BOREAL FOREST WETLANDS: A SUMMARY OF BENEFITS, THREATS, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF WETLAND CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS
Brodie Smith, MLWS 2023
Boreal wetlands are found all around the world and are critical for the success and function of many species and neighbouring ecosystems. The boreal ecosystem is one of the largest continuous forest ecosystems in the world, covering approximately 1.9 million hectares or 33% of the Earth’s forested area, and boreal wetlands are an integral part of this wide-ranging biome (Natural Resources Canada 2020). The boreal ecosystem is characterized by coniferous stands, with some mixed coniferous/deciduous stands and deciduous stands. The boreal ecosystem is well adapted to northern climatic conditions that includes short, cool summers and long, cold winters. It supports a large range of plant and animal species, both migratory and non-migratory. The boreal forest includes many different ecosystems including a diversity of wetlands (Brandt et al. 2013).
