Canadian Forest Service Publications
The risks associated with glyphosate-based herbicide use in planted forests. 2017. Rolando, C.A.; Baillie, B.R.; Thompson, D.G.; Little, K.M. Forests 8(6): 208-233.
Year: 2017
Issued by: Great Lakes Forestry Centre
Catalog ID: 38286
Language: English
Availability: PDF (download)
Available from the Journal's Web site. †
DOI: 10.3390/f8060208
† This site may require a fee
Plain Language Summary
Glyphosate-based herbicides are the dominant products used internationally for control of vegetation in planted forests. While potential environmental and human health effects of this herbicide have been extensively studied, particularly in Canada, few international, scientific syntheses exist on the topic. In this internationally collaborative review, we provide an overview of the current use of glyphosate-based herbicides in planted forests of countries such as New Zealand, South Africa, the USA and Canada. Glyphosate is used infrequently in planted forests at rates not exceeding 4 kg ha-1, within legal label recommendations and applied by trained applicators. While additional research in some areas was recommended, most of the priority questions have been addressed by scientific investigations. Based on the extensive available scientific evidence the authors conclude that glyphosate-based herbicides, as typically employed in planted forest management internationally, do not pose a significant risk to humans and the terrestrial and aquatic environments.
