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In Canada, the boreal region stretches across the top of the country from Newfoundland and Labrador west to British Columbia and the Yukon. This remote region, much of it undeveloped, accounts for almost one third of the country's land mass and close to three-quarters of its forest and other wooded land. Worldwide, the boreal region makes up 10 per cent of the earth's land, and almost one third of its forests. It produces oxygen, filters air and water, stores carbon and offers a biological reservoir with plant, animal and other species often unique to the region.
The boreal region is integral to Canada's history, culture, economy and natural environment, and about half of the country's wood harvest comes from the boreal forest. It is home to half of Canada's 450 bird species - as many as five billion birds migrate south and return north each year. Canada's boreal landscape is a mosaic of forest, barren land, lakes, rivers, meadows and peat lands. Most of its 20 tree species are conifers such as spruce, fir, pine, and tamarack. Wildfire is critical to the health, renewal and survival of the boreal forest, turning the leaves, logs and conifer needles on the forest floor into nutrient-rich ash to nourish new plant growth, and opening up the canopy to sunlight. Native insect infestations and diseases are also a natural part of the forest's ecosystem.
About eight per cent of Canada's boreal forest is protected, more than any other jurisdiction, and more is currently considered inaccessible for harvesting. About 0.2 per cent of the boreal forest is harvested each year; by comparison, five times this amount is disturbed annually on average by wildfire, insects and disease, which contributes to its mosaic appearance. |