Primary industry has been important to the Canadian economy for hundreds of years. In particular, the vast forests in British Columbia and Ontario provide the raw materials for a billion-dollar industry. Forests are also environmentally important as they remove carbon dioxide from the air and replenish the atmosphere with oxygen. Each forest is a diverse community of different plant and animal species. In addition, the roots of trees and vegetation help to absorb water, limiting rain runoff and reducing soil erosion.
There are a several different logging practices each with economic and environmental advantages and disadvantages: clear cutting, shelter-wood cutting, patch cutting, and selective cutting.
This demonstration simulates the effects of the removal of vegetation on erosion of soil in an ecosystem.