The ecosystem-based management of boreal forest in Quebec

(june 2010)

The ecosystem-based management concept is relatively recent in Quebec. Its gradual setting-up joins in the renewal of the forest practices to answer more adequately the ecological concerns inherent to the concept of sustainable forest development, which contains legal fondations in the law on forests.

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The certification of the forest surfaces in Canada

(march 2010)

The certification of the forest surfaces appears as a voluntary and transparent process to establish a frame of management in compliance with the principles of sustainable development of forests. The forest certification aims at guaranteeing that forests are managed in the respect for the on a local scale regional and national values.

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Passage of the industrial era in the XVIIIth century

Industrial revolution in Europe

Industrial revolution introduced by 1750 carried its first seeds largely in Northern Europe and the United States. This revolution marks passage of society from agricultural production to mechanized production of non-food items (Meignen, on 1996). To see the beginning of real growth of an industrial economy, we have to look back to the XVIIIth century. This period notably corresponds to progress important for an agricultural plan, including large-scale fertilizing, the ascent in importance of the cereal crop, and specialization of cultures. Despite a massive increase in its size, the population in Northern Europe had not yet experienced a food shortage.

Industrialization of the agricultural activities

International commercial markets invested in agriculture in significant ways. Technical progress allowed greater farming productivity, use of some profits to improve instruments and agricultural knowledge, and investment in other production domains.

Geopolitical conditions of disparity

The mercantile politics Louis IV's administration implemented and maintained brought unmistakable support for emergence of sectors capable of supporting commercial and industrial expansion. Natural resources which North America highly desired were the object of protectionist politics aimed at supporting an increase in internal wealth. Gradually, we see emergence of new social classes (the bourgeoisie, the middle class and the working class). Finally, several new XVIIth and XVIIIth century contributions supported emergence of the industrial era: improvement in transportation, the knowledge of maritime circuits, and the success of large companies.

Three key events

Historically, the conjunction of three major events mark advancement of the industrial era :

* Adam Smith's statement on economic liberalism in England and the awareness it arouses within the elitist class ("Wealth of nations");

* The United States's proclamation of independence ;

* The French revolution.

In 1873, after more than 1.5 centuries of exploitation of natural resources supporting development of vast territories, Belgium, France, the United States and Prussia join England in planned industrial production. The colonial period, primarily in New France at the beginning of the XVth century, strongly contributed to making the world’s industrial economy what it is today.

North America as reservoir of resources

At the beginning of the industrial revolution, major European powers surrounded the vast territory of North America. France and England imposed mercantile regimes aimed at strengthening their metropolises. So, colonial campaigns had to grant the empires supporting them utilization of North America's vast natural resources, which increased the commercial capacity of the respective metropolises. During the colonial period, the use of natural resources was restricted to these commercial activities or domestic ones.

For Louis XIV, New-France served only as a source for raw materials, and no commercial transformation of resources was allowed. However, England allowed the 13 colonies to utilize natural resources for commercial purposes. However, The trades were allowed only in the metropolis.

Emerging countries

Naturally, the metropolis of each of the empires strongly benefited from new considerable contributions in first resources and so, was able to consolidate its industries. New-France succeeded in offering only a weak potential for the agricultural export of products and this last one was left there for a long time one mainly by subsistence. The fur however, strongly contributed to support the activity and the expansion of New-France in a point such as this expansion became the source of the first territorial conflicts with 13 colonies. In New-England, colonies could count on a more important variety of economic activities. The economic diversification had been made possible by the more tolerant arrangements of the British regime and technically, by the colonies become 30 times as populous as the French colony in 1663.

The historic portrait and its analysis :

The passage in the industrial era
The draft of furs (on 1671 - 1738)
The English conquest (on 1730 - 1830)
The colonization (on 1838 - 1939)
The period fordiste (on 1920 - 1970)

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Historic glance on the forect sector in Quebec