Chapter 9: Forestry in Newfoundland & Labrador INTRODUCTION TO FORESTS AND FOREST MANAGEMENT Figure 9.1: Sunset in the Boreal Forest. Did You Know? From space it is easy to see why Earth is called the blue planet. But a closer look Original Forests are reveals wisps of green. Those are our grasslands and forests. In fact, if you exclude sometimes thought of as Antarctica and Greenland where no trees grow, forests cover almost one third of the forests that existed long before Earth’s land—39 million square kilometres. significant human intervention. Information on original forests Even though they cover much less of the Earth’s surface than water, forests play a and today’s forests can be found major role in supporting life. They regulate climate, recycle moisture, stabilize soils, at: www.globalforestwatch.org. control runoff, recycle the air, provide food, and serve as natural habitats for almost two thirds of all Earth’s species. Scientists are just beginning to understand the important role forests play in the recycling of greenhouse gases and carbon—a process which can have a profound impact on climate change. Forests provide thousands of products that meet our everyday needs; wood fibre for paper, lumber, wood to heat our homes, and many commercial and traditional medicines. To ensure a sustainable source of these products, humans must take responsibility for protecting and preserving the forests and all their plants and animals that they support. Forestry in Newfoundland & Labrador 251 Increasing demands by humans for forest lands and products are depleting the Did You Know? world’s forests. The loss of forests to wood harvesting, farming, and urbanization (cities and towns), as well as destruction caused by climate change, have reduced Worldwide wood consumption the world’s original forest by fifty per cent and the losses continue. In under- is estimated to be 1.57 billion developed countries, agricultural lands are being expanded into what was formerly tonnes per year.This exceeds forest to meet the growing demands for more food production. the use of steel and plastics combined. More than half Old-growth forests are the home for much of the world’s biodiversity, many of all the wood harvested endangered species, and most indigenous human cultures. Old-growth forests, worldwide is used for firewood both tropical and temperate, play a major role in regulating climate. and charcoal for heating and cooking. Source: World Resource Institute Every year the Earth loses an area of forest about the size of Portugal. The estimated net loss of forests from 1990 to 2000 was 94 million hectares— an area larger than Venezuela! Much of the forest is being replaced by agricultural land for food production. The total estimated global forest area remaining in 2000 was approximately 3.9 billion hectares. Of that, 95 per cent was natural forest and 5 per cent was forest plantations. The growing need for wood fibre and other resources is placing pressure on Canada’s forests. Logging, agriculture, oil and gas exploration and development, settlement, mining, roads, increased recreational activities, urbanization, and air quality are all having negative impacts on our forest lands. Newfoundland and Labrador’s forest industry is facing its own challenges. Some of these challenges include the following: • Wood and wood fibre availability for the forest industry • Preserving the last of the old-growth forest on the island • Protecting against insect and disease threats • Managing the forest resources of Labrador • Meeting the needs of recreational users Figure 9.2: Natural forest re-growth. • Availability of wood for domestic use Photo courtesy Department of Natural Resources • Managing for competing uses Did You Know? The Provincial Sustainable Forest Management Strategy has introduced a new vision for the province’s forest ecosystems. This vision The Labrador Innu and the includes finding a balance between ecological, economic, and social values, while Newfoundland and Labrador maintaining forest ecosystems that provide healthy, diverse populations of native Forest Service have partnered species, a sustainable forest-based economy, and employment. to develop one of the best forest management plans in Canada. Despite growing concerns about our forests and their resources, there are success stories at the international, national, and regional levels. For example, by the mid- nineteenth century, New England had lost many of its forests to agriculture. 252 Unit 3 • Chapter 9 Vermont had only thirty five per cent of its forests standing in 1850, now it has eighty per cent. In India, where forests were decimated for firewood, the amount of forest land is now increasing. Forests are resilient and if managed properly, can provide renewable resources that support sustainable development. 1. What are the ecological values of forests? Why do we need them to sustain life on the planet? 2. Look around your classroom or your home. Make a list of products and materials that come directly from, or are derived from, the forest. 3. Outline some pressures facing the world’s forests. 4. What are some challenges facing people who manage the forests of Newfoundland and Labrador? 5. What does the forest mean to the people of your community? For Further Discussion And/or Research 6. List the ways that the global forests support the planet. Choose one of those ways on your list and, through research, prepare a one page summary or a poster. 7. Through research on the Internet, find out about one forest issue in Figure 9.3: Conservation Officer conducting a sawmill inspection. another country.Use pictures, text, and graphs to create a collage Photo courtesy Department of Natural that communicates the issue. Resources 8. Forests resources are seen by many as a store house of products. Through research, find out about unique products produced from forest resources. The Canada Yew Taxol is a common cancer drug. It can be extracted from any plant of the Taxus species including the Canada yew. Taxol was discovered in the late 1960s when companies began chemical prospecting for natural plant products that could be used to treat cancer. By the 1990s, Taxol was identified as one of the most promising anti-cancer drugs to be discovered in twenty years. The discovery of Taxol emphasizes the need to preserve forest biodiversity. How many more potential drugs are yet to be discovered in the world’s forests? Forestry in Newfoundland & Labrador 253 FOREST REGIONS Approximately 32 per cent of Earth’s land surface supports forests and woodlands. About 47 per cent of the world’s forests occur in the tropical zone, 9 per cent in the subtropics, 11 per cent in the temperate zone, and 33 per cent in the boreal zone. Per cent of Global Forest Land 27% 14% 14% 5% 23% 17% Figure 9.4: Global forest distribution. Image source: http://www.fao.org/forestry/fo/fra/index.jsp Did You Know? Canada’s Forests Nearly 183 million hectares of Canada contains about 10 per cent of the world’s forests, that’s about 417.6 the country’s non-commercial million hectares of forested land. Of this, 234.5 million hectares (56 per cent) forest are wilderness and about are considered commercial forest. These forests provide fibre for paper, wood two-thirds of Canada’s 140,000 for lumber, and a variety of other products. In 2002, forestry directly employed species of plants and animals live in the forest! 361,400 people in Canada. The total forest industry is worth almost $74 billion to the Canadian economy.Besides industrial use, our forests contribute $11 billion to Canada’s tourism industry and more than $100 million from growing and selling Christmas trees. Forests produce 11 million litres of maple syrup annually and Canadians use 4.2 million cubic metres of fuel wood to heat their homes every year. Forests are not just valuable commercially.More than 20 million people use Canadian forests for hunting, fishing, trapping, recreation, photography, and berry picking (See Recreation and the Environment). Forests meet the cultural and spiritual needs of Canadians, particularly our Aboriginal population. Many Canadians use the forest for aesthetic reasons that range from admiring the beauty of remote forest land to using trees for shade in their backyard. 254 Unit 3 • Chapter 9 Figure 9.5: Family enjoying a canoe trip. Photo courtesy Department of Natural Resources Canadian forests, like forests around the world, play an important role in preventing climate change. Forests absorb CO2 from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and store the carbon for long periods of time.Young forests are best at removing CO2 from the atmosphere; however, as the trees mature, forests remove less CO2 from the atmosphere. But old forests are very effective for long-term carbon storage. Forest Regions of Canada Canada stretches more than 7,000 kilometres from the west coast to the east coast. Soil, water, climate and other conditions that support the forests vary from east to west and from north to south. Canada’s forests are varied and are represented by ten forest regions and two subregions. Each region and subregion has its characteristic tree species and forest types. Figure 9.6: Forest Regions of Canada. Source: atlas.nrcan.gc.ca /site/english/learningresources/theme_ modules/borealforest/forest_regions.jpg /image_view 0 125 250 km Forestry in Newfoundland & Labrador 255 1. What is the dominant forest type in Newfoundland and Labrador? 2. In table format, list the different ways that Canadian’s use the forest. 3. What forest region(s) does Newfoundland and Labrador lie in? For Further Discussion And/or Research 4. Through research on the web, write a one-paragraph description of the forest region(s) that southern Labrador and the island of Newfoundland lie in.