The Ministry of Natural Resources is responsible for ensuring the sustainability, or long-term health, of Ontario’s Crown forests. It is guided by the Crown Forest Sustainability Act, which defines long-term forest health as maintaining “the ecosystem’s complexity while providing for the needs of the people of Ontario.”
The major factors affecting the health of Ontario’s forests include: forest insects; invasive species; fires; diseases; and severe weather conditions including global warming (climate change).
Monitoring, Assessing & Reporting on Forest Health
Ontario monitors the health of its forests through a systematic monitoring program including ground and aerial surveillance.The results of such work are reported informally through one-on-one contacts with forest resource managers. A number of formal reports prepared annually also address forest health, such as the Status of Factors Affecting Forest Health in Ontario, annual Regional Forest Health Reports and the Annual Forest Health Review. More »
Forest Health Management - Insects and Diseases and, Invasive Species
Ontario’s forests are vulnerable to a range of native and non-native insects or pests. Outbreaks of native pests that can injure trees are often transitory, taking place in specific areas for a short period. For example, the jack pine budworm reaches outbreak levels every eight to 10 years in Ontario. Control measures can be taken to help mitigate outbreaks.
Ontario, as well as the rest of Canada and the United States, is also under increasing threat from invasive species that affect forest health and our ability to trade with other nations. This includes the emerald ash borer, Asian long-horned beetle and other pests. More »
Climate Change and Forest Management
Severe weather conditions are another major factor affecting forest health. Severe weather events include windstorms, droughts, floods, or snow and ice storms that may physically injure or fell large numbers of trees. Through the monitoring programs described above, the MNR keeps track of severe weather related events, and provides information to the forest industry about these events. The forest industry may then plan salvage operations to recover and utilize dead or severely damaged timber resources.
The frequency of severe weather events may change in the future as a result of climate change. Changing climates may alter the activity of insects and diseases and may also affect the ability of invasive species to impact our forest resources. Similarly, changing climate conditions may also alter the frequency and intensity of forest fires. Finally, climate changes may affect the vegetation growing in an area in either positive or negative ways. Because climate change has the potential to impact forest health in so many ways, the MNR is focusing a great deal of effort into research and policy development to understand the impact of climate change and develop methods to mitigate and adapt to change as it occurs. More »
Forest Fire Management
Fire is a natural element that can have a significant effect on Ontario’s forest lands. Having played a major part in the growth and shaping of Ontario’s forests for several thousand years, it is a natural force that sustains the cycle of growth in Ontario’s forest. Tree species, such as Jack pine are dependent on fire to enable their cones to open and allow for the growth of seedlings. Wildlife species, such as moose and caribou, need open areas of habitat that forest fires provide. When old and unhealthy trees die, they allow young, vigorous forests and trees to establish themselves. Forest fire protection activities are carried out when there is a treat to human life, property and natural resources.
In addressing fire in the province’s forested lands, the ministry seeks to balance the protection of human values with the positive effects of fire as a management tool to meet silvicultural and ecological objectives. This means the Ontario’s fire management program will move aggressively in suppressing fire in some circumstances, but will manage or use fire in other situations to achieve ecological objectives or reduce cost or hazard. More »
