The Boreal Forest The North American boreal forest
The Boreal Forest • The North American boreal forest, encompassing 1. 5 billion acres from Alaska to Newfoundland, is one of the largest ecologically intact regions on Earth. • Approximately 1. 2 billion acres of the forest is still nearly pristine, free of industrial development.
Benefits of Boreal Forest • 1 -3 billion birds nest in the boreal forest each summer. • Over 300 species of birds use the boreal forest. • Called the “North America’s bird nursery”. • At the end of the breeding season 3 -5 billion birds leave the forest, going south.
• According to a 2013 report by the International Boreal Conservation Science Panel (IBCSP): “Maintaining the full complement of species, communities and ecosystem services in the Canadian Boreal Forest requires that at least half of the area be protected from industrial disturbance” (IBCSP 2013).
Effects on birds • Birds are affected by fragmentation, loss and degradation of habitat from road building, forest cutting or conversion, and other industrial use. • Most songbirds and waterfowl that breed in the boreal forest occur in low densities. • Therefore large tracts of land must be conserved to ensure survival of these species.
Report’s recommendations 1. At least half of the Boreal Forest remain free of large-scale industrial disturbance. 2. Industrial activity must use the highest global sustainability standards 3. Aboriginal communities must be involved in protected areas and industrial activity development
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