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Commonwealth
Forests | | |
 Future challenges
In common with the rest of the world, Canada faces significant challenges as a result of
climate change. For forests, the greatest impact is expected to be in the Prairie Provinces
where the grassland area is predicted to extend farther north, as a result of higher
temperatures and lower precipitation, into areas presently covered by boreal forest. Forest fire
incidence is likely to increase, and devastating insect outbreaks become more frequent,
widespread and severe. Challenges of this nature are already being faced. Partly as a result
of global warming, but also related to increased globalization of trade and international
movement of forest products, alien and invasive species – both plants and insects – are also
beginning to present challenges. Socio-economic issues which are increasing in importance
include the challenge to Canada’s forest industry to survive in the face of stiff competition from
countries with warmer climates able to produce wood fibre more quickly and cheaply, resource-dependent
communities faced with major economic changes, and the related impact of
urbanization with an urban-based population making decisions of which they may have no first-hand knowledge
or experience.
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