Our Work

Alberta Forests

Thank you to the Alberta Ecotrust Foundation for supporting our Forestry work.

The importance of forests

Forests cover approximately 60% of Alberta and are generally associated with the cooler parts of the province that receive more rainfall than the warmer, drier prairies. Alberta’s forests are predominantly in the Boreal Natural Region, although significant patches occur within the Foothills and Rocky Mountain Natural Regions to the west and southwest of the province.

The composition of Alberta's forests

Alberta's forests are characterized by a mix of coniferous trees (needle-like leaves, evergreen), which dominate in the north and at higher elevations, and deciduous trees (broad-leafed, drop their leaves in fall), which are more dominant in the southern range, but are also important aspects of the boreal forest.

What makes Alberta forests different?

The presence of natural disturbances, largely wildfire, means that Alberta’s forests do not grow as old as some of the forests in temperate areas like British Columbia. Older stands in Alberta seldom survive more than 100 years before the next wildfire sweeps through. Although it is not the norm, some trees have been found to live up to 200 years.

Biodiversity in Alberta’s Forests

Intact forests support a huge diversity of plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms, many of which are yet to be discovered. Forests that have not been subject to logging practices, or other significant habitat modification, have a robust canopy structure, complex understory, and a varied landscape including wetlands, fens and bogs.

This all creates a multitude of ecosystems and niches which support a diverse species assemblage. Biodiverse forests are also better able to support human health and well-being, and provide essential ecosystem services including carbon storage, pollination, soil formation, water retention, and mitigation against floods and drought.

Dive Deeper

The biodiversity loss crisis

The Biodiversity Crisis has put into jeopardy the future of many of Alberta’s most beloved landscapes and species.

Learn more

Threats to Alberta's Forests

Climate Change

The threats to Alberta’s forests posed by climate change are already being felt across the landscape with more, hotter fires, and increased prevalence of drought. Addressing these threats requires concerted efforts to mitigate climate change through reducing greenhouse gas emissions, implementing sustainable forest management practices, protecting critical habitats, and supporting the resilience of Indigenous communities.

Many Indigenous communities in Alberta rely on the boreal forest for their livelihoods, cultural practices, and traditional knowledge. Climate change threatens these communities by impacting the availability of resources and disrupting traditional ways of life. As First Nations reserves are often located within the ‘wildland-human interface’, First Nations Peoples are disproportionately impacted by wildfires, which are forecast to increase in both frequency and severity under climate change (see below). In fact, nearly one-third of all wildfire evacuees and evacuation events in Canada in recent decades were from First Nations reserves.

Warmer temperatures and drier conditions make forests more prone to burning. Although Alberta forests are adapted to fire, they are not adapted to very high intensity fires with shorter return-intervals. As such, these fires can result in habitat loss, destruction of wildlife, and significant changes to the composition of the forest, meaning younger, less diverse, and therefore less resilient forest ecosystems. Out of control wildfires also pose a significant threat to people and infrastructure, something Albertans are sadly all too aware of.

A pattern that has been observed globally is that as temperatures rise, some species are forced to migrate to cooler latitudes or to higher elevations in search of suitable habitat. In the case of Alberta, this will force some species further north, or higher up the mountains.

Warmer temperatures can also allow new species, previously limited by the cold, to colonize new areas. This is likely one of the factors leading to a proliferation of deer in the boreal forest. Deer have a significant impact on the landscape. Not least through their impact on wolf populations, which, as their numbers increase, prey more on threatened caribou, particularly in fragmented habitats.

Caribou populations teeter on the verge of collapse across Alberta.

Wildfire

While Alberta’s forests are naturally fire prone, and many of the species that live in them are well adapted to wildfires, the increased severity and intensity of wildfires in an already heavily transformed landscape is having a negative impact on some species and ecosystems. The impacts of wildfires on Alberta’s forests need to be understood within the context of the cumulative impacts faced by forests across the landscape.

Wildfires can, for example, lead to a reduction in available habitat for some species, particularly where this habitat is limited to begin with, and has been heavily impacted by forestry and other industries. This is the case for threatened caribou, whose habitat has been severely diminished. Large wildfires that sweep through their habitat today are having a huge impact on the dwindled caribou herds in the province. They simply are left with nowhere to go.

Unsustainable practices

Because most of the forests in Alberta are managed, unsustainable forestry practices can have a devastating impact on the forests in Alberta, and the species that live in them. To address these impacts, it's essential to promote sustainable forestry practices that prioritize ecosystem health, biodiversity conservation, and the well-being of local communities.

Deforestation is broadly defined as a state transition from forest to some other land use. Governments and industry use this definition to claim that, because the forests grow back, there is little to no deforestation in Canada.

This simplistic view does not, however, account for areas that are permanently transformed, or scarred, such as roads and roadside footprints, which are not detected by most monitoring efforts. This view also relies on the relatively untested assumption that forests do always grow back.

The unnatural conditions created through harvesting may, in some environments, limit the ability of the forest to grow back. Because the forestry industry is not required to prove that the forest has returned, it is difficult to know the extent of forest recovery in different landscapes.

Clearcutting and other intensive logging practices can fragment forest habitats, creating isolated patches of forest that are more vulnerable to invasive species and ecological disturbances. Habitat fragmentation can disrupt wildlife migration patterns and decrease genetic diversity within populations.

The practice of replanting predominantly more economically profitable species, and suppressing the untargeted species with herbicides, can also result in significant loss of diversity and, for all intents and purposes, transform biodiverse forests into ‘forest farms.’

Runoff from logging activities, such as sediment and chemicals used in forestry operations, can pollute nearby water bodies, including rivers, streams, and lakes. Water pollution can harm aquatic life, degrade water quality, and threaten the health of ecosystems downstream. Clearcutting and use of herbicides to suppress deciduous plants can also increase evaporation, drying out areas, killing untargeted plant species, and increasing fire risk.

These practices also impede the forests’ ability to absorb water to mitigate floods and keep plants and animals alive during drought.

Insufficient legislation and regulations

The Alberta Forests Act is the primary legislation which governs forestry practices in the province. Developed in the 1970s, the foundation of the Act is embedded within a paradigm that fails to address the threats and challenges faced within forests today. Not only have values around environmental and social concerns, particularly with respect to Indigenous peoples, shifted significantly but the threats faced by forests and the forestry industry have evolved and are far better understood.

Allows for extensive clearcutting, which can lead to habitat destruction, loss of biodiversity, and disruption of ecosystems;
Does not sufficiently involve Indigenous peoples in decision-making processes;
Does not adequately address the impacts of climate change on Alberta's forests, such as increased frequency and severity of wildfires, insect outbreaks, and shifts in vegetation patterns;
Lacks robust monitoring and enforcement mechanisms to ensure compliance with regulations. Without proper oversight, unsustainable logging practices go unchecked;
Prioritizes economic interests over environmental concerns. While forestry can be an important industry for Alberta's economy, prioritizing short-term gains over long-term sustainability harms forests in the long run;
Does not adequately address the issue of habitat fragmentation, which results from road building, logging, and other human activities.
Does not adequately manage for the nature-based climate solutions provided by intact forest landscapes

Key Opportunities for Alberta's Forests

Land use planning can help mitigate habitat fragmentation by identifying and preserving wildlife corridors and connectivity between different forested areas. Maintaining connectivity is crucial for facilitating the movement of wildlife and ensuring genetic diversity within populations. Land use planning can also coordinate access among many industrial interests limiting the need for superfluous roads and access routes through the forests.

Indigenous communities in Alberta have longstanding relationships with the land and forests and possess valuable traditional knowledge about sustainable resource management. Land use planning can support Indigenous land use by recognizing and respecting traditional territories, incorporating Indigenous perspectives into decision-making processes, and fostering partnerships between Indigenous communities and government agencies.

Land Use Plans

The number one priority under Alberta’s Land Use Framework, introduced in 2008, is to develop seven regional land use plans that cover the extent of the province. In theory, these plans should be developed with all stakeholders in a region, allow for the careful balancing of conservation priorities with economic development needs, and ensure compliance by all land users.

A lack of progress on land use planning has detrimental effects on the biodiversity and people living in the province but, if the process is prioritised, the benefits to industry, people and the environment alike could be huge.

Parks And Protected Areas

Protected Areas

Well-managed and resourced protected areas have been found to be one of the most effective ways to conserve and protect biodiversity. Alberta has less intact boreal forest remaining than any other province in Canada.

Any intact/ old growth/ primary forest that remains outside of protected areas should be protected and conserved through the creation of new protected areas and the expansion of existing ones. But even areas that are currently fragmented but serve as important habitat for threatened species such as caribou and wood bison need additional protection.

Nature-Based Climate SOlutions

Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures

Other effective area-based conservation measures are areas that effectively protect and conserve biodiversity despite not being recognised as official protected areas. The level of protection required for an OECM is no less than that required for a protected area. As such, if forested areas are to be declared as OECMs they need to be protected in the long term. For protected areas, this usually means ‘in perpetuity’, or for at least the next 99 years with the expectation of an indefinite timeline. Forest blocks that are not going to be harvested for the foreseeable future cannot be recognised as OECMs if their protection cannot be more rigorously guaranteed.

Thank you

Alberta EcoTrust Foundation

We would like to thank Alberta Ecotrust Foundation’s Springboard Capacity Grant for their support for our work on Forestry Issues in Alberta.

Make a donation

Move conservation forward in Alberta.

Lasting protection for nature and wildlife in Alberta doesn’t happen overnight (although we wish it did)! Your donation fuels our fight for nature. Donate to support CPAWS Northern Alberta’s conservation efforts.

Donate

Alberta Forests

The importance of forests

The composition of Alberta's forests

What makes Alberta forests different?

Biodiversity in Alberta’s Forests

Dive Deeper

The biodiversity loss crisis

Threats to Alberta's Forests

Climate Change

Wildfire

Unsustainable practices

Insufficient legislation and regulations

Key Opportunities for Alberta's Forests

Land Use Plans

Protected Areas

Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures

Thank you

Alberta EcoTrust Foundation

Make a donation

Move conservation forward in Alberta.

A Special Thank You to the Edmonton Community Foundation for providing the funding to build our new website.

Northern Alberta Chapter

Chapters

Who We Are

What We Do

In the Media

How To Help

Follow Us On Social

CPAWS Northern Alberta Chapter