The Land Potential

There is far more biological complexity in a handful of soil from a Canadian Forest than there is on the entire surface of Jupiter.

Yet we invest and spend more money on exploring our solar system than we do on researching how basic life support systems on earth work.

The Fertile Soil

The Earth has 13 billion hectares of ice-free land surface. Only 11% of this is arable (able to produce crops) 24% is potentially arable if technology is developed

to suit these conditions.

Arable11%

Suffers from Drought

28%

Mineral Stressed Soil

23%

Thin Soils22%

Waterlogged Soils10%

Permafrost6%

World Land-use

Cropland11%

Pasture Land24%

Forest31%

Other (Urban)34%

Forest Cover

30% of the planet’s land surface is made up of forest.

These forests play a key role in recycling our planet’s carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen.

Forest Classification

There are four main types of forest ecosystems on the planet.

1. Boreal – Stretches across the North of the planet (Canada to Russia)

2. Coniferous Forests – Mountain Ranges3. Temperate – Mixed tree types (Deciduous and

Coniferous)4. Tropical – richest and densest of all the forests in

terms of diversity.

Economic Impact of Forests

Forests cover close to half of Canada’s land area, only Russia and Brazil have larger forest areas than Canada.

1 in every 16 Canadian jobs depends on forestry.

The forestry industry is developed for producing lumber and pulp and paper.

The industry is worth $56 billion/year in Canada.

Types of Logging

There are three ways that forests are logged:

1. Selective Cutting2. Strip Cutting3. Clear Cutting

Selective Cutting

Harvests only mature trees.Less disruptive to the forest environmentOn a large scale, it’s a much more costly

process because of the extra time taken to get the trees

Generally focusing on trees for firewood or trees to be harvested for timber

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gBriAQjkCY

Strip/Shelterwood Cutting

Clear cutting only part of an old growth forest in strips or a narrow corridor

Small groups of trees are left to regenerate the logged area.

Clear Cutting

Used by the vast majority of logging operations.

It is the fastest and cheapest method.Loggers remove every tree.This wastes smaller trees, exposes soil to

erosion and eliminates habitats for many forest species

The area has to be replanted through the silviculture industry.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gXu7CCDfIo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQmtEdOphy8

Douglas Fir, Cathedral Grove, Vancouver Island – 1893 -

Why cut trees?Current Southern Ontario Prices

For a tree that has a stem (log) 24” by 36 ft long, there is approximately 900 board ft of lumber If it’s a sugar maple (900 bd/ft x $.90/ bdft) = $ 800

Black Cherry $0.60 /board ftSugar Maple $0.90/board ftWalnut $1.20/board ftWhite Pine $0.30/ board ft.(Ontario Forestry Association, 2014)

Silviculture

Industry developed for reforestation and the management of woodlots

Reforestation: planting seedlings over an area of land where the forest has been harvested.

In Canada it occurs in Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, Alberta, and B.C.

What is treeplanting like?

The average planter: Plants 1600 trees/day Works from sunrise to sunset Lifts 1000kg/day Bends over 200 times/hour Pushes shovel into the ground 200 times/hour Walks 20 km/day with a heavy load

What is the pay like?

10 to 15 cents/tree plantedPay $20-30/day for camp costsIn the beginning you plant only about 500

trees per day.After you have learned the process you can

plant 2000-2500 trees/dayIF YOU DON’T PLANT TREES, YOU DON”T

MAKE MONEY

What happens to your body?

The ClawNumb footTrench FootFood for InsectsEncounters with wildlifeAverage injury rate of 22 out of 100

workers

Trees Reduce Carbon by:• storing carbon in their trunks,branches, leaves and roots. • removing CO2 throughphotosynthesis.• sheltering buildings thereby reducing energy demands. One Large Healthy Tree Can:

• lift 4000 litres of water from the ground and release it in the air• absorb as many as 7000 dust particles per litre of air.

• absorb 75% of the CO2 produced by an average car•Provide enough oxygen for up to 4 people

You do the Math!

One large tree can provide a day’s oxygen for up to 4 people. How many trees are needed to provide one day’s oxygen for your entire class? How about your entire school?

You do the math!

You need about 500 full-sized trees to absorb the carbon dioxide produced by a typical car driven 20,000km/year. How many trees does your household need?

You do the math!

Each day a full-sized tree can absorb nearly 75% of the carbon produced from an average, well maintained car. How many trees are needed to absorb the daily carbon for the 75 cars in Preston’s parking lot?