Forestry

Why are Trees Important? Any Issues?

1. With your table partner write down as many reasons as you can think of as to why trees are important to the world

2. Now make a list of any issues or threats facing trees and forests

Let Us See How We Did…

• Importance of Trees– Purifies water– Stabilizes soil– Moderates Climate– Habitat for wildlife– Food for wildlife– Beauty– Decreases CO2– Fights Erosion– Spiritual– Commercial (products/jobs/economy)

So What Is a Forest?

• You Tell Me…

So What Is a Forest?

• Characteristics– Composed of Biotic (living) and Abiotic (non-living)

components that work together as part of the forest ecosystem

– Commercial vs. Non-Commercial

Locations

• Over 400 million hectares (10% of world coverage) is forest in Canada

• Forest Composition– 68% Coniferous – Keep Leaves/Shed Old– 11% Broadleaf - Wide Leaves– 16% Mixed wood – Mix of the two

Deciduous- Best described as the trees

that lose leaves during fall and go dormant for winter

- There are MANY types of these trees

- Trees on city streets & beauty

Coniferous- Keeps new leaves and sheds

the old ones (Pine needles on the ground)

- Pinecones- Grow up, not out

Locations

• On Map color in and list the following areas:– Acadian– Boreal– Carolinian– Coast– Columbia– Great Lakes-St. Lawrence– Montane– Subalpine

Boreal Forest

• Means – Northern and occupies 17% of total surface of earth

• In Canada, it is about 80% of the forest region in a coast to coast belt

• In countries like Russia, Sweden, Finland and Norway, there are sections of Boreal forest and are called Taiga

• Three areas: Mostly Forest, Forest & Barren and Forest & Grass

Boreal Forest

• Video• Answer the following questions while

watching the video1. How was the Boreal Forest created?2. What group relies heavily on the Boreal Forest?3. What is the biggest threat to the Boreal Forest?

The Forest Regions of Canada

• Find the following:– Location description– Types of trees in that area• For Boreal describe all three, so you actually have 12

regions

• Yes this will be handed in to me….

Canada and its Forests

• Forestry contributes directly and indirectly to over 600,000 jobs in Canada alone!

• Most of these jobs are in the areas of Quebec, BC and Ontario

What Does Someone Do In Forestry?

• Environmental Technologist – Assess, Clean-up, Protect Environment

• Forest Health Officer– Assess concerns with disease and infections– Conduct aerial and ground surveys

• Forest Rangers– Think police for forests

• Forestry Science– Breeding, develop faster growing trees, soil

• Logging/Forestry Crew– Cutting trees down, taking away, running heavy equipment– Working in Mills

Contributions to the Economy

• Canada is the world leader in exporting softwood, newsprint and wood pulp

• The industry contributes about 2% of Canada`s GDP– What is GDP?

• In 2012, it created a surplus of $14.5 billion making it the second largest industry to what?

• The US is the largest buyer of Canadian forest products

Looking Locally

• Manitoba has three communities dependent on forestry– The Pas, Swan River and Pinefalls/Powerview

• There is about 7,200 jobs in Manitoba due to forestry

• In 2008, Manitoba exported roughly $500 million in forest industry supply

In Decline….

• The industry in Canada and worldwide has seen a decline in the last decade

• This is due to the crash of the housing market in the USA, lower demand for newsprint and the strength of the Canadian dollar

• All of this leads to less jobs and struggles for communities that depend on forestry

• To overcome these obstacles the Canadian Forestry industry is looking at new markets , and new products & processes

So Why are We Cutting Down These Trees?

• List 5 items that we get from trees and then write them on the board….

• NO DUPLICATES!

With the Good, Comes the Bad…

• Across the globe, we are losing approximately 36 football fields of forest per minute

• So what does that mean? What are we doing to ourselves and the planet?

Facing The Threats…• Is there a real threat?

– Well yeah! Half the earths original forest is gone!• Deforestation

– Removal of trees and the land left over is converted into other use– Illegal logging

• This is quite common in many parts of the world

• Environment concerns– Acid Precipitation– Pollution– Forest Fires– Erosion– Chemical Sprays– Insects & Disease

How is it Done?• When clearing trees there are three methods of

doing so and are as followed:– Clear-Cutting– Shelterwood Logging– Selective Cutting– Slash and Burn

• Create a four column chart and describe each of the methods in point form (pg.304-305 & Online)

• In one to two paragraphs explain what method you think is best and why

Forestry Across The World

• On a bigger scale the forests are a direct impact on 1.6 billion people who need them for shelter, fuel, food and income

• The United States is the #1 exporter of forest products

Forestry Across The World

• Rainforest vs Forest –areas that get a heavy amount of rainfall each year are considered rainforest

• The ecosystem of a rainforest is normally a tropical climate

• in British Columbia there is an area considered rainforest and actually is one of the world’s largest remaining temperate (mild) rainforests

How Do We Save Our Forests?

• Forests are considered a renewable resource, because of the sources that help them grow are readily available, Air, Water, Sunlight, Soil

• The problem is that areas can be overharvested and cause permanent damage to the environment that they grow in

• We must ensure that we are regenerating the forests after they are harvested so future generations will be able to use them

How Do We Save Our Forests?

• Silviculture – Latin expression meaning Forest/Growing

• This method is to control and establish growth of new trees usually right after the old ones have been removed

• Most Coniferous trees are regenerated by seeding, while broadleaves can sprout from roots from stumps, broken stems and artificial regeneration (seedlings, uprooted cuttings, or seeds)

How Do We Save Our Forests?• Greenpeace is aiming for a ZERO DEFORESTATION by 2020. To do

this they are asking for destructive industries to change their practices and ask consumers to make sure they demand that their food and products come from areas not linked to forest destruction.

• Sustainable development requires a balance between understanding the economic vs. the human/environmental need

• a balance between understanding the economic vs. the human/environmental need– How can you contribute?– What choices can you make?– If you could make policies in this area, what would you do to

ensure that forests were saved? YOU ARE THE BOSS! Anything goes!

Diverse Perspectives

• There is debate about who owns the forests– While 90% of the forest land is owned by the Canadian

government who oversees these areas there is a remaining 10% split among Federal sectors, Aboriginal groups and private property

• BUT….– How did the Canadian Government acquire this

land?– Who was here first? Does that mean they own

land?

Diverse Perspectives

• Through the signing of treaties, First Nations and the Government of Canada negotiated ownership of the land

• The history of how Treaties were negotiated is controversial and complicated, but essentially, the Federal Government took the land from First Nations

• There is to this day a lot of controversy and groups arguing over land claims

Diverse Perspectives• The forests and lands mean big money for a lot of groups,

what does it mean the First Nations groups?– The land and it’s creatures are key pieces in the Aboriginal

representation of how the earth was created– Air: Essential to mankind (thinks and speaks– Earth: Provides food and other life sustaining materials– Fire: Heat and Light (sun is fire)– Water: Cools and nurtures (growth)

• In the past, many First Nations would move with the seasons from area to area making sure they did not over pick or over hunt. They began to understand the cycles of life and growth within the forests

Diverse Perspectives

• The forests and lands mean big money for a lot of groups, what does it mean the First Nations groups?– The land and it creatures are key pieces in the Aboriginal

representation of how the earth was created– There is both a spiritual and physical connection with the

land, and the First Nations groups depended on the land for food, shelter, spiritual connections and other items to survive

– While it does provide to the needs of the people, there is a need to protect it

– This does not just apply to forestry, but fishing, mining, oil & gas, hunting and agriculture

Diverse Perspectives

• Group of three– Each member takes a perspective from one of the

following:• First Nations• Forestry Company/Logger• Conservationist

• Debate why you need the forest, how can we all work together, and provide alternatives to the other members

• I will call up groups to debate