Forestry in Canada
The Canadian forestry industry is a major contributor to the Canadian economy. With 39% of Canada's land acreage covered by forests, the country contains 9% of the world's forested land.[1] The forests are made up primarily of spruce, poplar and pine.[2] The Canadian forestry industry is composed of three main sectors: solid wood manufacturing, pulp and paper and logging.[3] Forests, as well as forestry are managed by The Department of Natural Resources Canada and the Canadian Forest Service, in cooperation with several organizations which represent government groups, officials, policy experts, and numerous other stakeholders.[4] Extensive deforestation by European settlers during the 18th and 19th centuries has been halted by more modern policies.[5] Today, less than 1% of Canada's forests are affected by logging each year.[2] Canada is the 2nd largest exporter of wood products, and produces 12.3% of the global market share.[6] Economic concerns related to forestry include greenhouse gas emissions, biotechnology, biological diversity, and infestation by pests such as the mountain pine beetle.
History of forestry[edit]
European forestry in Canada is thought to date back to the 11th century, when Leif Erikson first landed off the coast of what is believed to be Newfoundland.[8] Large scale forestry did not begin until European settlers landed several centuries later. The area that is now Canada experienced significant deforestation during the 18th and 19th centuries, as a booming population of settlers cleared the land; this pattern was also seen elsewhere in North America. Changes in management strategies in the 20th and 21st centuries have been able to halt the trend toward deforestation.[5]