Environmental Sustainability through Conservation of Forests - Research Paper Example

Environmental Sustainability through Conservation of Forests Introduction In Canada, the nation has always had a problem with the need to sustainably manage its resources for sustainability. Forests and their conservation being one of the main resources in Canada have more so taken a forefront in the need to use these resources sustainably and for the economic prosperity of the nation (National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy 46a). Forest play a critical role in the existence of human beings and other animals in general in the sense that they have always been used to provide food and shelter for animals and economically for its timber which is logged to provide timber for manufacture of wood products. It is believed that the forest sector in Canada provides direct employment to about 200, 000 people which is about 2 per cent of the overall employment in Canada and contributed about $23.5 billion to the GDP in 2002 (“Forests”). As the population of Canada grows and there is need for more money or capital to sustain the socio-economic activities of humans, there arises the need to sustainably manage them for the benefit of human beings, animals as well as other plants. The conservation of forests is important as it focuses on the conservation of forests in terms of appropriating them in an environmentally sustainable manner while at the same time ensuring that the human economic activities are carried on. The forests in Canada serve very many purposes amongst them the provision of timber as the raw material for the timber products and construction such as paper, furniture and building of homes. They also play a role in the upkeep and retention of water which is important in the water management and its conservation in an environment in which forests are situated. Apart from being habitat for various species of plants and animals, the forests also serve the important role of regulating the carbon cycle which includes the uptake and release of carbon dioxide and oxygen respectively. This is important for the existence of animals and plants as they take the gas that is relevant to their productivity and release the other that they do not need. The question that then comes about is why should we conserve and use the forests of Canada as a resource in a sustainable manner? Sustainable Conservation of Forests in Canada Canada has one of the largest forests resources in the world measuring about 400 million hectares of forest cover which is 10 % of the world’s forest cover which is in grave danger of being depleted if it is not used in a sustainable manner (“Deforestation in Canada: The Facts”). The forests in Canada provide shelter for several animals and act as water filter which provides fresh and clean water owing to the carbon cycle activity that it provides to the environment. This underscores the need for the conservation of these forests by whoever is concerned particularly the government, the industries involved in logging and the citizens at large. The need to conserve the forests of Canada stems from the fact that it is in danger of being used uneconomically due to the regulations set by the government as well as the failure by the stakeholders concerned to keep pace with the actual economic appropriation of the forests for its timber. Forests also play an important role in the global climate of the planet earth, the productivity of the plants and animals that live in the waters as well as those that live on the surface as their depletion may lead to global warming (Bravo 63). This means that its influence is felt not only within Canada but within the world at large which calls for its general protection. Despite this, these forests continue to suffer from the encroachment of human activities such as forestry activities, mining and hydropower industries amongst other economic activities which are on the rise (Nelles 101). However, the government of Canada has been investing $1.2 billion from the year 2010 to 2013 to help in efforts to conserve forests as a means of addressing climate change both within its borders and developing countries (“Facts on Canadian Forests and Climate”). The issue of climate change has become a major problem not just for Canada but the whole world and forests have been found to be the major solution to this problem as their depletion leads to build up of carbon dioxide by a figure of about 30 % in the atmosphere (Shah). There is agreement that this climatic warming is majorly caused by human activities such as the destruction of forests for economic activity and habitat. The resultant effects of this climatic warming are such acts such as extreme flooding, droughts, heat waves and uncontrollable and heavy rainfall which affect the whole world inclusive of Canada. This can also lead to the extinction of some species of plants and animals and decrease agricultural yield, all this attributable to deforestation of the forests in Canada and elsewhere. In order that the forest as an important part of an ecosystem is protected in Canada, the government both federal and provincial must endeavour to increase the protected area of forests and leverage on the forestry activity. This will ensure that there is a balance between environmental conservation and the forestry economic activities for prosperity. There is need to enact policies that put the interest and need of the protection of the forests beforehand so that the whole ecosystem of Canada is preserved which will have serious effect on the environmental sustainability of the whole world (Luckert, David and George 63). For instance, the government can work in conjunction and strengthen the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement with the sole aim of agreeing and ensuring that companies and industries involved in the timber business and logging reduce their forest activities. This will help in having the forests in place at all time as the sustainable use of these forests helps them regenerate even after the mature ones are logged. Through quick action and implementation of the forestry implementation strategies and policies, we can help in forestalling the danger that we are already facing due to depletion of forests (National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy 32b). All stakeholders including the government and people in their individual capacity should be encouraged to play an active role in the management and conservation of forests in Canada. There is need to educate people of the importance of forests so that they are aware that deforestation only puts their lives and that of other plants and animals at risk while at the same time encourage the planting of trees to replace the already destroyed forests. More forested areas can be gazetted as national parks to protect them while those found destroying the forests be charged for the offence under the environmental protection laws to deter the destruction of these important resources. Such efforts include that by Nature Conservancy Canada which planted 30 hectares of trees in Southern Ontario, 309 hectares of forests on the Vermont-Quebec border as well as 106 hectares in Alberta’s Rockies in the South in the year 2012 (“Critical forest habitats conserved”). Conclusion Environmentally, the most important function that forests play in the atmosphere is the reduction of carbon in the atmosphere and thus reduces or mitigates the effects of climate change. They are important as they also increase the biodiversity that is significant to hold and support the existence of human beings such as the provision of food, medicine as well as timber for economic purposes. Therefore, forests play an important role in sustaining the lives of human beings, plants and animals and the citizens of Canada must aim at using the forest resources for socio-economic activities while at the same time conserving them. The citizens should strive at meeting the need for the citizens in particular and the society in general to maintain a vibrant forestry activity while undertaking to conserve the forests. This will help in the proper maximization of the environmental, health and social benefits that are derived from these forests for both plants and animals including human beings. Although the balance of the socio-economic and environmental expectations is usually a difficult task, there is need to develop an approach that assesses and adjusts the forestry economic practices in response to the current demands of the environment. Works Cited Bravo, Felipe. Managing Forest Ecosystems: The Challenge of Climate Change. Dordrecht: Springer, 2008. Print. Facts on Canadian Forests and Climate. Government of Canada. 17 November 2013. Web. April 5, 2014 < http://www.climatechange.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=BA2BB92F-1> Luckert, Martin K, David Haley, and George Hoberg. Policies for Sustainably Managing Canada's Forests: Tenure, Stumpage Fees, and Forest Practices. Vancouver: UBC Press, 2011. Print. National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy A. Securing Canada's Natural Capital: A Vision for Nature Conservation in the 21st Century. 2003 Ottawa. Print. National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy B. Boreal Futures: Governance, Conservation and Development in Canada's Boreal. 2005. Ottawa. Print. “Critical forest habitats conserved across Canada”. Nature Conservancy Canada. 3 October, 2012. Web. April 5, 2014 “Forests”. Natural Resources Canada. 21 November, 2013. Web. April 5, 2014 “Deforestation in Canada: The Facts”. Natural Resources Canada. 6 February, 2014. Web. April 5, 2014 Nelles, Henry V. The Politics of Development: Forests, Mines & Hydro-Electric Power in Ontario, 1849-1941. Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2005. Print. Shah, Anup. “Carbon Sinks, Forests and Climate Change.” Global Issues. 29 Oct. 2002. Web. April 5, 2014 Read More