

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o They survive from the abundant resources that forests have to offer. o Rescue
during natural disasters: Vegetation in forests helps during floods as they sip in
and absorb all the water, thereby preventing damage to infrastructure.
o Helps regulate climatic conditions: Forests play a key role in bringing about a
balance in the atmospheric temperature.
o Biodiversity at its best: To get a closer view of life, visit a forest.
o Forests, as we know are home to thousands of species.
o Forests also provide great scope for exploration for science enthusiasts.
o Entertainment: Forest areas these days have been turned into adventure spots to
help people get a first-hand experience of wildlife.

Conservation of Forest and Wildlife

• Deforestation also referred to as degradation or loss of forests needs to be controlled
or hopefully stopped.
• Fuel-wood and timber should be used wisely and not wasted.
• Forest fire needs to be monitored and damage control measures need to be taken at
the right time. Every year, lakhs of trees are destroyed because of forest fires. 2018
saw one of the deadliest wildfires ever in the history of California causing severe
damage to property and life.
• Measures and interest need to be channeled towards re-growing trees and increasing
the land cover for forests. Reforestation and afforestation need to be promoted
throughout the world.
• Proper forest management bodies need to be enforced to monitor wildlife actions and
update on the latest.
• Care and habitation need to be provided to extinct species and efforts need to be
taken to save them from becoming extinct.

 Wildlife and the forests are the measure of the biodiversity of a particular region…
 By conserving the wildlife and forest we are ensuring that all diverse species in an
area survive, breed and flourish…
 Forests are the habitat for wildlife and they are an important constituent of the
various food chains and food webs…
 Conservation of wildlife and forests is vital for the ecological stability of a particular
area… Learning Task
 Read and analyze the article ‘Forests, people and wildlife: challenges for a common
future’ thru this site: http://www.fao.org/3/i1758e/i1758e02.pdf and make a case
analysis.