"Climate change has the potential to enormously influence the future health of Canada's forested ecosystems." ⁽³⁾

In their summary of research as part of the Canada Country Study, Saporta et al.⁽⁴⁾ concluded that climate change would have a range of impacts on Canadian forests. They summarized that higher temperatures would generally improve growth rates, while an increase in the frequency and severity of moisture stress and forest disturbances would create problems in some areas. Elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations may also affect forests by improving the efficiency of water use by some plants, which could lead to increases in forest productivity. The actual nature and magnitude of the impacts will vary, depending on such factors as forest type, location and species characteristics. For example, forests in continental areas are expected to experience increased drought stress, whereas increased wind and storm damage are likely in coastal regions.

The rate and nature of projected climatic changes will be important, especially with respect to shifts in species distributions. As temperature increases, species are expected to migrate northward and to higher altitudes. Species located near the southern edges of their current range and those with poor dispersal mechanisms would be the most threatened by these migrations, and local extinctions are possible.

The forestry industry would need to adapt its operations to deal with the changing conditions. New technologies, introduction of new tree species and relocation of forestry operations are potential adaptation options. The rate, magnitude and location of climate change would greatly influence the success of these adaptations.