Notes

THE SOUTH’S
ABUNDANT
FORESTS

Module 1

Forest Worker Certificate Program

Alabama’s Abundant Forests

Topography and soils

Physiographic regions

Forest types

Forestland ownership

Forest Certification

Topics Covered:

Topography

______________ – surface
features of land area

__________ forces shaped
Alabama’s topography

Topography impacts
forest types

Forest types create
___________ habitat
across Alabama

Topography

_____________ – direction
that slope faces

Topographic position
affects soil productivity
and species composition

______ facing slopes –
drier and warmer
because of exposure to
sunlight

______ facing slopes –
moister and cooler due
to limited light exposure

Soils

Forms from parent
rock or organic
material

Medium for plant
growth

Differs in __________ and
productivity

Influences plant
___________________

Soils

Four main components:

Mineral particles

____________ matter

____________

____________

Plants adapt to specific
soil types

Plants depend on soil’s
physical and chemical
properties

Soils

___________ influenced by texture and structure

___________ affected by structure; allows movement
and plant roots through soil

___________ – critical chemical elements available
for plant growth

___________ – measure of essential nutrients
(phosphorous, nitrogen, potassium) for plant
growth

Climate

______________ influences
Alabama’s forests

Forest composition and
structure determined
by:

Temperature

_______________

Length of ________________
season

Physiographic Regions

Southern US – eight physiographic regions

www.bugwood.org

Physiographi
c Regions

__________________
has more
physiographic
regions than other
southern states

Physiographic Regions

Alabama’s basic physiographic regions:

Plateau – limestone valleys & uplands with rolling hills

________ and __________ – steep ridges with little to no soil
and low productivity and fertile alluvial soils in valleys

____________ – gently rolling to steep topography with
highly erodible, productive soils

Upper Coastal Plain – deep, well-drained soils with low
fertility

Lower Coastal Plain – most of southern portion of
Alabama

Physiographic Regions

Create forest diversity

Provide ecological benefits – clean _____, clean
water, aesthetics, recreation, __________
products

Five major forest types in Alabama include:

Oak-hickory

___________________

_____________________ pine

Loblolly-longleaf pine

Oak-gum-cypress

Alabama’s Abundant Forests

Land ___________________ patterns in Alabama have
changed in last 10-20 years

Changes in land ownership impact

Timber supply

Wildlife habitat

Recreation

Natural resources

Environmental benefits

Alabama’s Abundant Forests

___________________ forestry – meeting current
forest needs without _____________________ future
needs

Three common certification systems in
Alabama:

__________________________________

Sustainable Forestry Initiative

Forest Stewardship Council