Boreal Forest Degradation (Pine Beetle)

Canada’s Boreal Forest Canada’s Boreal Forest stretches across the country, from the Yukon Territory in the west to the province of Newfoundland and Labrador in the east. At 545 million hectares, or 5.45 million square kilometers (1.3 billion acres), it encompasses almost 53 per cent of Canada’s total landmass, and includes 90 per cent of Canada’s remaining intact forest landscapes. Its treed area covers 310 million hectares (766 million acres), while the remaining 235 hectares (581 million acres) comprise peatlands and other treeless areas.

Forest degradation and fragmentation Forest degradation is different from deforestation. Degradation is used to mean the destruction or reduction in quality of specific aspects of forests. Prolonged degradation can wipe out a forest. Degradation can result in a decrease in tree cover, changes in their structure or a reduction in the number of species that can be found there. If acid rain destroys trees in a vast area, it can be called forest degradation. Forest degradation is the changes within the forest which negatively affect the structure or function of the stand or site, and thereby lower the capacity to supply products and/or services. FAO (2001) – Global Forest Resources Assessment 2000 Forest degradation can be caused by factors such as - Forest fires - Climate Change - Pests and diseases Degraded forests can often be restored. The Global Partnership on Forest Landscape Restoration (GPFLR, undated) suggested that more than one billion hectares of deforested and degraded forest land worldwide are suitable and available for restoration.  

Mountain Pine Beetle The mountain pine beetle (MPB) is a native insect that attacks pines in western North American forests. The current MPB outbreak started in British Columbia in the early 1990s. The insect has since killed about 50% of the total volume of commercial lodgepole pine in the province. While isolated records of MPB had been noted in Alberta before, it was the massive migration of beetles into that province from outbreaks in British Columbia during 2006 that fuelled the spread eastward. Today the MPB occurs well beyond its historic range, extending into northern British Columbia and eastward in the boreal forest of north-central Alberta. Not just limiting itself to lodgepole pine any longer, the beetle is also reproducing in jack pine, the dominant pine species of the boreal forest.

Attack and damage Sawdust on the outer bark around beetle entrance holes is the first sign of attack. Pitch tubes (small globs of pitch) are present on the outer bark of attacked trees within days of attack and remain visible for many years; however, pitch tubes may not be present on trees with severely compromised defenses. The sapwood of successfully attacked trees appears blue in colour usually by the fall in the year of attack. Needles turn yellow, orange and then red approximately one year after attack. The crowns of some trees may start to fade in the same year as the attack, depending on environmental conditions. The red needles drop off approximately two to four years after attack and trees appear gray with no needles.

What could influence the beetle’s continued spread? Scientists expect the beetle to continue expanding its geographic range, moving into the boreal forest and Canada’s northern and eastern pine forests. Several factors will determine the extent to which this spread occurs:   - Dispersal ability - Climatic suitability for infestation - Susceptibility of boreal pine stands to infestation - Effectiveness of forest pest management efforts - Warming temperatures have increased the beetle's habitat and the lack of cold winters in central British Columbia have reduced the normal beetle kill.   

What are governments doing to slow the beetle’s spread? The affected provinces and territories are leading their own beetle detection and control programs. Their efforts include detecting MPB in new areas and removing and burning infested trees to reduce further attack, or harvesting affected stands before the economic value of the wood is lost or diminished. Still, the boreal forest is a novel environment for this beetle and many questions—such as how quickly populations will spread and what their impact will be on forest ecological, economic and social values—have yet to be answered. Research being conducted by the Canadian Forest Service and other agencies focuses on gaining greater understanding of the ecology and population dynamics of MPB in the insect’s new environment. This information is being used in an ongoing risk analysis as part of the National Forest Pest Strategy, a collaboration of federal, provincial and territorial experts. The knowledge developed is assisting forest managers with assessing the threat to Canada’s forests posed by the beetle and identifying effective mitigation and adaptation options.

Thank You

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