Canada is the worlds leading exporter of softwood, newsprint,
and wood pulp. This makes forestry an important part of the
Canadian economy We now use forests not only to harvest their trees
but also for their recreational value.
Slide 3
There are three types of forests Coniferous- These trees
haveevergreen needles, softwood, seeds in cones that hang, waxy
needles, thick bark. Include spruce, pine, fir, cedar. Perfect for
pulp and paper, and lumber products. Deciduous- These forests have
broad leaves and hard wood, shed their leaves in winter. Include
birch, maple, cherry, wallnut Valued for furniature, and flooring,
baseball bats, hockey sticks. Mixed Mixed forests have a
combination of both types of forests
Slide 4
Coniferous forests flourish in Canada due to the cool moist
climate. However in areas where the average annual temperature is
above 10 0 C you can get deciduous or mixed forests. Along the cost
of British Colombia there are areas where you can receive enough
precipitation to support coniferous rainforest.
Slide 5
Boreal Forest Three sub-regions Boreal forest Boreal forest and
tundra- Transition between tundra and boreal. Boreal forest and
grassland- Transition between grassland and forest. Small to medium
sized coniferous trees. Trees adapted to cool short summers and
long winters
Slide 6
West Coast Coniferous rain forest: Most productive forest
region in Canada One of the few remaining old-growth foests in the
world The windward slopes of the Coast Range Mountains Enormous
trees Douglas Fir, Sitka, Spruce, and western red cedar
Slide 7
Columbia Coniferous Forest Found on the wet western slope of
the high interior mountains of British Columbia. The same species
as the coast confierous rain forest but they are much smaller and
shorter.
Slide 8
Montane Coniferous Forest Low lying interior areas of British
Columbia These forests lie in the rainshodow of the coast ranges
The trees in the area are even smaller and shorter than the other
areas.
Slide 9
Deciduous Forest Hot summers, short winters, abundant
precipitation, long growing season, fertile soils. Most of this
area has been cleared for farming and urban development Low volume
of wood perhectar
Slide 10
Great Lakes- St.Lawernce Mixed Forest Transition area between
the boreal forest and the deciduous forest Temperatures are
moderate, with an adequate amount of precipitation Deciduous trees
grow in the places with the best soils, while in areas where soil
is poorly drained or thin coniferous trees grow.
Slide 11
Acadian Mixed Forest Transition between deciduous and
coniferous forest. The tree species differ from that of the great
lakes. The trees are better suited for the cold winters of the
Atlantic coast
Slide 12
Not all forests are suitable for harvest Productive Forests:
forests that can be harvested profitably Found in warmer wetter
regions where trees grow quickly and to be very large Unproduvtive
Forests: Forests that cannot be harvested profitably. Found in
cooler climates where trees are smaller and more spaced out.
Slide 13
Roughly one job in ten depends on the forestry The forest
industry is divided into four main sectors Logging: Falling,
collecting and hauling logs to mills. Paper and allied products:
Making and, recycling paper products. Wood industries: Sawmills and
wood manufacturing industries. Furniture industries: Making of all
types of wooden or partly wooden furniature
Slide 14
The forestry experiences boom and bust cycles. Boom and bust
cycles: When times are good more houses are built and more books
are sold creating more jobs. In times of recession people are laid
off and jobs decrease.
Slide 15
Extensive logging is endangering ecosystems in all forest
regions In the past the government has issued permits for logging
with little study of the environmental impacts. In the 1990s
Canadians became unhappy with the way the forestry was being run
and environmental movements began to form The main concern of the
environmental groups was the preservation of Old Growth Forests Old
growth forests: are mature forests that have not been disturbed by
human activity.
Slide 16
Another part of the problem was clear cutting Clear-Cut: All
trees in a block, strip, or patch of forest are removed, leaving
barren hills and slopes. Environmental groups used clear cutting
and the protection of old growth forests as points to change public
opinion.
Slide 17
Measures being taken to protect Canadas forests 1. Clear-cuts
regulated to 40 ha 2. Tall trees must be left standing around the
edges of clear cuts to protect seedlings 3. Forest debris must be
left to decay to provide nutrients for the soil 4. There are
regulations requiring replanting, and companies must monitor for
success. 5. Investment in silviculture Silviculture: the breeding,
developing, and cultivating of trees.
Slide 18
Sustainable Development: The harvesting of natural resources so
that they can recover at a rate equalling or exceeding the rate of
harvesting. It is important to make sure that we do not use our
resources faster than they can replenish themselves The volume of
trees cut must be less than the volume of trees replanted.
Slide 19
Small patch clear cutting: Clear cutting a small area of 1 or 2
ha of old growth forests. Leaving a large buffer of old trees to
provide natural reseeding and protection Logging debris is left to
decay, providing nutrients
Slide 20
Shelterwood Logging: Removing up to 70% of the trees on site.
Small patches of old growth forests are left standing This provides
natural reseeding
Slide 21
Seed Tree Retention: Removes all forest except for a few seed
bearing trees 25 per hectare These trees provide the seeds for
re-growth
Slide 22
Selective Cutting: Harvests only mature trees form a certain
species Trees are removed either individually or in small
groups
Slide 23
Silviculture: breeding developing and cultivating of trees.
Scientists are working to breed faster growing insect and disease
resistant trees. These trees will produce better quality wood and
higher quantity of wood Reforestation requires mature trees When
mature trees are removed forests must be regenerated artificially
This requires tree farms to supply saplings for planting.