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Forestry and insects

Shape-shifting forests: a tale of climate, wildfires and surprising outcomes

The story of North American forests is one of resilience, adaptation, renewal and hope.

January 2024

If you hike or stroll through one of Canada’s northern forests, you might experience a world of towering trees, cool shade filled with the scent of pines and spruces — home to many different plants and animals of all shapes and sizes. But Ellen Whitman, a wildfire research scientist at the Canadian Forest Service, sees things through a different lens. What she notices is a landscape quietly and gradually transforming.

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Q&A: Historical pesticide use in New Brunswick

From 1952 to 1993, one of the world's largest aerial pesticide application programs occurred in New Brunswick. During this time, 97 percent of the province's 6.2 million hectares of forested land was treated with at least one pesticide. A team of researchers and scientists have now compiled and published historical records of pesticide use. The goal is to make the data available to help future studies on the environmental fate — which is what happens to a pesticide once it enters the environment — as well as ecosystem recovery and the legacy effects of this historical program.

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Wrestling a wild and woolly pest

When scientists from the Canadian Forest Service (CFS) and student researchers from the University of Guelph were collecting data to create an inventory of hemlock trees in Ontario, they found more than just trees — they discovered a large insect infestation that could pose a risk to landowners.

October 2022

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A Simply Science top ten reveal: Canada’s most beautiful moth species

Ahhhh…. It’s summertime, and the outdoors is calling your name. It’s all there: flowers, sunshine, long days, warm nights — and insects. But before you shoo them away, remember: some of them are quite beneficial, and even crucial, since they provide food for many animals, pollinate plants and flowers, and keep our soil healthy. But in the wide and wild world of insects, not all are created equal.  

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