Climbing up the data tree on International Day of Forests

Forests are an important part of life in Canada; in fact, Canada has the third-largest forested area in the world. From coast to coast, millions of trees grow everywhere around us. So, wherever you live in this country, you have likely had the chance to spend some time surrounded by trees in one of Canada’s many beautiful forests.

March 21 is International Day of Forests; this annual celebration reminds us of how fortunate we are to have so much forested area in Canada and how important it is to preserve it. From 2015 to 2021, forest area remained stable, covering nearly 40% of Canada’s land area. Over 75% of Canada's forests lie in the boreal zone, covering over 280 million hectares.

Canada is one of the largest exporters of wood products globally. Total revenue in the logging industry increased 4.6% (+$547.0 million) compared with 2021 to $12.4 billion in 2022, and it was up 20.8% since 2020. In November 2023, 37,034 people were working in the forestry, logging and support industry, 42.2% (15,626 people) of which worked in British Columbia.

However, Canada’s forests are under threat on various fronts. Scientists have already documented changes in our forests linked to recent climate changes. Climate change can affect forest composition and rates of tree growth, and in some cases, forests may be converted to grasslands as a result. Along the southern edge of the boreal forest, for example, aspen trees have been suffering dieback and periods of slow growth since the 1980s.

Invasive insect species also pose a threat to forests in Canada. For example, the emerald ash borer has decimated ash trees in Eastern Canada and is slowly making its way through the Prairies. In 2015, the largest proportions of insect damage were caused by the eastern spruce budworm (38%) and the forest tent caterpillar (29%). A native pest, the mountain pine beetle devastated vast swaths of forested area in the 2000s, causing an estimated cumulative total loss of 58% of the sellable pine volume by 2017.

Insect damage is one factor that may increase the risk of wildfires occurring. In addition to destroying large amounts of timber stock on a yearly basis, wildfires have devastating impacts on people in local communities, infrastructure and the surrounding natural environment. Wildfires emit many carcinogenic pollutants that contaminate our environments. However, little is known about the relationship between exposure to wildfires and cancer risk. Statistics Canada has collaborated on some research in this area, finding that wildfire exposure was associated with slightly increased incidence of lung cancer and brain tumours.

Trees play an important role in contributing to overall urban greenness, which describes the quantity and health of vegetation across urban areas each summer. In summer 2023, just under three-quarters (74.1%) of the land area of 1,016 population centres across Canada was classed as green, up slightly from 72.1% in summer 2022.

Vegetation contributes to more livable, beautiful communities by helping to clean the air, moderate the local climate, control water flow, and provide habitats for wildlife—including mammals, insects and birds. Sustainable forest management is a way of using and caring for forests to maintain their environmental, social, cultural and economic values and benefits over time.

For more information on forests and forestry in Canada, click here.