The Environment:
On average, each year Canada harvests around 0.5% of the forests that are available and profitable to log. This is a small percentage of Canada’s vast forest reserves. Canada’s 347 million hectares (ha) of forest make up 9% of the world’s forests. 24% percent of the world’s boreal forests are found within Canada’s borders. Much of Canada’s forest land is in remote, sparsely populated areas and is not under the same pressure to be cleared for agriculture or urban development as forests in many other countries. Canada has nearly 10 ha of forest land per person, more than 17 times the world average.
Canada is able to produce a large amount of forestry products. If managed responsibly, like any renewable resource, forests could be sustainably harvested forever.
The Economics:
The forestry industry in Canada is worth approximately $35 billion dollars/year, or about 1.5% of our economy. As of 2018 205,000 people (12,000 of which are indigenous) worked in the forestry industry including loggers, paper & lumber mill workers, wood product retailers and forestry scientists/analysts.
Thinking back to the lesson on the sectors of the economy, which forest job from above fits into which level of industry?
Primary | Secondary | Tertiary | Quaternary |
loggers | Mill workers | Wood product retailers | Forestry scientist and analysis |
Because of the large supply of trees, Canada is an exporter (meaning we log more than we need, enough to sell the extra to other countries). See table below:
How does Canada compare to the rest of the world in the amount of forestry products we export?
We export much much more than other countries |
Such products include: cut logs, milled lumber like 2 x 4s, plywood, and pulp and paper
Which countries import (buy from others) the most forestry products? Importers have (-) values on the graph showing they buy more than they sell.
What does this tell us about how much forested area importing countries have?
They have very minimal forestry and they need to import it from other countries with a surplus of forestry |
What countries are buying Canadian forestry products? Use diagram →
Give 2 reasons why you think most of our wood products are exported to the USA.
Because we are their direct neighbours so trading becomes much easier and we have much more forestry resources to provide |
In the Lorax, the Onceler would have been considered an “exporter” of Thneeds (and in turn truffula trees) as he sold them all around the world.
What impact do you think exporting Canadian wood products around the world has on HOW MUCH of our forests we harvest and sell? (hint: think about what happened in the Lorax)
Firstly we may end up cutting down trees and using up our resources too quickly and there won't be enough time to replenish them resulting in a lack of resources as well as the impact all this trading has on our environment from shipping and releasing co2 emissions. |
Activity #2: Patterns: What Forests Are We Cutting Where?
How does it matter for Sustainability and Stewardship?
Three main regions of Canada have the landscape and climate to support large forests but each forest is different in age, regeneration speeds and cultural importance. Understanding each forest is important to know for making good decisions on using it.
Forest Region | Characteristics | Can it be cut Sustainably? Can cutting it be considered good Stewardship? |
Boreal/Mixed Forest | Young, fast growing deciduous and coniferous species impacted by regular fires. Most in second growth after logging. Less than 100 years old. 4.3 million sq/km remains | Yes it can be cut sustainably due to the large amount of forestry and lumber however there is not direct reason for it to beneficial to the environment therefore it would not be called good stewardship |
West Coast/Pacific Maritime Forest | Ancient intact ecosystems with giant thousand year old trees and important cultural ties to BC Indigenous Peoples. Only 3% of old growth forest remains | No due to the age and limited number of trees/ forestry. And it would be a disgrace to call cutting it good stewardship because of the cultural importance it holds. |
Western Mountain/ Montane Forest | Young, fast growing coniferous species impacted by regular fires. Most in second growth after logging. Less than 100 years old. 600 thousand sq/km remains. | Yes it can be cut sustainable to to its fast growing nature and it could be considered good stewardship due to all the fires it experiences. |
Additional info can be found here:
Activity #3: The Methods of Logging and Impacts on Sustainability
Please read the following information on the variety of methods forestry companies use to harvest.
Type of Logging | Diagram |
Clear Cut: All trees in a given area are harvested regardless of age, quality and health.
Advantages: Economic: Cheap and Quick! Environmental: Mimics natural disturbances like forest fires and insect infestations. Some tree species have saplings that require full sun
Disadvantages: Economic: If done unsustainably, forests can disappear, along with the ability to make money. Clear cuts must be replanted by humans which costs money. Environmental: Large clear cuts cause the most damage to the natural ecosystem, especially near waterways or in the habitat of sensitive species. | |
Strip & Patch Cuts: This form of clear-cutting is done with smaller sections of forest cut in long lines or checkerboard patches.
Advantages: Economic: Relatively cheap and quick. Lower costs to rehabilitate/reseed. Environmental: less harmful to the ecosystem than traditional clear cut. Remaining trees can naturally seed and regrow harvested areas.
Disadvantages: Economic: Requires more land, time and effort than clear cutting to harvest the same amount of wood. Environmental: Still leaves large areas of forest damaged. | |
Selective/Shelterwood Cut: Only mature and most profitable trees are cut. Young or undesirable trees are left behind maintaining a nearly intact healthy ecosystem.
Advantages: Economic: Wood products extracted with this method can be sold at higher prices, marked as sustainable and provide consumers with a choice to make sustainable purchases. Faster regeneration shortens the time in between back to back harvests. Environmental: Causes the lowest impact on the health of the ecosystem. Habitats remain mostly intact and recover quicker than clear or strip cuts. Advantageous for species with seedlings that require partial sun.
Disadvantages: Economic: Most costly, time consuming and difficult form of cutting. Leads to higher consumer prices as compared to less sustainably harvested wood. Environmental: Even selective cuts cause environmental damage in sensitive habitats. Not fit for forests with tree species that require full sun for sapling regrowth. | |
Just like in mining, forestry is unavoidable. Society needs forest products and all methods of extracting trees come with some environmental impact. However, WHICH forests we choose to cut, HOW much and which methods we do it and the AMOUNT WE CONSUME and WASTE, determine how sustainable our actions are.
Which of the three types of cutting do you think shows the best stewardship? Why?
Selective cutting has the least impact on the environment and provides the best possibilities for regrowth and a more sustainable ecosystem. It way be more costly but it is the better option |
Note
Studied by 35 people