Environmental Science

1. Environmental Science Agriscience Applications

2. Forestry • Competency • Analyze the conservation practices for utilizing forest, wildlife, fisheries and environmental resources

3. Forest Management • 1/3 of the United States is covered by forest land

4. Trees • Trees • Woody perennial plants • Single stem • Shrubs • Bushy • Multiple stems

5. Trees • Softwood • Needle type • Evergreens • Coniferous • Hardwoods • Broad-leaf • Looses leaves every year • Deciduous

6. Trees • Softwoods • Southern Pine • Douglas fir • Fraser fir

7. Trees • Southern Pine • Loblolly pine • Longleaf pine • Shortleaf pine • Slash pine • Most commonly used for pulpwood or plywood • Pulpwood pulp paper products

8. Trees • Douglas fir • Most important species of tree in the US • Used for construction lumber, plywood and Christmas trees • 20% of the timber harvested each year in the US • Grown mainly in Northern US States

9. Trees • Fraser fir • Used for commercial Christmas tree production • Grown in the mountains of North Carolina

10. Hardwoods • Hardwoods • Ash • Birch • Oak (white and red)

11. Trees • Ash • Handles and baseball bats • High resistance to shock • Birch • Furniture, plywood and paneling • Veneer • thin sheet of wood glued to a cheaper species of wood

12. Trees • Oak • White and Red • Very strong • Flooring • Furniture • Fencing

13. Forest Management • Replacing Trees that have been harvested • “Natural seeding” lease expensive way to replace forest • Allow seedlings to grow • Planting trees is a surer method

14. Forest Management • Managing growing timber • Prescribed burn • Reduce the risk of wildfires • Reduce litter • Prescribed thinning • remove competing trees • May thin for many reasons including wildlife, bigger trees, etc

15. Forest Management • Harvesting Timber • Selection cutting • Only certain trees are removed • Recommended in a mixed forest consisting of trees of different ages and size • Reduces erosion • Clear Cutting • All trees are removed • Can cause erosion problems due to loss of groundcover and heavy equipment

16. Forestry Equipment • Increment borer • Age of trees • Planting Bar • Tree scale stick (Biltmore stick) • Estimate tree volume (amount of lumber) • Tree tape • Most accurate in determining circumference

17. Estimating Saw Timber Volume • DBH • diameter breast height • measure at 4.5 feet from ground • 25 inches from the dominant eye • Length of Biltmore Stick…coincidence? • Tree height • measured from 66 feet away • one chain • determine the number of 16’ logs that can be cut from the tree

18. Diameter Breast Height (DBH)

19. Diameter Breast Height (DBH)

20. Tree Height

21. # pieces X t (inches) X w (inches) X l (feet) 12 bf= Calculating Board Feet • Measurement of volume • 1 board foot= 12” long x 12” wide x 1” thick • Formula

22. 5 X 2” X 4” X 8’ 12 bf= Calculating Board Feet • Problem: • calculate board feet if you have 5 pieces of lumber that are 2 inches thick, 4 inches wide, and all are 8 feet long

23. 5 X 2” X 4” X 8’ 12 bf= Calculating Board Feet • Answer: bf= 26.6

24. Forestry Careers • Foresters • Assistance in managing forest • Recommend harvesting methods • Recommend seeding methods • Monitor disease and insects • Average yearly salary in North Carolina • $41,184 • Requires 4-yr college degree • NCSU or WCU Source: Bridges Career Explorer

25. Forestry Careers • Timber cruiser • Estimate timber volume • Outdoor work requiring physical stamina • High School diploma • Training in estimating tree volume

26. Wildlife Management • Objective • Interpret wildlife management practices as related to good environmental management

27. Wildlife Management • Usually a by-product of the family operation • Sustainable habitat and food are essential in increasing the number of wildlife on a farm • Leaving brush piles when harvesting • Leave crop residue standing

28. Wildlife Management • Hunting and fishing as proper management • Remove excess wildlife • Prevents: • Overpopulation • Malnutrition • Disease • Overall decreases in population

29. Wildlife Management • Carrying Capacity • Number of wildlife that can be supported throughout the year • Hunting and fishing help maintain carrying capacity • Results of overpopulation • Water quality of a stream with a carrying capacity of 20 fish will decrease if 50 fish are in the stream

30. Careers in Wildlife Game Warden Wildlife Careers Ecologist Wildlife Biologist

31. Careers in Wildlife • Ecologist • Studies the effect of the environment on animal life • Wildlife Biologist • Advises the establishment of fish/game laws • Explores habitat improvement programs

32. Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists

33. Careers in Wildlife • Game Warden • Enforces hunting and fishing regulations • Government employee under the Wildlife Commission • Controls the harvesting of wildlife • Should enjoy working outdoors

34. Aquatics • The management of aquatic environments to increase the harvest of usable plants and animal products

35. Aquatics • Cage Cultures • Production system • Aquatic animals and plants are contained in a small area • Easier to monitor • Better growth rates • Limited movement which could cause stress

36. Aquatics • Recirculating Tanks • Production method • Processes water through a biological filter

37. Aquatics • Roll Over • A ponds water quality suddenly changes • Less oxygenated water is brought to the surface and low levels of dissolved oxygen cause fish to die • Difficulty in managing an aquaculture system is related to the amount of fish in the system

38. Aquatics • Fish adapted to aquaculture systems: • Trout (cold running water) • Catfish • Bass • Tilapia

39. Fish Hatchery Manager

40. Soil & Water • Objective • Investigate water and its properties as it relates to the production of food and fiber

41. Water Properties • Universal Solvent • It dissolves or changes most other materials- • More than any other material • Water Cycle (Hydrologic Cycle) • The cycling of water between water sources, atmosphere, and surface water

42. Water Cycle Water Facts: • 99% of all water is undrinkable (nonpotable) 97% salt & 2% in glaciers • 75% of both a living tree and the human brain are water • A person can live at most one week without water, one month without food. • A 10 minute shower uses approx. 55 gallons of water • 1/5th of the worlds population lacks clean water • 69% of all water is used for agriculture • It takes 49 gallons of water to produce 8oz of milk

44. Basic Water Cycle • Precipitation- sky to ground • Runoff & Percolation- ground to the water • Evaporation- land & water to sky • Condensation- gas to water building in clouds- back to precipitation

45. Assignment • Using a clean sheet of paper and colored markers, draw the water cycle. • Use all the components necessary to complete the cycle.

47. Types of Water • Free Water • Gravitational • Water that drains out of soil after it has been wetted • Is not absorbed or held to soil particles • Capillary Water • Water that can be adsorbed by plant roots Yes that is spelled right- lookup adsorb and absorb- What is the difference?

48. Water Movement • Permeability • The rate of movement of air and water through the soil • Faster through larger particles (sand) • Saturation • Water is added until all the pores are filled • Two or three inches of rain in a few hours could lead to saturation in most soils

49. Soil • Objective • Evaluate soil as related to the production of food and fiber

50. Soil • Soil profile • A Horizon Topsoil • B Horizon Subsoil • C Horizon Parent material