The Land Potential There is far more biological complexity in a handful of soil from a Canadian Forest than there is on the entire surface of Jupiter. Yet we invest and spend more money on exploring our solar system than we do on researching how basic life support systems on earth work.

The Fertile Soil The Earth has 13 billion hectares of ice-free land surface.  Only 11% of this is arable (able to produce crops)  24% is potentially arable if technology is developed to suit these conditions.

World Land-use

Forest Cover 30% of the planet’s land surface is made up of forest. These forests play a key role in recycling our planet’s carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen.

Forest Classification There are four main types of forest ecosystems on the planet. 1. Boreal – Stretches across the North of the planet (Canada to Russia) 2. Coniferous Forests – Mountain Ranges 3. Temperate – Mixed tree types (Deciduous and Coniferous) 4. Tropical – richest and densest of all the forests in terms of diversity.

Economic Impact of Forests Forests cover close to half of Canada’s land area, only Russia and Brazil have larger forest areas than Canada. 1 in every 16 Canadian jobs depends on forestry. The forestry industry is developed for producing lumber and pulp and paper. The industry is worth $56 billion/year in Canada.

Types of Logging There are three ways that forests are logged: 1. Selective Cutting 2. Strip Cutting 3. Clear Cutting

Selective Cutting Harvests only mature trees. Less disruptive to the forest environment On a large scale, it’s a much more costly process because of the extra time taken to get the trees Generally focusing on trees for firewood or trees to be harvested for timber

Strip/Shelterwood Cutting Clear cutting only part of an old growth forest in strips or a narrow corridor Small groups of trees are left to regenerate the logged area.

Clear Cutting Used by the vast majority of logging operations. It is the fastest and cheapest method. Loggers remove every tree. This wastes smaller trees, exposes soil to erosion and eliminates habitats for many forest species The area has to be replanted through the silviculture industry.

Douglas Fir, Cathedral Grove, Vancouver Island –

Why cut trees? Current Southern Ontario Prices For a tree that has a stem (log) 24” by 36 ft long, there is approximately 900 board ft of lumber  If it’s a sugar maple (900 bd/ft x $.90/ bdft) = $ 800 Black Cherry $0.60 /board ft Sugar Maple $0.90/board ft Walnut $1.20/board ft White Pine $0.30/ board ft. (Ontario Forestry Association, 2014)

Silviculture Industry developed for reforestation and the management of woodlots Reforestation: planting seedlings over an area of land where the forest has been harvested. In Canada it occurs in Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, Alberta, and B.C.

What is treeplanting like? The average planter:  Plants 1600 trees/day  Works from sunrise to sunset  Lifts 1000kg/day  Bends over 200 times/hour  Pushes shovel into the ground 200 times/hour  Walks 20 km/day with a heavy load

What is the pay like? 10 to 15 cents/tree planted Pay $20-30/day for camp costs In the beginning you plant only about 500 trees per day. After you have learned the process you can plant trees/day IF YOU DON’T PLANT TREES, YOU DON”T MAKE MONEY

What happens to your body? The Claw Numb foot Trench Foot Food for Insects Encounters with wildlife Average injury rate of 22 out of 100 workers

Trees Reduce Carbon by: storing carbon in their trunks, branches, leaves and roots. removing CO 2 through photosynthesis. sheltering buildings thereby reducing energy demands. One Large Healthy Tree Can: lift 4000 litres of water from the ground and release it in the air absorb as many as 7000 dust particles per litre of air. absorb 75% of the CO 2 produced by an average car Provide enough oxygen for up to 4 people

You do the Math! One large tree can provide a day’s oxygen for up to 4 people. How many trees are needed to provide one day’s oxygen for your entire class? How about your entire school?

You do the math! You need about 500 full-sized trees to absorb the carbon dioxide produced by a typical car driven 20,000km/year. How many trees does your household need?

You do the math! Each day a full-sized tree can absorb nearly 75% of the carbon produced from an average, well maintained car. How many trees are needed to absorb the daily carbon for the 75 cars in Preston’s parking lot?