Forest fires and sustainability in the boreal forests of Canada

The boreal forest is the largest forest region in Canada, occupying approxi mately 315 mill, ha. Within this forest region long-term average annual are a burned is 1.3 mill. ha, with extreme fire years being common, covering up to 7 million ha in a single fire season. Only 2% to 3% of those tires that cover more than 200 ha eventually contribute about 98% of the total area b urned annually. Careful examination of fire statistics seems to indicate th at fire occurrence is increasing in the boreal forest. Boreal forest tree s pecies and ecosystems are adapted to the periodic passage of fire and some would disappear as natural components of the landscape in the absence of fi re. Use of fire as a management tool recognizes the natural role of fire an d is applied judiciously for ecosystem maintenance and restoration in selec ted areas. implications of possible anthropogenically generated climate cha nge are examined within the context of sustainability of the boreal forest biome and the anticipated impact on fire regime and fire management.