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Forests of Canada

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Forest cover percentage of Canadian provinces and territories.

The forests of Canada are located across much of the country. Approximately half of Canada is covered by forest, totaling around 2.4 million km2 (0.93 million sq mi).[1] Over 90% of Canada's forests are owned by the public (Crown land and Provincial forest). About half of the forests are allocated for logging.

Named forests are found within eight distinct regions. These forests may also be part of ecosystems, a number of which extend south into the United States. For example, the Northern hardwood forest is an ecosystem located in large areas of southeastern and south central Canada as well as in Ontario and Quebec. The Great Lakes region includes white pine, hemlock and red maples, yellow birch, and beech trees. The Maritime region is dominated by the red spruce, while the black spruce is prevalent in the eastern Laurentian, with spruce in the western Laurentian. The balsam fir, white cedar tamarack, white birch, and aspen and jack pine are also found in the eastern portion of the country. The tundra is home to the aspen, bur oak, balm of Gilead, cottonwood and balsam poplar. The west coast has the western hemlock, red cedar, Douglas fir, Sitka spruce, and western white pine being dominate. The Rocky Mountain region consistent of alpine fir, Engelmann spruce, lodgepole pine and mountain hemlock.

Ontario alone makes up for 20% of Canada's Forests, which equates to roughly 2% of the forests in the world.[2] Ontario follows strict laws and regulations to manage its forests in a sustainable way. Ontario Forests are mainly managed by the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry (NDMNRF).[3] They ensure a fair trade between sustaining the forest, while protecting the biodiversity of the ecosystem and providing legal methods for harvesting to benefit the economy.[2]

Statistics

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Share of global forest in each country

Canada possesses 367 million hectares (ha) of forest, which constitutes 9% of the global forest area and 25% of the worldwide boreal forest. As of 2022, 72% of the Crown forest land under management in Canada is certified according to third-party sustainable forest management standards. Approximately 10% of Canada’s forests are designated as protected areas (2022).[4]

The forest sector in Canada contributed $33. 4 billion (1. 2%) to the nation’s nominal GDP in 2022. In the same year, this sector employed 212,660 individuals, with average annual earnings estimated at $51,900 (2022).[4]

Protection

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The protection of Canada’s forests is reinforced through robust legislation and regulations at the federal, provincial/territorial, and municipal levels. Sustainable forest management (SFM) represents a collaborative initiative involving all tiers of government, industry stakeholders, and the general public. Numerous key federal statutes underpin the objectives of SFM, including the:[4]

  • Forestry Act
  • Species at Risk Act
  • Migratory Birds Convention Act
  • Fisheries Act
  • Impact Assessment Act
  • Canadian Environmental Protection Act
  • Pest Control Products Act
  • Fertilizers Act


The Species at Risk Act plays a critical role in Canada’s strategy to safeguard biodiversity, having been established to fulfill Canada’s obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Conservation of Biodiversity.

Regions

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Taiga forest in the Boreal Forest Region in Quebec

The forests of Canada are located within eight regions:[5][6]

By Province

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See also: Ecozones of Canada and List of ecoregions in Canada (WWF)

The following is a list of forests, ecoregions, ecozones, forested parklands and provincial parks.

Alberta

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Alberta's North Central Rockies forest

British Columbia

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British Columbia mainland coastal forests

Manitoba

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See also: Provincial forests (Manitoba)
Ben Eoin Provincial Park

Newfoundland

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Nova Scotia

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Ontario

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Ontario's Eastern Great Lakes lowland forests

Prince Edward Island

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Quebec

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Quebec's Laurentian Mixed Forest Province

Saskatchewan

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Saskatchewan's Aspen parkland
See also: List of Saskatchewan provincial forests

Yukon

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Other forest areas

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Northern hardwood forest

Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests

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View of Niagara River from Niagara Glen Nature Reserve
A view of the Niagara River from Niagara Glen Nature Reserve, surrounded by forest

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Total forest coverage by country". the Guardian. 2 September 2009. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  2. ^ a b "State of Ontario's Natural Resources - Forest 2021".
  3. ^ "Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry".
  4. ^ a b c "THE STATE OF CANADA'S FORESTS - Annual Report 2023" (PDF). library and archives Canada Canadian Forest Service. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  5. ^ "Forest classification". Natural Resources Canada. 14 June 2017. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  6. ^ "Forest Regions - The Canadian Encyclopedia". www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca.
  7. ^ "New England/Acadian Forests". www.cas.vanderbilt.edu.
  8. ^ a b c d "Canada's Forests - Sustainability and Management - CCFM". www.sfmcanada.org. Archived from the original on 2021-03-01. Retrieved 2018-09-23.
  9. ^ "Natural Areas". 11 January 2018.
  10. ^ "Eco Succession". Archived from the original on 2008-12-26. Retrieved 2018-09-23.
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