Unit 1 - Forest Management
Positive Effects of Forest Development on the Environment
The forest industry has both positive and negative effects on the environment. On the positive side, the harvesting of trees helps control diseases, insects, and invasive species. Logging may also improve habitats for many species and maintain forest health.
Disease and Insects
Thousands of diseases and species of insects exist in Canada’s forests. Native insects and diseases, (ones that are supposed to be there), play an important role in the natural food webs and nutrient cycles, helping to maintain the forest's overall health. When native diseases or insects damage the forest it is considered helpful because they are creating conditions that promote forest renewal and growth as the dead trees fall and rot—creating food and shelter for animals and returning their nutrients to the soil.
Forest Facts
Mountain pine beetle typically kills the largest and oldest trees, leaving room for younger trees to grow. Normally, healthy trees are able to suppress an attack by producing a toxic resin, however, the trees' natural defenses can be overwhelmed by too many beetles, as was the case in the early 1990’s in British Columbia affecting more than 18 million hectares of forest.
Through logging and burning of infected areas, Alberta has managed to prevent the spread. For more information about the mountain pine beetle in Alberta, see Alberta Forest Products Association.
When a major outbreak of a native disease or insect gets out of control; logging can help reduce the negative impact. This graph shows the natural cycle of the mountain pine beetle, forest tent caterpillar, and spruce budworm.
Graph source: Minister of Natural Resources 2019
Controlling Forest Invasive Alien Species (FIAS)
Just as important as controlling insects and disease, logging can help control the impact of Forest Invasive Alien Species (FIAS). These are species that are not native to a region and have a negative impact on the ecosystem. Some alien species attack the native species while others compete with them. Many FIAS do not have natural predators in the forests they enter. In Quebec, Canada between 1945 and 1965, over 600 000 elm were destroyed to prevent the spread of Dutch elm disease. Currently, there are over 80 alien insects or diseases in Canada, some of which have been extremely destructive to Canada’s forests. Those in the logging industry are often the first to identify an invasive species and report it to the Canadian Forest Service of Natural Resources Canada and Environment Canada.
Image Source: Pixabay
Logging creates open meadow space for grazing animals like deer and moose.