Forest Health Monitoring in West-central Canada in 1996

Book excerpt: Summarizes 1996 results of forest health monitoring activities in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and the Northwest Territories, based on assessments made on 17 permanent biomonitoring plots and assessments of major forest disturbances. Brief descriptions are given of major forest disturbances in the region, including forest tent caterpillar defoliation, lodgepole pine dwarf mistletoe infestation, spruce budworm defoliation, and forest fires. Current climatic data from across the region are compared to 30-year normals for a number of parameters. Details of the assessments completed on the 17 permanent biomonitoring plots are also presented, and the state of regeneration on the plots is discussed. In addition, the current status of quarantine pests in Canada of concern to the forestry sector is described.