Hardwood vs. Softwood Forests
Softwood Forests: Make up 66% of Canada's forest cover. They consist mainly of coniferous trees such as fir, pine, and spruce.
Hardwood Forests: Account for 12% of Canada's forest cover. They are made up mainly of deciduous trees such as poplar, maple, and birch.
The remaining 22% are mixed forests that contain both coniferous and deciduous trees.
Hardwood Forests: Account for 12% of Canada's forest cover. They are made up mainly of deciduous trees such as poplar, maple, and birch.
The remaining 22% are mixed forests that contain both coniferous and deciduous trees.
Commercial vs. Non-commercial Forests
Commercial forests consist of trees that can be harvested profitably. They exist in the warmer, wetter areas of Canada where trees grow relatively quickly. Because these forests are near roads, railways, and waterways, the timber can easily be shipped to markets in Canada and abroad. Today, only half of Canada's potentially commercial forests are accessible by road.
In contrast, non-commercial forests are those that are unlikely to be harvested. They exist to the north of the commercial forests, where temperatures and precipitation levels are too low for trees to grow quickly or large enough for harvesting. These forests are too far from transportation routes that would make their shipment economical.
In contrast, non-commercial forests are those that are unlikely to be harvested. They exist to the north of the commercial forests, where temperatures and precipitation levels are too low for trees to grow quickly or large enough for harvesting. These forests are too far from transportation routes that would make their shipment economical.
Canada's Commercial Forest Regions
Canada has five main forest regions. Each is quite distinctive.
Boreal Forest Region
(found in Boreal Shield, Boreal Plains, and Boreal Cordillera ecozones):
Taiga Forest Region (Found in the Taiga Plains, Taiga Shield, Hudson Plains, and Taiga Cordillera ecozones):
West Coast Forest Region (Found in Pacific Maritime ecozone):
Montane Forest Region (Found in Montane Cordillera ecozone):
Mixed Forest Region (Found in Mixedwood Plains and Atlantic Maritime ecozones):
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Forest Information per Province/Territory
All sourced from (Clark, 2006)