The forest industry is a very important factor in Ontario, with over 90,000 people employed within it and over $15 billion generated per year. However changes in temperature, soil moisture and carbon dioxide concentrations can have a negative impact on the forests. A major impact of warmer temperatures will be an increase in forest pests. The limiting factor of pests is determined by cold winters and without those pests will flourish, such as the gypsy moth has already done in Ontario. This will decrease the amount of sustainable trees for the forest industry. The increase of atmospheric carbon dioxide and nitrogen will speed up forest growth within the short term, but other facts like a higher concentration of ground ozone levels, more frequent droughts, forest fires and the pests will out weight the benefits. In 1997 A.J Simard predicted that climate change will increase fire activity in Ontario. The main influence of the increase in forest fires is the increased frequency and severity of drought years. Due to the lower than normal rainfall and the decrease in the fuel moisture levels the forests are "predisposed" to fire. These are just some of the changes that can occur with a change in climate within Ontario.
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