Forestry

FactsHow large are the forests of Canada?

Imagine driving at 100 km/hr for 12 hours per day. It would take you more than four days to cross the continuous band of forest that stretches from British Columbia to Newfoundland

 

Facts

• Forests cover close to half of Canada’s total area. ( 4 187 820 km2)

• Only Russia and Brazil have more forests than Canada.

What kinds of trees fill our forests?

• 63% are composed of coniferous trees. Cone bearing trees with needle leaves. Ex: pine or spruce

• 22% are composed of deciduous trees. They lose their leaves every year. Ex: white poplar or white birch

• 15% are composed of mixed trees

Characteristics of Forests

1. Commercial -

(5 – Boreal, Taiga, West Coast, Montane, Mixed)

2. Non- Commercial

Canada’s Commercial Forest

Canada’s Commercial Forest Regions

• forests in different parts of Canada vary greatly.

• 5 regions in which most of Canada’s commercial forestry is located– 1. Boreal Forest Region– 2. Taiga Forest Region– 3. West Coast Forest Region– 4. Montane Forest Region– 5. Mixed Forest Region

Commercial

• Commercial trees are those that can be harvested profitably.

• These forests exist in the warmer, wetter areas of Canada where trees grow large relatively quickly.

• Because these forests are near roads, railways and waterways, their timber can be easily shipped in markets in Canada and abroad

1. Boreal Forest Region• found in the Boreal Shield, Boreal Plains, and Boreal Cordillera.

– It is by far the largest region

– Tree growth is slow due to long winters and low precipitation

– It mainly contains coniferous (softwood) trees.

– coniferous trees: Black spruce is the most common. others include: white spruce, balsam fir, jack pine and cedar

– deciduous trees: white birch and poplar

Boreal means northern in Russian

Black Spruce White Spruce Balsam Fir Jack Pine

Cedar Tamarack White Birch Poplar

Boreal Forest

The northern Boreal Forest is dominated by only two species of trees - Black Spruce and White Spruce.

Boreal Forest

2. Taiga Forest Region found in the Taiga Plains, Taiga Shield, Hudson Plains, and Taiga Cordillera

• It includes stunted trees due to thin soils, cool temperatures, short growing season, and areas of permafrost.

• coniferous trees: black spruce, white spruce jack pine

• deciduous trees: poplar and trembling aspen

• most of this forests are inaccessible and far from markets, only small parts are logged.

Taiga Forest

3. West Coast Forest Region It is found in Pacific Maritime

• It is the most productive forest in Canada

• The temperate rainforest grows on the western slopes of the coastal mountains

• The moderate temperatures, and long growing seasons cause Douglas fir, sitka spruce, western red cedar, and western hemlock to grow larger than any other trees in the country.

• It has the highest volume of wood, per hectare, in Canada.

Douglas Fir Sitka Spruce

West Coast Forest

Western Red Cedar Western Hemlock

West Coast Forest

4. Montane Forest Region found in Montane Cordillera

– It has lower precipitation levels and shorter growing season than the West Coast Forest region.

– It has smaller coniferous trees such as the spruce, lodgepole, and ponderosa pine.

– volume of wood, per hectare, second of that of the West Coast forest.

Engelmann SprucePonderosa Pine Douglas Fir

Montane Cordillera Forest

5. Mixed Forest Region found in Mixedwood Plain and Atlantic Maritime

• It has a longer growing season and more precipitation than boreal forest region.

north (near boreal forest) : fir and sprucesouth: coniferous trees such as white pine, hemlock

and red pine

• The conifers harvested for lumber, and pulp and paper

• The warmer temperatures, longer growing season, and abundant precipitation allow the growth of hardwood trees

such as maple, birch, black walnut and cherry which are value for flooring and furniture- making.

• very little left since intensively farmed and highly

urbanized

Mixedwood Forest

Non-Commercial Forest

Non-Commercial

• They are forests that are unlikely to be cut down for industrial use.

• They exist on the northern border of the forest regions where temperatures and precipitation levels are too low to allow a lot of trees to grow quickly or at all.

 

Economic Impact of Forests• forests play an important role in the economic

lives of Canadians

• approximately 1 Canadian job in 16 depends on forestry.

• the forestry industry produces lumber, pulp and paper and other forest products worth about $57 billion per year(2011).

• over half of this amount ($40 billion) is exported to other countries.

• the forest industry provides over 230,000 direct jobs for Canadians

Types of Logging

Logging Operations

there are three ways to harvest the trees of Canada’s forests.

There are three types:

1.Clear-cutting

2.Shelterwood logging

3.Selective logging

1. Clear-cuttingThis method is used in the majority of logging

operations

It is the fastest and cheapest method

loggers remove every tree, and leave an empty landscape behind

northern forests of pine, spruce, fir, aspen, and poplar are cut in this manner

when a clear-cut area is replanted, the new forest grows up uniformly in species and size. This would make is easier to log this forest in the future when the trees reach maturity.

Loggers remove every tree and leave a barren landscape.

When replanted, the new forest grows uniformly in

species and size

Clear Cutting

Clear Cutting

2. Shelterwood logging• This method involves clear-cutting only

part of an old growth forest• small groups of seed-bearing trees are

left standing so that their seeds regenerate the logged area.

• this is used where tree species, such as white pine, regenerate naturally after major openings in the forests are created.

• the shelterwood method is often used in forests with trees that have not grown and aged evenly.

Involves clear-cutting only part of an old growth forest

Small groups of seed bearing trees are left so the area will

regenerate.

Shelterwood method is often used in forests that have grown

and aged evenly

Shelterwood Cutting

Shelterwood logging

3. Selective cutting• This method consists of harvesting only mature

trees of the desired size, type, or quality.

• this method is much less disruptive to the forest environment than others

• it is used in forests with tree species that need shade to become established

• it tends to be a costly process because of the extra care and time taken to cut down the trees.

• it is also costly in the long run because it does not allow the replanting of a new even forest.

Only mature trees of the desired size, type or quality

Selective Cutting

Selective cutting

Where is the money made?

Manufacturing Operations

1. Pulp and paper

2. Lumber

1.Pulp and Paper

• Canada is the world’s second largest producer of pulp and paper ( after the United States) and the largest exporter.

• the United States is Canada’s most important customer, since it buys more than half of the total.

• Pulp and paper plants are found in every province except Prince Edward Island.

• The plants are concentrated in Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia.

Pulp and Paper Products

Quebec

$11575 million

Ontario

$10018 million

British Columbia

$7514 million

Other Provinces

$7286 million

• making paper

2. Lumber

• British Columbia produces about 50% of Canada’s lumber.

• since 1970, the number of Canadian sawmills has decreased. New, more efficient large mills with better methods. processing small logs have replaced the old-fashioned mills which were designed for sawing large logs.

• Making Lumber

British Columbia

$11 234 million

Quebec

$5306 million

Ontario

$3454 million

Alberta $1731 million

New Brunswick $751 million

Other Provinces $780 million

Wood Products

Threats to the Forest

Threats to the Forests

• why protect our forests?They are considered and renewable resource

• timber, which is of great economic value to Canada is constantly threatened by acid rain, damage from insect pests, and forest fires

• after rainstorms or during spring run-off, trees hold water in the soil. This prevents flooding

• forests also provide habitats for many species

Environmental Hazards

• 1. Acid precipitation

• 2. Insects

• 3. Forest fires

1. Acid precipitation

• It is a very serious problem for the forests of Eastern Canada

• trees are dying as a result of acid precipitation caused by the emissions from the factories in the industrial areas of eastern Canada and eastern United States.

• the maple syrup- producing forests south of Quebec City have especially suffered from acid precipitation

Air Pollution Water Pollution

2. Insects

• Insect pests and diseases also create a serious threat to the health of Canada’s forests.

• the pine bark beetle in British Columbia causes millions of dollars of damage to forests every year.

• Forests companies and provincial governments spend a great deal of time and money trying to control these insects and diseases so they don’t spread.

3. Forest fires• fire is a normal part of the life cycle of

forest ecosystems

• new healthy trees regenerate quickly in the burned forests

• about 48% of all forest fires in Canada are caused by lightening and 52% of forest fires are caused by people.

Other Forest Fire Facts

• the cones from some species, such as the jack pine, require the heat from the fire to open. The seed can then fall to the ground where they begin to grow.

-in fact, sometimes fires are purposely started in a “controlled burn” to encourage this process.

• the problem comes when the fires occur in valuable timber land

• on average, 9500 fires burn 3 million hectares of Canada’s forest every year

• a fire can create flames over 50 metres high, move faster than a person can run, and create hurricane-force winds.

Aerial Spraying

Forest Fires