Which of the following has been listed as a threat to Canada's forests?

• A. Urban development
• B. Deforestation policies
• C. The forestry industry
• D. Invasive grasses

Answer: (C)

The question is about what kinds of activities can threaten forests when they are not managed sustainably. The forestry industry, if it relies on heavy, unsustainable harvesting, can pose a threat because removing large amounts of timber faster than forests can naturally regrow reduces biodiversity, fragments habitats, and disrupts forest structure. Roads and clear-cuts from logging break up continuous forest, making it harder for species to move and for the forest to regenerate. Soil compaction and erosion from logging operations can degrade site productivity, and replacing diverse stands with simpler, younger forests can weaken ecosystem resilience and carbon storage. In Canada, forests provide both ecological and economic value, so sustainable forest management aims to balance harvest with regeneration; when harvest pressures outrun the forest’s ability to recover, the industry becomes a threat to the forests. Urban development also reduces forest land, deforestation policies are measures to curb loss rather than threats, and invasive grasses can affect some ecosystems but aren’t the broad, primary threat to Canadian forests in the same way unsustainable harvesting can be.