Forestry Research Priorities in Canada, 1992: An Overview for the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers

Abstract

This fourth annual overview of Canadian forest research priorities has been compiled by the Forestry Research Advisory Council of Canada (FRACC) for the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers. It is based on the top five priorities for forest research as identified by the provincial forest research advisory bodies.The topics from each group were scored on a scale of 5 points for top priority down to 1 point for lowest priority. The resulting 10 forest research topics are presented here in descending order of priority:• Integrated resource management and decision support.• Pest and weed management and alternatives to chemicals.• Environmental effects of forest management.• Ecological knowledge for intensive forest management.• Forest growth and yield data.• Increased productivity, tree improvement, and regeneration.• Forest inventory and site classification.• Silviculture and harvesting methods, and cost reduction.• Forest fire management and control.• Mixedwood management.Research on wood processing and development of new products was also recognized as important, but it is not the primary focus of FRACC and hence was not rated. Modern information handling systems, artificial intelligence, and biotechnology were also judged important, but these are research tools rather than forest research topics and were not rated.The evolution of priorities over the four years of reporting was examined. A strict comparison was not possible because the methods of the first two reports differed from those of the last two. However, it was possible to assign a general priority rating (high, medium, etc.) for the earlier years for the priority topics identified in this current report.No dramatic shifts were detected. "Integrated resource management and decision support" remains high priority. It is significant that three subjects, all bearing on the environment, have moved up in priority and are now rated 2, 3, and 4. These topics are "Pest and weed management and alternatives to chemicals"; "Environmental effects of forest management"; and "Ecological knowledge for intensive forest management.'' "Silviculture and harvesting methods, and cost reduction" has also moved up whereas two topics, "Forest growth and yield data" and "Higher productivity, tree improvement, and regeneration" have moved down. Other items have not changed appreciably. Research priorities do not seem to be changing faster than research agencies can adapt to them.Twelve issues that are likely to affect future research priorities were identified as follows:• Concern and input about sustainable forestry and the environment.• Managing non-timber values and a shrinking timber land base.• Global trade, competition, and world public opinion.• Under-funding and phase-out of federal-provincial agreements.• Accuracy of forest models for sustainable forestry.• Lack of data on the socio-economic values of forests.• Land claims and forestry on aboriginal lands.• Intensive management of the boreal mixedwood forest.• Economics of secondary forest products industry.• Increasing need for accurate information at all levels.• New provincial policies on forestry and forest protection.• Farm forestry for wood and shelterbelts.Research funding varies greatly across the country. Funds provided through the federal-provincial agreements are vital everywhere. Under-funded subjects are listed below; they are ranked by the ratio on the right, which represents the number of jurisdictions that classified the topic as under-funded over the number that identified it as a priority.Pest and weed management and alternatives to chemicals 4/7Environmental effects of forest management 3/6Ecological knowledge for intensive forest management 2/4Forest growth and yield data 2/4Forest fire management and control 2/4Integrated resource management and decision support 4/10Forest inventory and site classification 1/3Silviculture and harvesting methods, and cost reduction 1/3Increased productivity, tree improvement, and regeneration 1/5Mixedwood management 0/1Forestry research in Canada is considered well focused on requirements, but improvement is needed in the local application of research results.