Climate-driven changes to Ontario’s ecosystems in the 21st century could be significant and require agencies such as the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) to respond with new approaches. Climate change will affect many of our social and environmental values that Ontarians currently take for granted. As a result, the timing and extent of climate change and its potential harmful and/or beneficial effects need to be better understood, especially in sectors where long-term planning is needed.
The significant uncertainty about the amount of greenhouse gas that will be emitted into the atmosphere and the associated warming must be factored into decision-making and management programs. The MNR is undertaking a large number of projects to study the impacts of climate change and to develop responses. The MNR works to contribute to the Ontario Government’s commitment to reduce the rate of global warming and impacts associated with climate change. The commitment to respond to climate change is described in MNR’s strategic plan, “Our Sustainable Future.” In the strategic plan, MNR commits to “…adapt to climate change.”
MNR’s response to climate change will be strategic, adaptive and based on sound science. Work will be focussed on:
Understanding Climate Change
A Vision for Canada's Forests: 2008 and Beyond
This document supports the work of the MNR and its partners in advancing sustainable forest management. It focuses on two priorities: transforming the forest sector, and climate change.
View document »
MNR’s response to climate change will be strategic, adaptive and based on sound science. Work will be focussed on:
Ontario will need to prepare to adapt to a range of climatic conditions and new emerging ecological conditions. In support of this, MNR will continue its work on models to evaluate the spatial and temporal aspects of a number of climate change variables.
Mitigate the Impacts of Climate Change
Efforts to offset greenhouse gas emissions will potentially include forest management practices aimed at increasing forest carbon sinks. A forest carbon budget provides a quantative assessment of the exchange of carbon between forests and the atmosphere.
Trees clean the air, protect the amount and quality of water and shade people from the hot sun. Trees store and keep carbon out of the atmosphere. Planting trees to sequester carbon will be one of the keys to mitigating the impacts of climate change.
Forest scientists have determined that large amounts of carbon are also stored in wood products made from trees harvested from our sustainably managed forests. Trees that go into wood and paper products continues to store carbon 100+ years after harvest.
Helping Ontarians Adapt
MNR’s role in helping Ontarians adapt to the impacts of climate change will involve the development of appropriate natural resource management strategies. MNR will continue to work with communities dependent on tourism and/or forest industries.
Concerted action now will enhance our ability to be full and active participants in the rapidly emerging bio-economy including the bio-energy sector, maintain resources for forest harvesting of wood products and manage our natural ecosystem to maintain biodiversity.
