Notes on Natural Resources and Forestry

What are Natural Resources?

  • Natural resources: Anything from the natural environment useful to humans.
  • Categories of natural resources:
    • Renewable resources: Can be replenished naturally (e.g., forests).
    • Non-renewable resources: Cannot be replaced once used (e.g., minerals).
    • Inexhaustible resources: Expected to last indefinitely (e.g., sun, wind).

Learning Goals

  1. Identify and describe Canada’s forest regions.
  2. Understand the economic importance of forestry, tree harvesting, and usage.
  3. Discuss key forestry issues.
  4. Understand sustained yield forest management.

Forest Facts

  • Forests cover nearly half of Canada’s land area.
  • Canada ranks third in the world for forest area, after Russia and Brazil.
  • Composition of forests:
    • 63% coniferous trees.
    • 22% deciduous trees.
    • 15% mixed species.
  • Canada has two types of forests:
    • Commercial forests: Harvested for profit, typically in optimal growing locations.
    • Non-commercial forests: Not suitable for logging due to poor growth conditions or distance from transportation.

Location of Forests in Canada

  • Major regions:
    • Boreal forest (largest)
    • Taiga forest
    • West Coast Forest
    • Montane Forest
    • Mixed Forest

Commercial Forest Regions

  • Boreal Forest:

    • Majorly composed of coniferous softwood trees (e.g., black spruce).
    • Smaller trees due to slow growth from low precipitation and long winters.

  • Taiga Forest:

    • Stunted tree growth from thin soils and short growing seasons.
    • Limited logging due to inaccessibility.

  • West Coast Forest:

    • Most productive; includes temperate rainforests with abundant precipitation.
    • Varieties of trees include spruce, cedar, and hemlock.
    • Largest trees and highest wood volume per hectare in Canada.

  • Montane Forest:

    • Slightly lower precipitation and shorter growing season than West Coast Forest.
    • Contains smaller coniferous trees, yielding the second-highest volume of wood.

  • Mixed Forest Region:

    • Longer growing season and more precipitation than Boreal Forest.
    • Northern coniferous trees and southern hardwoods (e.g., walnut, cherry).
    • Heavily farmed and urbanized, leaving very little.

Economic Impact of Forests

  • Employment: Approximately 1 in 16 jobs depend on forestry; includes direct roles (e.g., logging) and indirect roles (e.g., paper supply).
  • Forestry generates over $80 billion annually from products like lumber, pulp/paper, flooring/furniture.
  • More than 50% of forest products are exported, including softwood lumber and wood pulp.

Logging Methods in Canada

  1. Clear cutting:

    • Most common and fastest method; removes all trees, leaving a barren landscape.
    • Replanting results in uniform forests. Potential issues include ecological damage.

  2. Shelterwood logging:

    • Partial clear-cutting, leaving seed trees for regeneration.
    • Suitable for old-growth forests.

  3. Selective cutting:

    • Harvests only mature trees of desired types, sizes, or qualities.
    • Least disruptive method, preserves ecological balance.

Forestry Products

  • Pulp and Paper:
    • Canada is the second-largest pulp and paper producer, largest exporter.
    • Pulp for paper is derived from cellulose fibers in wood.
  • Lumber:
    • British Columbia dominates with a significant lumber industry due to suitable growing conditions.
    • Major products include raw timber, plywood, veneers, and cedar shingles.

Threats to Forests

  • Issues facing Canadian forests include:
    • Acid precipitation
    • Insects and pests
    • Forest fires
    • Clear cutting practices
    • Aerial pesticide spraying
    • Global competition

Sustained Yield Management

  • Aim: To ensure for every cut tree, another reaches maturity.
  • Challenges exist in forestry management; companies are working to address but need improvements in sustainability.
  • Forests are a limited resource and require careful management.

Clayoquot Sound Case Study

  • Location on Vancouver Island with initial plans for clear-cutting faced protests.
  • In 1993, logging was allowed under strict regulations for sustained yield management after negotiations.
  • A stewardship panel recommended:
    1. Ecosystem approaches for planning.
    2. Watershed-based planning.
    3. Inclusion of First Nation groups in planning phases.
    4. Mapping and studying critical habitats and archaeological sites.