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Natural Resources Canada > Earth Sciences Sector > Priorities > Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation > Climate Change in Canada
A change in the wind: Climate Change in Québec A dynamic forest
Forests are always adapted to their environment. Just 10 000 years ago, the St. Lawrence River valley was covered by arctic tundra as the glaciers began their final retreat. At an estimated rate of about 50 km a century, the forests gradually reclaimed the land liberated by the melting ice. Today, the diversity of the forests covering Quebec is largely a reflection of the province's climate patterns.
Projected shift of ecoclimatic regions under a 2 x CO2 climate
(Ecological Stratification Working Group, 1995, Pierre Bernier, Canadian Forest Service) |
The forest landscape of Quebec could be transformed by the projected climate change. Climate conditions are expected to change at a rate unprecedented in the past 10 000 years, and it is anticipated that these changes will be more rapid than the capacity of the vegetation to relocate. The stress effects that would be felt by forests are difficult to predict, but they have the potential to change the makeup of forest ecosystems, particularly in more southerly areas.
Southern Quebec forest
(after Rizzo ad Wiken, 1992) |
The overall long-term effect of a warmer climate could be to push the treeline farther north, while gradually changing the abundance and distribution of species. Despite ongoing research, predicting the impact of climate change on the forest remains a difficult task. The watchword therefore is vigilance.
Asian long-horned beetle
(Cornell University, New York) |
A warmer and more humid climate should encourage forest growth, but could also hamper the reproduction of some species. The most recent predictions suggest that precipitation could increase in Quebec, which would cut the number of forest fires. This beneficial effect could be negated by an increase in the numbers of local and exotic forest pests
Did you know?
Climate change is only one aspect of global change. The introduction of exotic pests such as the Asian long-horned beetle and the pine shoot beetle is accelerating with increased trade. These introduced species pose a significant threat to our forests. The increased number of extreme climatic events makes ecosystems more vulnerable to a greater number of pests.
References
Ecological Stratification Working Group, 1995: A national ecological framework for Canada; Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Environment Canada, Ecoclimatic Regions of Canada, scale 1:7 500 000.
Rizzo, B. and Wiken, E., 1992: Assessing the sensitivity of Canada's ecosystems to climatic change; Climatic Change, v. 21, p. 27-55.
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