Introduction One role of protected areas is to act as an ecological baseline. Parks Canada is legislated to maintain protected ecosystems in as natural a state as possible. Prescribed fire is a key vegetation management tool available to park managers. Since its establishment in 1978, Pukaskwa National Park has operated under a fire suppression regime. Given the fire dependant nature of the forest communities in the park, the suppression of fire may be characterized as a regressive management intervention.
Prescribed fire is a proactive management intervention.
This paper documents the use of fire in an eastern white pine stand and preliminary observations of vegetation response. This area is in the transition between the Great Lakes-St. White pine are uncommon in the northern one-third of the park. The red pine date to approximately 1790. The stand may have been perpetuated by human caused fire.