The Future Glossary References Other Related Sites Endangered Species Species Distribution Cumulative Impacts That Threaten Sustainable Use Human activities place increasing pressures on the boreal forest ecosystem.
Stresses are greater in some regions than in others.
It is the intensity and combination of these stresses that, over time, may ultimately test the resilience of the ecosystem. Forest management practices such as fire suppression, insect control, clearcutting, and tree planting occur in commercially available forests. There is increasing concern that these practices may, over the long term, shift species composition, reduce species and genetic diversity, and increase the forest's vulnerability to other disturbances. Forest land may be removed permanently for alternative uses such as roads, power and pipeline corridors, hydroelectric development, mining, urban development, and recreational use. Large-scale land use changes such as major hydroelectric project can alter ecosystem function, eliminate wildlife habitat, and otherwise profoundly affect wild species and their populations.