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The forests of the Fort Nelson Forest District are simply described as Boreal Forest. The majority
of Fort Nelson's Forests are located in the Liard River drainage basin. While the remaining area is
within the Hay River drainage basin.
The Boreal Forest is best characterized as a disturbance-based ecosystem. Disturbance such as insect
or disease epidemics or wildfires. The
Fort Nelson Boreal Forest has had massive insect outbreaks sometimes
lasting for 15 years or more. Insects such as tent caterpillar and Eastern spruce budworm. But by
far the largest impact is fire.
Geography and climate greatly influence the character and timing of fires that occur from time to time
over the boreal landscape. Stands in the Boreal Forest gain new life because of fire and will
eventually die because of fire. This is very evident in Fort Nelson's Boreal Forest. View the photos
and images found throughout this website to get a feel for the geography and climate of the Fort Nelson
Boreal Forest.
Certain plant species are very well adapted to the dynamics of this fire-based ecosystem behaviour.
For instance, a fire will remove almost all forest cover. Pioneer tree species such as black spruce
(Picea mariana), lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia), trembling aspen
(Populus tremuloides) and jack pine (Pinus banksiana) will then re-establish as a new
forest.
Lodgepole pine, jack pine and black spruce have serotinous cones, meaning that these species
need the heat from a fire to open their cones consequently allowing the release of their seed. These
are the very cones present on the trees that have died due to the fire. Plus, all four of these tree
species benefit from the heat present in the now reduced duff layer of the forest floor or barren
forest floor, direct sunlight and the lack of competition from shrubs that have now been removed by
the fire. These species are known as shade intolerant tree species, meaning they grow best with
little or no shade to block the sunlight.
Three of the above tree species, black spruce, lodgepole pine and trembling aspen occupy vast areas
of forested land in the Fort Nelson area. Other tree species of major consequence in the Fort Nelson Boreal
Forest are white spruce (Picea glauca), paper birch (Betula papyrifera), Alaska paper birch
(Betula neoalaskana), balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera ssp. balsamifera) and the
willows (Salix spp.).
Of the above mentioned tree species, the two species that are considered the most commercially valuable
in the Fort Nelson Boreal Forest are white spruce and trembling aspen. The wood fiber processing
facilities in Fort Nelson consider these two as the most desireable tree species.
For more information on Canada’s Boreal Forest, please visit
Hinterland Who's Who: Canada's Boreal Forest. To view information specific to BC's Boreal Forest,
please visit
BC's Forest Facts: Managing the Boreal Forest in BC. There are more websites with information on
Canada's Boreal Forest listed in the
Stewardship Links webpage.
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