"All of us who are concerned about the conservation of our forests - environmental activists, forest industry representatives, scientists, Aboriginal peoples, professional foresters, policy makers, students, in fact, the full spectrum of citizens from every walk of life - can be grateful that Ken Armson has taken advantage of his lifetime career to set this history down for those who come after."
- Monte Hummel, President of the World Wildlife Fund, Canada, from the Preface.
Sixty-four percent of Ontario's 106.8 million hectares is covered in forest. yet the average resident who spends only limited time in the forest - hiking, skiing, camping, cottaging or on the occasional northern getaway - is still much of a mystery. In Ontario Forests, veteran forester Ken Armson draws on over 50 years experience to describe this living blanket which has shaped much of the province and stands to dictate a great deal of its future.
Ontario Forests is an authoritative account of Ontario's forest regions and their history. Complete with maps, charts and full-colour photography, each forest region is located and detailed. The various tree species which make each region unique are also highlighted, and their origins of glaciation, physiographic and geological change, climactic and soil variation analyzed. Professor Armson also describes the impact of humans, from aboriginal use through lumbering to the rise of reforestation and conservation.
