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Last year, 11.5 million tree seedlings intended for Quebec’s forests were annihilated.

Reforesting is a key aspect in the global effort to combat climate change. However, despite this, over 11.5 million tree seedlings intended for Quebec’s forests were lost last year, which is an ironic twist of fate. Plant nurseries were compelled to dispose of these seedlings that did not meet government standards due to the extreme weather conditions.

These losses, worth $3.6 million, accounted for almost nine percent of the trees that were expected to be planted in the province.

“Because the plants are produced outdoors, they are subject to increasingly frequent weather hazards in a context of climate change,” the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry said

“Early frosts in the fall, a lack of snow, a mild spell during the winter or late frosts in the spring can cause significant damage to the plants

“There are people who replant trees that did not get their plants. There are sites that have not been reforested,”

The destruction of 83 percent of the trees in 2022 was attributed to extreme weather events, according to the ministry.

Over the last decade, nurseries and silviculture companies have faced numerous challenges due to the weather, according to Stéphane Boucher, President of Quebec’s forest plant producers.