The Future of Gros Morne
As of now, the future of Gros Morne continues to look bright. As long as human interventions are kept at a minimal (hunting of rare animals at park, accidental trappings, or picking of rare flowers), the flora and fauna of the park will continue to flourish, and other previously endangered species will begin to thrive again at Gros Morne. Even though it can be threatened by forest fires, with the plans instituted in Gros Morne to combat these forest fires, the boreal forests should still be able to thrive (since minimal forest fires still are beneficial; they recycle accumulating organic matter), or at least “bounce back” if such events occur.
The Boreal forest (also known as the Taiga) is the biggest terrestrial ecosystem in the world. Covering North America (mostly inland Canada, Alaska, and part of the northern United States) and Eurasia ( Scandinavia, Russia), this extensive biome is characterized by it’s long, harsh cold winters and short, warm, and humid (lasting only about 1-3 months) summers. The Boreal Forest Biome has a subarctic climate, and can have low temperatures that can be extensively lower than those of the Tundra, which is known as the coldest biome. This biome is critical to the lives of many living things and is home to plants such as evergreen, fir, and spruce, and to animals such as caribou, wolves, moose, bears, rabbits, and lynx.
In Canada, the boreal biome covers about 60% of it’s land and 14% of it’s overall population. It plays an important economic role, with several of the towns and cities located in this region getting at least 20% of their profits from it’s forest products, mining, oil and gas and tourism.
This biome is also a large part of Gros Morne National Park. It is the home of a vast and diverse wildlife, natural food web, and several ecosystems, all which rely heavily on it. Humans have impacted the boreal forest in Gros Morne in several ways, good and bad. There have been many conservation efforts to protect this forest and it’s wildlife, and because of this several previously critically endangered species are now able to thrive. However, the boreal forest still faces threats of logging, hunting of species, and accidental trappings. But with continued efforts to combat these issues, the boreal forest of Gros Morne shall continue to flourish in all its wondrous beauty and be a natural treasure that steals the hearts of all who behold it.