Canada Forests
Canada's Forests
_tn.jpg) Home to 10% of the world's forests, covering nearly ½ of the Canadian landscape (the 2nd largest country in the world) and home to 2/3 of Canada 's wildlife, Canada has a key role in the protection and management of its forests. With 20% of the world's freshwater, Canada 's forests also have a key role in fresh water protection. This section provides website links to information on these incredible forests courtesy of the Canadian Forest Service a division of Natural Resources Canada - the organization that provides national leadership into forest issues in Canada .
What is a Tree and What is a Forest ?
A tree is considered to be a woody, perennial plant that grows to as height of at least 4.5 metres. A forest is defined as a biological community dominated by trees and other woody plants and home to other flora and fauna. There are 180 tree species indigenous to Canada (Trees of Canada). Read more about the 10 most abundant trees (by area) and the amount of area covered by our provincial arboreal emblems.
Who Takes Care of Canada 's Forests?
 94% of Canada 's forests are publicly owned. The other 6% is privately owned by more than 425,000 private landowners. Of that public forest, the federal government owns 23% and the provincial government owns 71%. Other forests known as urban forests are a small part of the Canadian landscape but are important for the clean air and water they give Canadians since 80% of them live in cities and towns.
Everyone has a stake in the management of Canada 's forests. On federal land, the territorial governments, First Nations and other federal agencies make decisions on the management of forested lands based on science, public consultation and community need. In some areas where land claims are resolved, First Nations own and manage their forested lands. On provincial lands, decisions follow a similar pattern. On private lands, individual landowners make decisions based on personal need, advice, and the principles of stewardship - the idea that those forests would be left to future generations in a state better than today. On lands in cities and towns, the municipalities, residents and corporate landowners make key decisions affecting their urban forests.
Federal Responsibilities
 Canada has important international obligations in the management of its forests. Canada is playing a significant role in international discussions on forests and is implementing, within its borders, the principles of sustainable development. In response to the growing recognition of the value of its traditional ecological knowledge, Canada is working to increase the participation of Aboriginal peoples in the forest management process through the National Forest Strategy a collective round table on how the forests of Canada will be managed over the next, 5-year term coordinated through the Canadian Forest Service.
In 1985, the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers was formed to coordinate and facilitate cooperative measures to shape direction for the overall sustainability of Canada 's forests. They further developed a catalogue of criteria and related indicators of sustainable forest management, including: the conservation of biological diversity; the maintenance and enhancement of forest ecosystem conditions and productivity; the conservation of soil and water resources; the forest ecosystem contributions to global ecological cycles, multiple benefits to society; and accepting society's responsibilities regarding sustainable development.
The Canadian Forest Service, takes the lead in research, international trade and treaties, the environment, pesticide regulation, training Aboriginal affairs and national statistics. Other federal agencies have various roles in other policies related to forests. These include:
Provincial/Territorial Responsibilities
 With growing provincial concerns about managing forest resources effectively for Canadians, the provinces and territories have initiated new approaches to forest management, expanded protected areas, enacted tougher environmental regulations, and invested in forest renewal and protection.
The provinces of Canada are engaged in the day-to-day management of forested lands under their jurisdiction including decisions about park protection, forest harvesting and fire protection. A listing of the provincial ministries engaged in forest management is found here:
The Forests of Canada
The forests of Canada are diverse, dynamic and are the basis of life in Canada and in some cases the world. They modify the climate, providing oxygen, shade and soil sytability. They are used by a large number of humans : individuals, Aboriginal groups, environmmental organizations, scientists, trappers, recreationalists, and the forest industry.
 Most native trees migrated here during the last 10,000-20,000 years since the melting of the Pleistocene ice sheets. Canadian f orests are divided into 15 terrestrial ecozones, which contain the 8 Forest Regions of Canada (). The Forest Regions are groupings of forest types who have similar site requirements such as soil and climate. Trees can also be described in terms of their hardiness zone. Hardiness is the ability of a tree to survive climatic stress in a given area and are based on climate.
Calculating how much, how old and what kind of forests exist in Canada is very difficult because of the shear extent and complexity of our forest land. With 417.6 million hectares, the task of estimating these forest land lies with the provincial, territorial and the federal govrernments under the National Forest Inventory.
Natural Processes in Forests
 Forests are dynamic ecosystems - a complex, functional system of interacting and often independent biological, physical and chemical components. As such, they are subject to many forces seeking to change and modify it. In Canada, many of our forest types are driven by " disturbance agents " or factors which seek to change the forest on a temporary types through biological or non-biological events such as forest fires, windstorms or even insect infestations. These factors are also in many ways a measure of forest health. A healthy forest is one that maintains and sustains desirable ecosystem functions and processes. Indicators of healthy forests include ones related to biodiversity change, resilience, wildlife habitat, aesthetic appeal, and resource sustainability. Both natural and human influences can impact on forests in positive and negative ways. In fact, natural influences, such as fire, insects, and disease are essential for the regeneration and succession of most of our forests.
These processes that help direct this change include:
The Environmental Importance of Forests
 If forests are the "lungs of the earth" than Canada has 10% of those lungs. Trees and forest ecosystems are tremendously important for our environment. Trees can:
- Reduce the effects of climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide gases that contribute to the "greenhouse effect" by trapping solar radiation thus raising the temperature of the earth
- Conserve energy by reducing heating (by screening cool winds in the winter) and cooling costs (by shading buildings in the summer) by up to 50%
- Give people a psychological boost - studies show they make us feel good
- Increase our property values by 20%
- Give wildlife a place to live
- Reduce sedimentation and regulate flooding and drought periods in watercourses
Trees, Canada and Forest Products
Forests are an important economic generator for the production of forests products as well. In 2008, Canada netted $30.2 billion in forest product exports, which generated 273,700 direct jobs and supported some 300 forest-based communities. These exports included newsprint, other paper and paperboard, softwood lumber and wood pulp. Some 70.8% of our exports go to the United States. Of the 417.6 million ha of forested land in Canada, 0.7 million ha was harvested (2007), 18.6 million ha was defoliated by insects (2007) and 1.7 million ha was burned in wildfires (2008).
Alien Invasives in Canadian Forests
 Another issue of great concern to our forests is the importation of alien invasives - the inadvertent (or sometimes on purpose) importation of insects, plants or fungi from other countries. These organisms, frequently lacking natural predators are wreaking havoc in many forested ecosystems.
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