assessment of sustainability of our forests

Southern Forest Resource Assessment

 Below is the original wording of one of the preliminary questions and public suggestions or concerns submitted about it--for details see our Public Input or Methods pages
 
 

"What are the likely effects of expanding human populations, urbanization and infrastructure development on habitats, animals, and plants?"
  1. Loss of forests and habitats to development, farming or other non-forest lands should be documented.
  2. The Assessment should note that land use changes from expanding human populations, urbanization and infrastructure development are the most common cause of deforestation and plant and animal habitat loss.
  3. Explosive growth and incompatible development, vandalism, littering, trash dumping, illegal use of hiking trails by horses, bicycles, motorcycles, and ATV's and other problems brought on by encroaching urbanization.
  4. Increase the number of trees in urban and agricultural areas.
  5. What are the potential effects of the expanding human population. Urbanization, and infrastructure development on habitats, animals and plants?
  6. What is the impact of urbanization, suburbanization in particular, on the availability of forestland?
  7. What do historical trends indicate will be the likely effects of expanding human populations, urbanization and infrastructure development on habitats, animals, and plants?
  8. What human activities have had the greatest negative impacts on terrestrial ecosystems in the south?
  9. Study effects of expanding human population on habitats and regional forest area conversion. Fine-tuning of the aggregate data, both spatially and chronologically, may be important.
  10. The loss of native forest ecosystems and habitats through direct removal by timber harvest and replacement by monoculture stands, as well as by urbanization and development.
  11. What is the effect on the State's forest resource of having so many loggers and industries in a concentrated area? Are the loggers and industries dependent on the local resource or are they dependent on forest resources in more distant areas? Is the increased employment in the Western Tennessee Basin occurring at the expense of forests and jobs in other areas of Tennessee? Track where the industries' supply of logs and ships is originating; determine if the sourcing area is expanding, remaining stable or contracting. Determine if the drain caused by the Western Tennessee Basin demand is making the supply of logs less available to businesses in the remote drain areas.
  12. In our nation, the dollars of economic growth, building and development often take precedence over prudent and balanced natural eco-systems management. Expanding populations, and patterns of development do not show promising trends here--and the Southern forests are at risk because of it.
  13. In the examination of urbanization, will the links between wildlife that can exploit these areas and those species that can’t exploit these areas be addressed?
  14. Heavy logging is especially damaging to the survival of bird populations. You have an opportunity to make sure that the sustainability of these forests is protected by closely examining the ecological impacts.
  15. I think it's critical that the agencies address Habitat protection: what changes will occur as a result of changes in tree (plant) species distribution and conversion to monoculture plantations caused by clearcutting?
  16. If we start choping down trees in order to build new house complexes there are serius
    enviornmental issues that we are hurting. First of all, there would be no more trees to help reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, and also the lack of trees will cause climet change, creating a more dessertic habitat for both people and animals. We are going to destroying the homes and habitats of many different spcies of birds and squirls and other animals that depend on those trees to live. We have to think if it is worth ruining a hole ecosistem in order to expand our territorial needs of expansion. We are not going to affect us right away, but our children surly will!
  17. No argument here. The effects on habitat, native animals and native plants will almost always be negative, i.e., long-term population declines. Of particular interest to many people are the effects of forest fragmentation of forest-interior songbirds and terrestrial wildlife such as turtles and salamanders. We need a renewed commitment to land preservation through fee acquisition and other preservation methods; we need a new commitment to closing and revegetating roads; and we need a renewed commitment toward managing forests not to create and maintain more edge habitat, but for maintaining healthy populations of forest-interior species. Edge habitat may greatly benefit a few weedy species such as skunks and white-tailed deer, but area-sensitive species such as ovenbirds and wood thrushes need large, unbroken blocks of habitat. Let's give it to them and make sure it's there tomorrow and the day after. Expanding urbanization and its associated road-building and strip malls will hurt such native animals.
  18. Fragmentation will result in a compromised genetic structure which will over time weaken the stability and integrity of the biotic community. A new paradigm is needed which values and protects the habitats not only for the animals and plants but in recognition of how reliant we are on these systems for our own psychological and physical well being.
  19. In our nation, the dollars of economic growth, building and development often take precedence over prudent and balanced natural eco-systems management. Expanding populations, and patterns of development do not show promising trends here--and the Southern forests are at risk because of it.
  20. Humans do not know how to live with wild animals and need educational programs. Two weeks ago, a skunk that lived in our back yard was sent to "animal control" because he did what came naturally and sprayed the neighbors dog which was going after him. He never bothered anyone, just protected himself. Until people can learn to live with wild animals, we have to protect their habitat and limit the places where humans ca
  21. How has the introduction of exotic species effected the landscape and tesrrestial systems?
  22. Urban/Suburban sprawl has become endemic.
  23. Look at urban sprawl in the southeast.
  24. How has urbanization affected forest lands and forest-dependent wildlife species?
  25. How does population density affect the landscape? Rural development may produce less forest fragmentation than urban development.
  26. Look at impact of sprawl on habitat.
  27. With urban sprawl, look at environmental impacts from industry.
  28. Impacts of cell towers, pipeline and utility right-of-ways.
  29. Don’t limit impacts to urbanization – list plus/minus impacts for all uses.
  30. Give considerations on species adaptation (i.e. animals that adapt to urbanization).
  31. What role does active forest management play in countering the effects of urbanization? Impact of invasive species.
  32. Impacts by communities in attracting industries, when built there is a loss of habitat. Urban expansion – higher taxes causes fragmentation because a landowner has to divide up property.
  33. How can we as a society better plan for urbanization as it relates to plant and animal habitats?
  34. Impact of leaving habitat in forest cover vs. urban use.
  35. Increase in feral animals as the human population increases and the impacts of these animals on our plant and animal species.
  36. Increase in “welfare wildlife” - wildlife becoming more dependent on people as humans encroach on their habitat. Increased disease.
  37. Will the increase in human populations mean an increase in the anti-hunting sentiment, which in turn could lead to an increase in the deer population?
  38. How will an increase in endangered species through recovery efforts affect future urbanization and land use?
  39. As urbanization creep continues, how will the loss of rural areas affect forest-dependent species?
  40. Is there a way to address revitalization of inner cities instead of building out in outskirts? Address how urbanization effects forests directly and indirectly. Air and water pollution, etc. Multiplication of impacts - small patterns vs. large impacts.
  41. Increase in non-point source pollution (e.g., fertilization of lawns).
  42. Increase in non-native species.
  43. Increase in water use will decrease the water table.
  44. A decrease in detritus material entering water bodies from forested lands will decrease as forest lands decrease, thus affecting aquatic organisms that depend on this litter.
  45. Increase in flooding as a result of timber harvest.
  46. Increase in flooding as a result of increase in asphalt as related to development.
  47. Lowering of the water table with increased water demands.

red oak leaf as separator

Question as revised in response to these comments

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  modified: 1-MAR-2000
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