Environment
The forest is home to many creatures, including threatened and endangered species. Foresters are trained to recognize the habitat of vulnerable wildlife so they can ensure they are protected throughout the forest lifecycle.
In the U.S. South, gopher tortoises are a critically important species. They dig massive burrows underground, with burrows reaching depths of 9 to 23 feet deep and 3 to 52 feet long! As many as 300 other wildlife species seek shelter in these burrows in addition to the gopher tortoise.
In the video below, a forester demonstrates how he protects gopher tortoises in a Southeast Georgia forest. What are some examples of how the forester protects them?
Applying What You've Learned
The gopher tortoise was described in the video as a “keystone species.” What does that mean, and why is it important?
In the early 1900s, before the science community fully understood the needs of wild salmon, loggers used small pipes called culverts to cross streams in forests in the Pacific Northwest. Over the years, the salmon population declined, and it was clear that critical salmon habitat had been lost. The forestry industry began to invest millions of dollars to regain those lost habitats, replacing the small culverts with bridges or removing roads altogether to restore the streams.
Watch how salmon habitats are reopened in the video below. Why do you think shallow, upland streams are important for salmon to breed and raise their young?
Once the streams can flow more freely, salmon are able to swim upstream to critical breeding habitats. Look at the difference in this culvert replacement Rayonier managed in Forks, Washington:
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PROTECTING WILDLIFE
PROTECTING WILDLIFE
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Learn more about the Environment and what comes next in the Forestry Lifecycle: