Forest Conservation, Kala Bakra

Forest Conservation

Introduction •

Let no one believe that forest conservation will not be necessary for many years to come.... Of our 462,000,000 acres of commercial forest lands about 73,000,000 acres — an area almost as large as all of Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina — is now producing so little that it is practically worthless. About 174,000,000 acres — more than Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Arkansas — are, with few exceptions, alarmingly understocked, with many diseased and defective trees. Only about 215,000,000 acres now bear trees of saw timber size. This area includes our fastdiminishing virgin forests. It makes up about one third of all our forest land. • Current growth of saw timber is calculated by the Federal Forest Survey at 363,000,000 board feet. Annual saw timber drain totals more than 2,000,000,000 board feet

Fire Prevention.

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The vital role which forest products play in war make the care of woodlands and the prevention of fires a more critical activity now than ever before. As the year closed some 42 state foresters were pressing hard for an amendment to the Clarke-McNary Act of 1924 to enable Congress to appropriate up to $9,000,000 annually for cooperative forest protection, instead of the statutory $2,500,000. In some sections of the country Civilian Defense has proved an unexpected boon to conservation and fire control by creating a force of wardens who watch for sabotage and for accidentally set fires, and by increasing the fire-fighting equipment available for use in the forests.

FORESTS • Forest, plant community, predominantly of trees or other woody vegetation, occupying an extensive area of land. In its natural state, a forest remains in a relatively fixed, self-regulated condition over a long period of time. Climate, soil, and the topography of the region determine the characteristic trees of a forest. In local environments, dominant species of trees are characteristically associated with certain shrubs and herbs. The type of vegetation on the forest floor is influenced by the larger and taller plants, but because low vegetation affects the organic composition of the soil, the influence is reciprocal. Disturbances such as a forest fire or timber harvesting may result in a shift to another forest type

The Role of Forests Forests provide habitat for a wide variety of plants and animals and perform many other important functions that affect humans. Photosynthesis is the chemical process in the leaves that uses sunlight and carbon dioxide to produce energy-supplying sugars for the tree. In the process the foliage gives off pure oxygen for breathing.

American Kestrel The American kestrel, or sparrow hawk, is indigenous to the western hemisphere. Its sharp talons and powerful beak make it a formidable hunter.

Black-Tailed Deer The black-tailed deer, or Columbia blacktail, is found in North America along the Pacific coast. This animal was photographed in Olympic National Park in western Washington.