Six papers review the ecological sources of variation, resilience, and stability in boreal ecosystems, particularly in regard to silvicultural practices. Finally Dave Schindler reviews the current state of knowledge about boreal aquatic systems in a landscape context. Frelich and Reich present a conceptual model of the variety of disturbances. Frelich and Reich suggest that if management is done according to a different disturbance regime than the natural type or mix of types for the landscape in question, then it can cause major changes in species composition. Bergeron et al. review the arguments that silvicultural practices are a direct analogy of natural disturbances such as fire, and find them wanting.
Natural disturbances vary greatly in return times, intensity, and compartments affected.
Consequently, they maintain variability in species composition. Bergeron et al. suggest that we must develop silvicultural techniques that maintain a spectrum of forest composition over the landscape. Host and Pastor show that the successional development of sub-boreal forests after a disturbance is linked to the geomorphic control over soil water availability. This geomorphic control constrains feedbacks between species and the soil that control nitrogen availability and, hence, productivity. It is a major negative feedback keeping oscillations within bounds.