This text is part of the special Pleasures notebook
Maple syrup producers depend on the weather. While the first flow seems to arrive earlier and earlier year after year, some people wonder about the effects of climate change on maple trees.
The maple spring has five to seven weeks of flow. The tree releases its water as long as the temperature is appropriate: frost during the night and mild weather during the day. Traditionally, the conditions are met between the end of February and the beginning of May, depending on the region. But, this year, we saw the first flows as early as December in all four corners of the province.
“At the Producteurs et producerrices acéricoles du Québec (PPAQ), we do not list the first pours. And this, for the simple reason that the dates vary from one year to another, from one region to another, and even from one sugar bush to another. We know that climate change could cause the flow period to be brought forward, but we lack data to confirm this,” explains Joël Vaudeville, communications director for the organization affiliated with the Union of Agricultural Producers.
For the maple syrup producers concerned, however, the situation is very real. Many say they have to deal with early starts to the season and have been caught off guard by unusual mild spells.
The consortium in regional climatology and adaptation to climate change Ouranos estimates that the pouring season will begin 9 to 13 days earlier between 2046 and 2065. It will even begin 15 to 19 days earlier between 2080 and 2100 compared to in the last 30 years of the 20th centurye century.
Seasons that follow one another, but which are not alike
Climate change has already pushed some producers to bring forward their tapping dates. We recently saw maple syrup producers who had decided to make maple syrup in December. This is the case of Julien du Pasquier, in Estrie, who started making syrup at the end of fall, so as not to lose production. An option that maple producers in Bas-Saint-Laurent are also considering.
“Producers are really required to adapt their tapping choices so as not to leave maple syrup on the table if they have not finished their tapping during the first pour,” explains Mr. Vaudeville.
“It could be a solution, to cut earlier. But we must understand that, if we do it too early and there is heat, the wound in the tree will close and that will end the producer’s season,” he warns.
When asked whether maple syrup producers have the possibility of reacting with a few days’ notice, depending on the weather forecast, the communications director is nuanced. “In a context where labor remains scarce, it can be difficult to turn around in a week, especially if you have a sugar bush with 20,000 or 30,000 taps,” he says.
Improving the resilience of maple groves
“We remain very vigilant regarding the potential impacts of climate change on the health of maple trees,” specifies Mr. Vaudeville. For our part, we do not notice any stress on the trees which could make it possible to make syrup. But we are very attentive to the presence of certain invading insects. »
These insects are the forest tent caterpillar and the Asian long-horned beetle, two species that defoliate trees and kill entire populations. Faced with the threat they represent for maple groves, the PPAQ supports producers in the diversification of their stands. “Certain companion species go well with maple and make the forest more resilient,” says Mr. Vaudeville.
Natural disasters and the shift in the bioclimatic zone also attract the organization’s attention. “The area suitable for maple growth is migrating northward due to global warming. We could therefore end up with new populations as far north as Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean,” he adds.
Prepare for the future
Around 18% of all maple syrup in Quebec is produced in public forests. To meet the needs of foreign markets and the growth of the sector, the PPAQ wants this proportion to increase to 30% by 2080.
“A maple tree takes 50 years to produce enough water to make maple syrup. The decisions we make today regarding the public forest will therefore have an impact in the years to come,” warns Mr. Vaudeville.
Part of the areas that the PPAQ would like to exploit is located outside its current climatic niche. “There is certainly thought to be had about assisted migration on the part of the Ministry of Forests, to transport the maple to where the soil allows it. »
This content was produced by the Special Publications team at Duty, relating to marketing. The writing of the Duty did not take part.