bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The role of long-term site productivity in maintaining healthy ecosystems: A prerequisite of ecosystem management
Authors: Morris Dave M.
Published: February 2014

Forest health is a central issue across North America. Most definitions imply that forest health is a condition of the forest ecosystem which sustains complexity or diversity while still providing for human needs. Imbedded in this definition is the need to maintain the productive capacity of managed sites. Although site productivity is largely a function of climate, soil properties, and the biotic potential of the vegetation occupying the site, forest management can also play an influential role in altering site productivity.In terms of site productivity, different concerns exist when managing different ecosites. Based on a recently-conducted expert opinion survey, the major concerns when harvesting black spruce from shallow-soil, upland sites were: 1) harvest-related nutrient removals, and 2) loss of organic matter. In contrast to these ecosites, the major concerns for organic sites (including wet, mineral soils) were: 1) altered hydrology, and 2) rutting. The water table on these sites is typically near the surface for a significant portion of the frost-free season, minimizing organic matter decomposition and associated nutrient release. Any forest management practice which exacerbates this situation would have a negative impact on site productivity. Tree nutrient cycling studies conducted on shallow-soil sites in northwestern Ontario were presented to show that calculated nutrient replacement times, with the exception of K, did not exceed current rotation periods. However, the forest floor nutrient pool represented a major component of the soil reserves. Based on the importance of this nutrient pool, best practices designed to protect and allow for the rebuilding of this active soil pool are essential if long-term site productivity is to be maintained.This paper outlines a series of steps to evaluate and correct management-induced changes in long-term site productivity. These steps included: 1) the development of "best practice" guidelines, 2) the development of a set of "criteria and indicators", and 3) the establishment of long-term experimental field trials. The results of this third step should, in turn, be used to refine the "best practice" guidelines and suggest alternative "criteria and indicators" that should be incorporated into a monitoring program of forest sustainability. Key words: forest health, ecosystem management, site productivity, nutrient cycling
Modelling logic and the Canadian Forest Fire Behavior Prediction System
Authors: Wagner C. E. Van
Published: February 2014

This article outlines the flexible semi-empirical philosophy used throughout six decades of fire research by the Canadian Forest Service, culminating in the development of the Forest Fire Behavior Prediction System. It then describes the principles involved when spread rate and fuel consumption are estimated separately to yield fire intensity, and the anomaly that has resulted from the omission of a foliar-moisture effect on crown-fire spread. Judged on its results so far, this Canadian approach has held its own against any other, and holds full promise for the future as well. Key words: forest fire behavior, Canadian FBP System, fire modelling, crown-fire theory, fire research philosophy
Response of small mammals and birds to partial cutting and clearcutting in northwest British Columbia
Authors: Steventon J. D. , MacKenzie K. L. , Mahon T. E.
Published: February 2014

A challenge facing forest managers is providing habitats for wildlife associated with mature or old-growth forests. One approach is to use partial cutting which maintains forest cover while still allowing timber harvest. We compared small mammal (voles, mice and shrews) and bird abundance after two intensities of partial cutting (30% and 60% volume removal) to clearcuts and uncut natural stands in coast-interior transitional forests of British Columbia. The 30% removal resulted in no significant difference in the bird community compared to the uncut stands, while southern red-backed voles (Clethrionomys gapperi) increased in abundance. Bird and small mammal communities in the 60% removal treatment were closer to the uncut forest than to clearcuts, but also included species typical of clearcuts. At least one bird species, Yellow-rumped Warbler (Dendroica coronata), was most abundant in the 60% removal treatment. Several species such as the meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus) and Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) were most abundant in clearcuts, and Lincoln's Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii) and Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) were almost exclusively found in clearcuts. Scattered aspen and birch trees left in two of the clearcuts were used as cavity nest trees by Red-breasted Sapsuckers (Sphyrapicus ruber), Hairy Woodpeckers (Picoides villosus), and Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor). We concluded that both of the partial cutting treatments provided habitat for small mammals and birds typical of mature forest, although the heavy removal began to show a shift towards species typical of clearcuts. Because no single treatment was optimal for all species, we recommend that partial cutting be part of a landscape strategy to provide a range of habitat conditions similar to those occurring under natural disturbance regimes. Key words: Partial cutting, clearcutting, silvicultural systems, wildlife habitat, biodiversity, ecosystem management, birds, small mammals
Field trial inoculation of Fraxinus pennsylvanica with Glomus intraradices
Authors: Delisle Claude
Published: February 2014

One-year-old red ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) seedlings inoculated with the endomycorrhizal fungus Glomus intraradices were outplanted in abandoned fields and in clearcuts. Survival and growth of seedlings were measured for four years. Mean total heights, mean collar diameters, and mortality did not differ significantly between inoculated plants and the controls or between field-grown and clearcut-grown seedlings. However, the variance components of total height and diameter associated with sites differed significantly from zero. Growth in all cases seemed related to soil wetness. Key words: Glomus intraradices, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, afforestation
Managing forests to sustain biodiversity: Substituting accomplishment for motion
Authors: Bunnell Fred L.
Published: February 2014

We are proceeding at great speed over difficult terrain, towards an unknown, unquantifiable goal. The speed reflects genuine public concerns and a sense of urgency. The difficult terrain reflects the complexity of forest practices. Moreover, forests are simultaneously the richest terrestrial ecosystems on earth and major contributors to social infrastructure. Slipperiness of the goal reflects the fact that biological diversity is not a thing, but a cluster of concepts. To a large extent we have substituted motion for accomplishment. To substitute accomplishment for motion I suggest five steps: 1) separate two big issues (how much old growth is enough and how we practice forestry); 2) create a credible, interim operational goal for biodiversity (it is possible); 3) confront the issue of habitat distribution (Canada is well positioned); 4) focus on total amount of habitat rather than its distribution (many concerns about the latter are mislead); and 5) slow down and think (the alternative is dangerous). Key words: biodiversity, forests, management, solutions
Impacts of urbanization on plant and bird communities in forest ecosystems
Authors: Friesen Lyle
Published: February 2014

Development is now a major cause of landscape-scale variation in ecosystems and it is imperative to know more precisely the nature of its impacts if we wish to preserve affected species and their habitats. Recent studies suggest that human impacts in suburban forests are "edge effects" analogous to microclimatic and vegetational edge zone phenomena although they exceed natural edge effects both in severity and spatial extent of damage. Studies of forest bird communities in California and Ontario indicate that some species are urban avoiders that decline or disappear as development levels increase. Research is urgently needed to better understand the mechanisms by which development undermines natural areas in order to prevent or minimize its adverse impacts.
Exploring woodlot owner managing and marketing decisions: Implications for Nova Scotia forest policy
Authors: Wellstead Adam M. , Brown M. Paul , MacFarlane Derek D.
Published: February 2014

Since 1995, the government of Nova Scotia has had to develop woodlot owner management programs that encourage timber production without depending on cost-shared Federal-Provincial agreements. These new programs must be as cost-effective as possible. A possible policy tool to overcome these new challenges would be the development of a method of identifying those woodlot owners who would be most willing to participate in management programs. Using data from a province-wide woodlot owner survey, two logit models, based on the woodlot owner's characteristics, determine the likelihood that management and marketing activity will be undertaken. The management logit model identified those owners who had received advice, who sold wood products from their woodlots in the past five years, or owned larger than average-sized woodlots as most likely to engage in management activity. The marketing logit model identified those wood-lot owners who were aware of existing programs, who managed, sold Christmas trees, logging contractors, members of group ventures, or owned larger than average-sized woodlots as more likely to sell forest products. Key words: Nova Scotia, woodlot owner characteristics, logit analysis, forest policy
The future of the forest management industry: Highly mechanized plantations and reserves or a knowledge-intensive integrated approach?
Authors: Oliver Chadwick D.
Published: February 2014

Intensive forest management has commonly become associated with forest plantations that have high initial investment costs in stand establishment. These intensive plantations will probably not produce high quality wood because they will be physically and economically unstable if grown to long rotations, and so will probably need to be harvested when quite young. An alternative to intensive plantations is integrated management, where more understanding of many ways to grow forests is substituted for the high initial costs of uniform, mechanized treatments used in plantations.This paper is intended to generate a discussion of the economic, social, and environmental desirability of these, and alternative, management approaches.Forest policy is presently moving in several directions, with some policies encouraging intensive plantations and other policies encouraging integrated management. All policy directions require government intervention to some degree to deal with the apparent surplus of low quality wood. Either governments will prohibit harvest of most of the world's forests and promote intensive plantations on the remaining area, or they will actively promote integrated management through various incentives and/or restrictions. Unless a consistent policy emerges, there will continue to be confusion in forest management that could last for decades. This confusion will be to the economic, social, and environmental detriment of most of the public and most forest landowners. Key words: intensive forest management, plantations, integrated management, forest policy
Juvenile growth and crown morphological plasticity of eastern white pines (Pinus strobus L.) planted along a natural light gradient: Results after six years
Authors: Messier C. , Parent S. , Chengaou M. , Beaulieu J.
Published: February 2014

Underplanting white pine (Pinus strobus L.) is a promising method to reduce competition and protect against white pine weevil (Pissodes strobi (Peck)) damage. However, shading caused by over-story trees can reduce growth, vigor and survival of white pine. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of a light gradient on the growth and overall crown morphology of white pine saplings planted in 3-meter strips within a hardwood forest some six years earlier. In 1994, we measured total height and diameter, leader length (in 1994) and numerous crown morphological variables. We then estimated the light environment above the crown of 63 young white pine saplings representing six families of close provenance. White pine grew well (i.e., > 20 cm in height/year) for the first six years when planted at light levels between 10 and 66% of full sunlight. Total height and diameter after six years tended to decline more sharply below 30% full sunlight, confirming earlier experiments made in controlled conditions. No significant changes in crown morphology were evident along the light gradient. This lack of crown morphological plasticity presumably contributes to limiting the ability of white pine to grow and compete in a very low light environment Various silvicultural options are discussed in light of the results obtained in this study. Key words: Understory growth, white pine, understory planting, crown morphology, silvicultural options, light gradient
Forest research at the Turkey Lakes Watershed
Authors: Morrison I. K. , Cameron D. A. , Foster N. W. , Groot A.
Published: February 2014

The 10.5 km2 Turkey Lakes Watershed, located on the Precambrian Shield approximately 60 km north of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, is occupied by a typical Great Lakes-St. Lawrence sugar maple-yellow birch forest. Since late 1979, the watershed has been the site of an interdisciplinary study on impacts of long-range transported air pollutants on the biology of forests, lakes and streams, and the recovery of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in response to reduced pollutant deposition. A knowledge base on forest growth, soils and hydrology, with detailed climate and precipitation chemistry records dating back nearly twenty years has been developed. This history, plus an available infrastructure, makes the watershed an ideal site to study processes across the terrestrial-aquatic interface. A harvesting impacts project, for example, was started in 1997. This project is built around a field experiment comparing clear-felling, shelterwood, and single-tree selection versus uncut control, for appropriateness of application and for impacts on long-term soil productivity, stand function, diversity of plant and animal life, and hydrological and other on- and off-site impacts. The watershed is also a site for the ECOLEAP Project, which is attempting to improve overall understanding of mechanisms controlling forest productivity, and a site to test terrain and climate models to model temperature, moisture, energy and nutrients and the relationship of these to species distribution, abundance and productivity at different scales up to the watershed level. Key words: acid precipitation, air pollution, biogeochemistry, research site, watershed
50 years of low thinning in second growth Douglas-fir
Authors: Stinson Steven D.
Published: February 2014

This paper presents the Port Blakely XT series, established in western Washington in the period 1948–1958. XT-1, 2 and 3 were designed to evaluate effects of repeated low thinning and extended harvest rotations. XT-7 compares the effects of different levels of removal on standing volume and wood quality.Periodic and mean annual increment trends have been examined for all four trials. Results from these trials indicate the extension of culmination of mean annual increment due to low thinning combined with extended rotations. Volume yield is reported for XT-1 and XT-2. The thinned plots reveal an increase in bole size and an increase in total harvested volume. Wood quality characteristics were measured in XT-1 and 7, evaluated for differences between thinned and non-thinned and compared to stands harvested at younger ages. Results indicate that extended rotations and low thinning increase the quantity of structural log grades when compared to stands harvested on shorter rotations.Such regimes should reduce conflicts between timber production and other values such as watershed, wildlife, and aesthetics and are particularly applicable to public ownership. Key words: growth and yield, mean annual increment, wood quality, alternative silviculture, extended rotations, low thinning
Transformation to irregular structure of an upland conifer forest
Authors: Wilson E. R. , McIver H. Whitney , Malcolm D. C.
Published: February 2014

The Glentress Trial was established by M.L. Anderson in 1952 as a demonstration of transformation to irregular structure of an upland conifer forest in southern Scotland. The trial area (117 ha) is one of the longest continuously-studied forest research areas in Britain. The dominant tree species are Sitka spruce, European larch, Scots pine and Douglas-fir. The most important silvicultural system is group selection, with group size varying from 0.1 to 0.2 ha. Groups are restocked by planting or natural regeneration. Interim results point to the development of an irregular forest structure, although the transformation will not be complete until 2033. The trial demonstrates the value of continuous cover forests in meeting multiple forest management objectives, and is a resource of increasing importance for silviculture education and long-term research. Key words: transformation, irregular structure, uneven-aged management, Sitka spruce, Douglas-fir, long-term silviculture research
Linking ecophysiology and forest productivity: An overview of the ECOLEAP project
Authors: Bernier P. Y. , Fournier R. A. , Ung C. H. , Robitaille G. , Larocque G. R. , Boutin R. , Raulier F. , Paré D. , Beaubien J. , Delisle C. , Lavigne M. B.
Published: February 2014

ECOLEAP is a Canadian Forest Service research project that is aimed at improving our understanding of the environmental controls on boreal and sub-boreal forest productivity and at developing tools for predicting stand-level forest productivity over large areas. This interdisciplinary project combines, in a coordinated manner, ecophysiological and soils research, remote sensing research, development of scaling up procedures and process modelling of net primary productivity on a common set of field sites. The process research is carried out in different forest types across large climatic and productivity gradients. Remote sensing provides timely stand information such as composition, leaf area, and absorbed radiation that are not currently available in existing spatial databases. A geographic information system is used to integrate the diverse sources of data. Models serve both as integrators of knowledge and as vehicles for the transfer of the information and methodologies to resource managers. Currently there are three interrelated modelling exercises being carried out within ECOLEAP to address different objectives of the project: an empirical, spatially explicit model of site index, a site-specific process model of productivity, and a spatially explicit process model of productivity. Application of the spatially explicit models will be conducted on extensive pilot regions, the first of which is located north of Quebec City. Key words: modelling, GIS, remote sensing, Canadian Forest Service
Black Sturgeon Boreal Mixedwood Research Project
Authors: Cameron D. A. , Morrison I. K. , Baldwin K. A. , Kreutzweiser D. P.
Published: February 2014

Over 50% of the productive forest land in boreal Ontario is composed of boreal mixedwood stands. These stands represent some of the most complex ecological problems for forest researchers because of inherent fertility and high productivity both in terms of timber yields and ability to sustain high wildlife populations. The response of boreal mixedwoods to disturbances such as fire, insects and disease and harvesting is also unclear. An integrated, multi-disciplinary, multi-agency approach to understanding boreal mixedwood ecosystems was undertaken in the early 1990s with the establishment of the Black Sturgeon Boreal Mixedwood Research Project Four broad research component studies – site preparation alternatives, harvesting impacts, fire ecology and aquatic ecosystem responses – were begun in second growth boreal mixedwoods in north central Ontario. This account provides a broad overview of the specific research investigations on the Black Sturgeon Boreal Mixedwood Research Project. It outlines the funding, partnerships and management of this project and provides a historical research perspective of the Black Sturgeon area. Key words: boreal, mixedwood, harvesting impacts, fire ecology, site preparation, aquatic ecosystems
CFIRP: What we learned in the first ten years
Authors: Chambers Carol L. , McComb William C. , Tappeiner II John C. , Kellogg Loren D. , Johnson Rebecca L. , Spycher G.
Published: February 2014

In response to public dissatisfaction with forest management methods, we initiated the College of Forestry Integrated Research Project (CFIRP) to test alternative silvicultural systems in Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) stands in western Oregon. We compared costs and biological and human responses among a control and three replicated silvicultural alternatives to clearcutting that retained structural features found in old Douglas-fir forests. Treatments were applied within 8- to 15-ha stands and attempted to mimic crown fires (modified clearcut), windthrow (green tree retention), and small-scale impacts such as root rot diseases (small patch group selection). We also compared costs in three unreplicated treatments (large patch group selection, wedge cut, and strip cut). Each treatment included differences in the pattern of retained dead trees (snags), as either scattered individuals or as clumps. Good communication among researchers and managers, a long-term commitment to the project, and careful documentation of research sites and data are important to the success of long-term silvicultural research projects. To date, over 30 publications have resulted from the project. Key words: alternative silviculture, data management, Douglas-fir, green tree retention, harvesting costs, human dimensions, Oregon, Pseudotsuga menziesii, recreation, wildlife
A silvicultural experiment to mitigate pest damage
Authors: Volney W. J. A. , Hammond H. E. J. , MacIsaac D. A. , Mallett K. I. , Langor D. W. , Johnson J. D. , Pohl G. R. , Kishchuk B. , Maynard D. G. , Gladders B. , Avery B. , Chemago R. , Hoffman T. , Chorney M. , Luchkow S. , Maximchuk M. , Spence J. R.
Published: February 2014

An optimal impact design experiment was established in 1997 to investigate silvicultural alternatives for reducing vulnerability of white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) stands to spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.)) damage. Ecosystem and insect population responses are being assessed in stands, thinned using a cut-to-length harvest system that removed 25% or 50% of standing volume in three patterns: uniform shelterwood cuts, standard strip cuts, and strips with "feathered" edges. Clear-cuts and untreated checks support comparisons among the undisturbed state, conventional practice, and thinning regimes. Subplots in the uniform shelterwood cuts and untreated checks were fertilized with 200 kg N/ha in early spring of 1998. The experimental approach permits strong inferences to be made about treatment effects but requires several years to obtain the final results from the research program. Keywords: spruce budworm, thinning, project design
Collaborative knowledge management for long-term research sites
Authors: Thomson Alan J. , Mitchell Al
Published: February 2014

Collaboration is a feature of all stages in the development and implementation of long-term research sites, and has traditionally occurred through the medium of face-to-face meetings. However, the recent development of Groupware software products permits collaboration and knowledge management over the Internet. A range of World Wide Web-based systems currently in operational use at the Pacific Forestry Centre are reviewed in terms of their capacity for knowledge management and their ability to facilitate collaboration. The manner in which the systems integrate World Wide Web and database technologies is described. We present a description of a prototype knowledge management system to facilitate dynamic, web-based collaborative construction of concept graphs and relationships. These will help researchers reach consensus on concepts and assumptions, make differences explicit to facilitate experimental resolution, and elicit knowledge from researchers external to the project. Key words: World Wide Web, java applets, perl, database
Are mixtures of aspen and white spruce more productive than single species stands?
Authors: Man Rongzhou , Lieffers Victor J.
Published: February 2014

In boreal mixedwood forests, aspen (Populus tremuloides) and white spruce (Picea glauca) commonly grow in mixture. These species may avoid competition through differential shade tolerance, physical separation of canopies, phenological differences, successional separation, and differences in soil resource utilization. Aspen may also be able to positively affect the growth of white spruce by improving litter decomposition and nutrient cycling rates, controlling grass and shrub competition, ameliorating environmental extremes, and reducing pest attack. These positive relationships likely make mixed-species stands more productive than pure stands of the same species. The evidence regarding the productivity of pure versus mixed aspen/white spruce stands in natural unmanaged forests is examined in this paper. Key words: Tree mixture; productivity; boreal mixedwoods; aspen; white spruce
The status of and recent trends in forest sector research in British Columbia
Authors: Binkley Clark S. , Watts Susan B.
Published: February 2014

In the decade between 1988 and 1998, expenditures on forest sector research in British Columbia have increased substantially in absolute terms but have fallen in relation to the scale of the province's forestry enterprise. These aggregate trends mask important shifts in funding sources and in the specific fields of research that have been supported. The crown corporation Forest Renewal BC has emerged as the dominant source of support for forestry research, clearly displacing appropriated funds with-in the B.C. Ministry of Forests. As a result of falling stumpage fees and changes in forest policy, this source of support is now declining and the long-term security of the Forest Renewal BC research program is in question. At present, expenditures on forestry research are more or less consistent with expenditures on forestry research in other advanced forested jurisdictions, but the anticipated decline in Forest Renewal BC research support belies this otherwise favourable finding. Expenditures on forest products research in the province have not matched their counterparts elsewhere in the world, and recently have declined precipitously. Forestry – forest conservation, management, products and production processes – is becoming ever more complex. Research activity in the province does not appear adequate to sustain the flow of economic and ecological wealth from forests that British Columbians have always enjoyed and have come to expect.
Managing forest harvesting to maintain old growth in boreal and sub-boreal forests
Authors: Burton Philip J. , Kneeshaw Daniel D. , Coates K. David
Published: February 2014

Old-growth stands can be rare in northern coniferous forests, and hence are worthy of protection and special management. We describe some quantitative guidelines for recognizing old-growth stands and options for maintaining a long-term supply of old-growth values in landscapes managed for timber production. In the Sub-Boreal Spruce forests of central British Columbia, attributes most indicative of old-growth status include stand age, the density of large (> 1.0 m3) snags and downed logs, stand basal area and volume. It is suggested that partial cutting could occur in some old-growth stands, while still maintaining their structural and functional attributes, if large logs, snags and trees are retained at the threshold densities necessary to recognise old-growth status. At the landscape level, the use of extended timber crop rotations is advocated. Planning for a tapered forest age class distribution (with decreasing areas of forest allowed to persist to successively older ages) is suggested as a means of sustainably generating true old-growth, and as an alternative to the use of partial cutting and patch retention. Arithmetic formulas are developed which provide guidelines for the proportion of the forest land base to be kept in each successive age class. This model for regulating human disturbance in commercial forests holds promise as a mechanism for allowing continued timber harvest and even-aged stand management while retaining a near-natural proportion of old-growth forest in northern landscapes. Key words: disturbance regime, even-aged management, extended rotations, forest age class structure, forest management, old-growth attributes, rotation length, silvicultural systems, sub-boreal spruce zone, timber supply planning.
Mapping forest clearcuts using radar digital imagery: A review of the Canadian experience
Authors: Leblon Brigitte
Published: February 2014

Annual clearcut mapping is currently done in Canada mainly from photo-interpretation of aerial photographs. An advantageous alternative would use digital imagery. Optical imagery acquisition depends on weather and illumination conditions, but not radar images. This paper documents the state of practice in Canada in the use of radar digital images for clearcut mapping, with regards to the type of images used, to the influence of environmental conditions, the band, polarization, time of the year, and incidence angles, as well as to the mapping accuracy. Synergism between optical and radar images is also discussed. Finally, a few experimental automated mapping systems using radar imageries are presented. Key words: remote sensing, forest inventory updating, clearcut mapping, synthetic aperture radar, microwave, digital imagery
"Jobs Talk": Retreating from the social sustainability of forestry communities
Authors: Reed Maureen G.
Published: February 2014

Changes in land use and forestry practices in coastal British Columbia have resulted in a period of "transition" for forestry communities. Here I examine proposals by environmental non-governmental organizations and transition strategies developed by government to maintain the social sustainability of forestry communities during economic transition. This examination reveals that the primary focus of transition is a concern for jobs, primarily jobs of "displaced forestry workers." I argue that this focus on jobs is unnecessarily narrow and is insufficient in promoting the social sustainability of these places. Key words: social sustainability, forestry communities, transition
Helping communities help themselves: Industry-community relations for sustainable timber-dependent communities
Authors: Beckley Thomas M. , Reimer William
Published: February 2014

Social, political and economic conditions are changing in rural Canada. The forest industry has operated in rural communities throughout the nation for several centuries and the relationships between forest companies and communities have evolved over that time. This paper outlines a model for company-community relations that will foster sustainable communities given the new realities that exist in rural Canada. The model will benefit forest industry firms as well as the communities that host them. Six problems that inhibit sustainability in timber-dependent communities are outlined and several ideas for corporate action to address these challenges are offered. Among these are supporting human capital development, leadership development, and entrepreneurship; nurturing healthy communities; and ensuring that costs and benefits associated with timber-dependence are distributed evenly across regions where specific companies have a sphere of influence and within specific communities where companies operate. Key words: Company-community relations, human capital, entrepreneurship, leadership development, equity, corporate responsibility.
Treeshelters: A judicious choice for improving red ash growth
Authors: Delisle Claude
Published: February 2014

During two consecutive years, 2 + 0 bareroot red ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh.) seedlings were planted in the spring in clearcuts and in old fields. In the fall of the same years, treeshelters 120 cm in height were installed to protect plants from browsing. Tree growth and survival were assessed over a four-year period following outplanting. Sheltered trees were then significantly higher than the controls, and their root collar diameters were larger, on average. Trees planted on clearcuts were taller than those on old fields. Four years after outplanting, sheltered trees had a slightly better survival rate than the controls with overall survival rate exceeding 97% for both planting years. Key words: treeshelter, tree protector, Delta system, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, reforestation, survival, height growth, diameter growth
Analysis of the relationship among stakeholders affected by sustainable forest management and forest certification
Authors: Côté Marc-André , Bouthillier Luc
Published: February 2014

Supporters of sustainable forest management and forest certification are seeking to improve worldwide forest practices. Groups involved in the forest sector will have to adapt themselves to respect new environmental regulations, standards, and agreements linked to these two new concepts. Some forest stakeholders will lose several of their long-time privileges under the pressure of new actors involved in sustainable forest management. Forest managers will have to consider more social values in their planning than they used before. Sustainable forest management and forest certification thus have the potential to resolve, through public participation processes, old conflicts between stakeholders involved in forest management. However, these same processes could be the source of new conflicts. This article analyzes the ways in which relationships between forest stakeholders could be affected by new sustainable forest management rules. Key words: sustainable forest management, certification, forest stakeholder, public participation
La gestion du développement durable : 99% de transpiration
Authors: Emmett Brian
Published: February 2014

For many years, Canadians have been at the forefront of thinking about the interdependence of people and the natural environment. Canada has achieved a high level of human development and has made progress toward a healthier environment in a number of areas. But important challenges remain. A key challenge is how to turn thoughts and words into concrete action. I believe that with sound management practices we can make significant advances in protecting our environment and promoting sustainable development.
The state of Canada's municipal forests – 1996 to 1998
Authors: Kenney W. A. , Idziak C.
Published: February 2014

Urban forests are the day-to-day interface between most Canadians and their natural environment. In spite of the many benefits derived from our urban forests, relatively little is understood about their extent, condition and level of management. The results of a survey of Canadian municipalities is used to summaries the level of management and planning in the country's municipally managed forests. The survey indicated that many communities do not have inventories or management plans and the level of funding for the maintenance of municipal forests are insufficient to sustain a supply of benefits to the community. Key words: urban forestry, inventory, planning, budgets
Spatial stratification in forest modelling
Authors: Nurullah A. M. M. , Jordan Glen A , Baskent Emin Zeki
Published: February 2014

This paper discusses the concept of spatial stratification (SS) as applied to forest modelling in general, and spatial forest modelling in particular. SS is a way of providing a geographically explicit forest description in forest modelling, or a way of accommodating spatially explicit management objectives and interventions. In the former, called a priori SS, stands of a forest landscape are spatially aggregated into a set of stand clusters which become input to forest modelling. The latter, called dynamic SS, utilizes stands as the input forest description upon which various spatial aggregations occur throughout forest modelling. Distinctions between the two alternative approaches are highlighted and implementation considerations are examined within the forest landscape management design context. The paper concludes that: (i) modelling techniques are directly linked to forest stratification approaches; and (ii) a priori stratification is seriously limited in spatial modelling for landscape management design where multiple and often conflicting spatial objectives exist. In view of these findings, the paper outlines an alternative spatial forest modelling approach using a combination of dynamic SS and heuristic optimization. Key words: spatial stratification, spatial forest modelling, heuristic optimization, forest management
Spatial non-timber valuation decision support systems
Authors: Akabua Kojo M. , Adamowicz Wiktor L. , Boxall Peter C.
Published: February 2014

Decision support systems (DSS) can be useful tools for facilitating the application of complex economic models. Two examples of DSSs are used to illustrate the application of non-market valuation models that have been developed to estimate the economic value, as well as the level of participation, of recreational moose hunting in Newfoundland and Alberta. DSSs may be useful tools for foresters, biologists, tourist boards and economic development agencies to understand conflicts between industrial operations and other forest uses. Key words: non-timber valuation, decision support system, recreationists, databases.
Estimating windthrow risk in balsam fir stands with the ForestGales model
Authors: Ruel J.-C. , Meunier S. , Quine C. P. , Suarez J.
Published: February 2014

Balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) forests are inherently vulnerable to windthrow, especially when silvicultural treatments are applied. During recent years, it has become possible to model windthrow risk based on a good understanding of windthrow mechanics. In the present paper, the British ForestGales model has been adapted for balsam fir with data from a winching study in Quebec, Canada. This model calculates the threshold wind speed required to break or overturn the average tree in a stand and then calculates the probability of exceeding the threshold value. Modifications of the equations predicting crown characteristics and overturning resistance were introduced. The effects of age, site quality, wind exposure, thinning and the creation of new edges were assessed. The estimated critical wind speed for overturning and breakage decreases with age but the probability of damage remains low on sheltered sites. The creation of a new edge leads to an increased probability of damage, especially on exposed, highly productive sites. Thinning alone also increases the probability of damage and the magnitude of the increase varies with age and thinning intensity. On highly productive sheltered sites, the effect of thinning becomes especially important when thinning exceeds 35% of the number of stems or when stand age is greater than 70 years for a 35% thinning intensity. Thinning of new edges was also found to further increase the risk of windthrow on the most sheltered, high quality sites.
Anthropogenic fire history and red oak forests in south-central Ontario
Authors: Dey Daniel C. , Guyette Richard P.
Published: February 2014

The regeneration and dominance of northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) has been associated with fire throughout eastern North America. Red oak in central Ontario grows near the northern edge of its distribution in mixed hardwood-coniferous forests under mesic conditions where it competes with more shade-tolerant species. We hypothesized that the abundance of red oak in these stands was largely the result of anthropogenic burning and natural fires, which would favor the regeneration and recruitment of northern red oak over such shade-tolerant species as sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.). Fire histories dating from the mid-1600s were constructed by dendrochronological methods from fire scars on stumps, trees, and natural remnants of red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.), white pine (Pinus strobus L.), and red oak at six sites in south-central Ontario. Fire histories of the sites are characterized by abrupt changes in fire interval. As much or more variance in fire interval is found within sites as is found among sites. Differences in the mean fire interval among sites are related to the density and migration of historic aboriginal and European populations. The mean fire interval varied from more than 70 years to six years depending on site location and historic period. The occurrence and abundance of red oak is linked to anthropogenic fire regimes. Key words: northern red oak, white pine, fire history, ecology, anthropogenic, fire regime, dendrochronology
Simulated conversion of unmanaged interior spruce-subalpine fir stands to a regulated uneven-aged structure
Authors: Farnden Craig
Published: February 2014

A localized version of the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS) individual tree growth model was developed to simulate stand level impacts under a variety of uneven-aged management regimes in old-growth interior spruce-subalpine fir forests near Prince George British Columbia. Options for using uneven-aged management to satisfy a range of management objectives were simulated using different sets of BDq regulation parameters, and by varying species composition and rules for reserve trees. The greatest timber yields were attained by promoting the highest possible spruce component, using high q ratios, low to moderate maximum diameters and 20 to 25 year cutting cycles, and allowing no reserves. Using strategies to promote stand structures maintaining some old-growth attributes resulted in much lower timber yields. Key words: white spruce, Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, uneven-aged management, BDq regulation, simulated yield
Morphological indicators of growth response of coniferous advance regeneration to overstorey removal in the boreal forest
Authors: Ruel Jean-Claude , Messier Christian , Claveau Yves , Doucet René , Comeau Phil
Published: February 2014

Regeneration of forest stands through the preservation of existing advance regeneration has gained considerable interest in various regions of North America. The effectiveness of this approach relies on the capacity of regeneration to respond positively to overstory removal. Responses of advance regeneration to release is dependent on tree characteristics and site conditions interacting with the degree of physiological shock caused by the sudden change in environmental conditions. This paper presents a review of the literature describing the relationships between morphological indicators and the advance regeneration response to canopy removal. It focuses primarily on the following species: jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.), lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. var. latifolia Engelm.), black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.), interior spruce (Picea glauca × engelmannii), white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss), balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.), and subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt). Pre-release height growth has been found to be a good indicator of post-release response for many species. Live-crown ratio also appears to be a good indicator of vigour for shade-tolerant species. The ratio of leader length to length of the longest lateral at the last whorl could serve to describe the degree of suppression before harvest for shade-tolerant species. Number of nodal and internodal branches or buds has been found to be related with vigour for many species. Logging damage has been shown to be an important determinant of seedling response to overstory removal. In contrast, height/diameter ratio has limited value for predicting response to release since it varies with site, species and other factors. No clear relationship between age, height at release and response to release could be demonstrated. This paper also suggests the use of combined indicators and critical threshold values for these indicators. Key words: advance regeneration, careful logging, vigour, clearcutting
Designing forest landscape management
Authors: Baskent Emin Z. , Jordan Glen A , Nurullah A. M. M.
Published: February 2014

Contemporary forest management design is generating innovative ideas as it evolves towards the management of forest landscapes. These ideas embody different management paradigms, modelling approaches and software engineering techniques. We explore these three in detail and suggest an ecological landscape management (ELM) paradigm coupled with meta-heuristics modelling and object-oriented software engineering techniques as a suitable framework for designing management for forest landscapes. We hope the paper provides insight and stimulates discussion about various forest landscape management design approaches. Key words: forest landscape management, forest modelling, software engineering
Nontimber forest product industry in Canada: Scope and research needs
Authors: Duchesne Luc C. , Zasada John C. , Davidson-Hunt Iain
Published: February 2014

With a current yearly output of $241 million per year nontimber forest products (NTFP) contribute significantly to the welfare of rural and First Nations communities in Canada. Maple sap products, wild mushrooms and wild fruits are the most important NTFP for consumption both in Canada and abroad. However, because of increased access to international markets by entrepreneurs along with a growing international demand for NTFP it may be possible to double or triple Canada's harvest of NTFP. Further development of this industry should be associated with adequate training of harvesters in terms of NTFP biology in order to maximize profits while achieving biological sustainability. As well, research should emphasize the domestication of specific NTFP to meet growing demand, increase revenues and promote biodiversity conservation. Key words: forest economics, biodiversity, forest biology, nontimber forest products.
Quantification of landscape change from satellite remote sensing
Authors: Franklin S. E. , Dickson E. E. , Hansen M. J. , Farr D. R. , Moskal L. M.
Published: February 2014

Satellite remote sensing data and methods can be used to develop maps of large areas at different times in order to assess changes in forest ecosystem patterns and processes. Such maps are useful in understanding wildlife populations and habitat, forest biodiversity, and forest productivity. They may be important in ecological monitoring programs at multiple spatial and temporal scales, and could include assessment of structural aspects of the landscape, such as forest or habitat fragmentation. Quantification and measurement of landscape structure depend on the definition of landscape classes or patches, defined on the basis of more or less homogeneous elements, which differ in some measurable way from neighbouring patches. In this paper, we review some of the issues, and provide examples using satellite remote sensing data, in the quantification of landscape structure in two Canadian forests. The link between landscape structure and biodiversity is provided through the emergence of ecological understanding of species richness, species-habitat or niches, and metapopulation dynamics. Key words: forest disturbance, landscape metrics, satellite remote sensing, forest fragmentation, monitoring, biodiversity, change detection