| Introduction |
| Biological Diversity |
| Ecosystem Condition & Productivity |
| Soil & Water |
| Role in Global Ecological Cycles |
| Economic & Social Benefits |
| Society's Responsibility |
| Future Forest Condition |
Biotic Disturbance & Stress
The sustainable development of our forested ecosystems depends on their ability to maintain ecological functions and processes and to perpetuate themselves over the long term. Relative freedom from stress (stability) and relative ability to recover from disturbance (resilience) within a forest ecosystem combine to provide an indication of ecosystem condition. Productivity is the ecosystem’s ability to accumulate biomass, which depends on the degree to which nutrients, water and solar energy are absorbed and transferred within the ecosystem.
Sustainable productivity within a forest ecosystem is dependent upon the ability of the ecosystem's components and their populations to recover from or adapt to disturbances. While most disturbance and stress events are fundamental to the maintenance of forested ecosystems, others may overwhelm an ecosystem’s resilience, alter ecosystem patterns and processes, or detrimentally affect the forest’s ecological function. Measures of biotic stress provide an indication of disturbance and stress.
- Defining Sustainable Forest Management in Canada
Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (2003)Diseases
Insects
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