|
As part of its Centennial celebrations, the Faculty
of Forestry at the University of Toronto is hosting the
"Forests in Settled Landscapes" conference.
The Faculty is pleased to be working with the Canadian
Institute of Forestry and, in particular, the CIF's
Southern Ontario Section to present this conference. The
event will take place on the St. George Campus of U of T and
will run from August 20 to 23, 2007.
For many decades now, Canada has been primarily
an urban society. With more than 80% of Canadians living in
what Statistics Canada terms "urban areas", the forests in our
settled landscapes are the closest connection many of us have
to the natural environment. Many privately-owned woodlands within
the urban and agricultural matrix are "working forests" that
can provide a sustainable supply of high quality forest products,
while still contributing significant ecological and social benefits.
The forests of our settled landscapes also include
the trees that grace our streets, parks and yards. Not only
do our urban forests improve the quality of life for the majority
of Canadians, they help to mitigate some of the negative impacts
of urbanization on the environment within our communities and
beyond. The semi-natural areas of our ravines and urban woodlands
are critical to the well-being of many waterways and wetlands
that protect our water resources, while providing habitat for
wildlife and recreational retreats for city-dwellers. These
are but a few of the features that make up the natural heritage
of settled landscapes.
Agricultural development and urban expansion have
transformed the pre-settlement landscapes of Canada into a patchwork
of woodlands and other natural features with varying degrees
of fragmentation and disturbance. The restoration of forest
cover and the protection and enhancement of linkages among features
is critical if the forests of our settled landscape are to continue
to provide ecological, social and economic benefits well into
the future.
From our downtown cores to the edges of the settled
landscapes, landowners, foresters and allied professionals,
scientists, policy-makers, concerned citizens and others are
addressing these rapidly evolving challenges and opportunities
in many exciting ways.
Over the course of the conference, three broad
streams will be addressed in a series of plenary and concurrent
session: 1) Regional
Landscape Planning; 2) Private
Land Forestry and Stewardship; and 3) Urban
Forestry. A fourth "stream" will highlight the work
of university students addressing these issues. Sessions will
run from August 20th to 22nd, with field tours on August 23rd.
Photo
Credit: Adrina C. Ambrosii
|
