FOREST HEALTH MONITORING IN CANADA - HOW HEALTHY IS THE BOREAL FOREST

The Canadian boreal forest covers 299.2 Mha which is two-thirds of Can ada's forest and runs in a continuous belt from Newfoundland north and west to the Yukon. The major species are spruce, pines, balsam fir, w hite birch and trembling aspen often occurring in extensive monocultur es. Wildfire is the driving successional force in the bored forest and has remained so despite fire suppression activities and extensive har vesting. Insects and diseases also cause extensive damage. In order to ensure the sustainability of forests, it is necessary for the forest manager to know the condition of the health of these forests. The CFS established in 1984 the Acid Rain National Early Warning System in ord er to monitor the health of the forests. National results show that mo rtality is generally in the normal range of 1-3% and is caused by know n stresses; insects, diseases and abiotic damage. No signs of pollutio n damage have been yet been detected in bored forests by the system. A n early warning system to detect and monitor conditions remains an ess ential part of our commitment to the sustainability of Canada's forest s.