BIODIVERSITY OF CANADIAN FORESTS - CURRENT STATUS AND FUTURE CHALLENGES

Biodiversity is a concept covering all levels of biological organization, including genes, species, and ecosystems. Few estimates of levels of biodiversity in Canadian forests have been made. It is likely that, in general, species and ecosystem diversity do not match those in forests of more southerly latitudes, but genetic diversity is probably comparable. Although conservation activities both within arid outside the natural surroundings of a species are already extensive, further efforts are justified and the effectiveness of current efforts should be demonstrated. The impact of human disturbances on forest biodiversity must be assessed. Inappropriate forest harvesting operations can lead to habitat fragmentation and loss of ecosystem integrity. Revision of forest management systems may be required to conserve biodiversity, but comprehensive and integrated research programmes must be developed in different forest regions to provide the necessary scientific information which is currently lacking.