Statistical data

1. Select area

2. Select year

Disturbance (Alberta)
	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015	2014	2013	2012	2011	2010	2009	2008	2007	2006	2005	2004	2003	2002	2001	2000	1999	1998	1997	1996	1995	1994	1993	1992	1991	1990
Insects ^{Footnote 1}
Area defoliated by insects and containing beetle-killed trees (hectares)		1,173,924	640,748	1,229,398	1,277,997	993,372	2,819,662	3,634,882	8,704,642	524,724	121,974	334,916	405,883	3,135,116	3,537,554	5,905,926	3,037,387	671,607	5,800,312	4,165,745	3,483,678	2,745,110	1,623,813	467,043	242,035	324,378	583,521	356,748	94,878	142,650	270,200	1,237,826
Balsam fir sawfly
Forest tent caterpillar		77,518	127,286	273,281	593,986	525,135	1,586,486	3,567,254	6,473,001	495,726	79,387	10,333	94,117	1,515,085	1,836,213	5,193,324	2,690,103	300,563		70,000		362,392	583,131	103,557	8,249	91,061	222,017	102,134	18,982		129,200	609,272
Gypsy moth
Jack pine budworm				1,217
Mountain pine beetle		77,637	178,909	205,015	213,170	198,963	1,121,477
Spruce beetle		2,853	1,762	2,145	3,138	10,465	1,405																				23,771	1,350
Spruce budworm		65,719	47,213	30,446	17,337	19,265	51,750	44,387	37,076	28,530	35,403	269,365	167,861	160,408	142,831	54,773	52,973	30,651	581,095	183,114	115,572	116,481	191,657	243,369	184,763	222,952	203,741	173,680	48,546	142,650	141,000	109,150
Western spruce budworm											6,914	2,893	30,779	22,471	17,679
Other insects		950,197	285,578	717,294	450,366	239,544	58,544	23,241	2,194,565	468	270	52,325	113,126	1,437,152	1,540,831	657,829	294,311	340,393	5,219,217	3,912,631	3,368,106	2,266,237	849,025	120,117	49,023	10,365	133,992	79,584	27,350			519,404
Fires ^{Footnote 2}
Area burned (hectares)	54,088	4,798	1,003,831	85,018	149,770	515,165	843,873	288,049	55,733	652,085	892,232	86,953	94,559	36,535	325,994	136,312	92,369	432,326	204,346	500,554	166,987	25,252	189,995	748,776	4,924	15,597	341,979	96,727	27,692	3,561	6,715	58,885
Number of fires	1,342	800	1,081	1,382	1,330	1,485	1,952	1,506	1,279	1,646	1,208	1,949	1,715	1,795	1,378	2,107	1,425	1,683	1,257	1,493	1,024	864	1,371	1,738	463	398	808	931	876	1,061	944	1,366

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Footnotes

Footnote 1

Insects

Source: National Forestry Database. Forest insects – Forest insects, Table 4 Area of moderate to severe defoliation (including beetle-killed trees) by insects. (accessed June 21, 2022).

Notes:

Forest area disturbed by defoliators (e.g., budworms, Lymantria dispar) includes only areas with tree mortality or moderate to severe defoliation. Defoliation does not always result in mortality. Several factors, including defoliation severity, duration, and frequency, or presence of other stressors (e.g., drought), can affect the level of mortality.
Forest area disturbed by bark beetles (e.g., mountain pine beetle, spruce beetle) is derived from aerial surveys that map trees that are dead or dying from successful beetle attack.
Summing the areas affected by more than one insect to create a grand total can result in an overestimate if more than one insect species occurs in the same stand in the same year. For example, in a mixedwood forest, spruce budworm may defoliate balsam fir in the same stand where forest tent caterpillar is defoliating the aspen trees.

Return to footnote 1 TEXT-REFERRER

Footnote 2

Fires

Sources:

National Forestry Database. Forest fires, Table 3.1.1, Number of fires by cause class. (accessed June 21, 2022).
National Forestry Database. Forest fires, Table 3.2.1, Area burned by cause class. (accessed June 21, 2022).

Note:

The National Forestry Database sources the latest year’s fire data from the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre and all years prior from the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System.

Return to footnote 2 TEXT-REFERRER

Statistical data

Disturbance (Alberta)