Boreal forest landbirds in relation to forest composition, structure, and landscape: implications for forest management

2007 ◽  
Vol 37 (7) ◽  
pp. 1214-1226 ◽  
Author(s):  
L.A. Venier ◽  
J.L. Pearce
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Additive Models ◽  
Environmental Data ◽  
Landscape Context ◽  
Forest Composition ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Mature Forest

We examined a landbird community and its relationship to environmental variables within the boreal forest in north–central Ontario to evaluate its potential usefulness as an indicator of sustainable forest management. Our study had two components. First, we compared bird assemblages in mature forest stands inside Pukaskwa National Park (n = 17) with similar forested stands in a logged landscape (n = 18) over 3 years. We found significant separation of sites in the two treatments based on an ANOSIM (analogue of the standard univariate one-way ANOVA test) of the bird communities (R = 0.238, p < 0.001). We identified four significant indicators of the park landscape (bay-breasted warbler ( Dendroica castanea (Wilson, 1810)), black-throated green warbler ( Dendroica virens (J.F. Gmelin, 1789)), ovenbird ( Seiurus aurocapillus (L., 1766)), and red-eyed vireo ( Vireo olivaceus (L., 1766))) and five indicators of the logged landscape (black-backed woodpecker ( Picoides arcticus (Swainson, 1832)), brown creeper ( Certhia americana Bonaparte, 1838), winter wren ( Troglodytes troglodytes (L., 1758)), white-throated sparrow ( Zonotrichia albicollis (J.F. Gmelin, 1789)), and yellow-bellied sapsucker ( Sphyrapicus varius (L., 1776))). Some relationships were attributable to differences in vegetation, whereas other differences were attributable to the landscape context. Second, we used generalized additive models to examine the relationship of individual species with four sets of environmental data (understorey floristics, forest structure, overstorey composition, and landscape context) using the 35 sites noted above and 18 additional mature forest sites in the logged landscape (n = 53). We found that all four types of variables were frequently included in the best model based on Akaike's information criterion (AIC) (structure in 23 models, landscape in 20 models, overstorey in 19 models, and understorey in 15 models). We discuss our results in terms of their implications to forest management and note that our ability to map habitat for forest birds is substantially compromised by the lack of good spatial estimates of environmental variables that describe bird habitat.

scholarly journals Variability in Fire Frequency and Forest Composition in Canada's Southeastern Boreal Forest: A Challenge for Sustainable Forest Management

1998 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yves Bergeron ◽  
Pierre J.H. Richard ◽  
Christopher Carcaillet ◽  
Sylvie Gauthier ◽  
Mike Flannigan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Fire Frequency ◽  
Forest Composition ◽  
In Fire

scholarly journals Stakeholder identification and analysis for adaptive governance in the Kovdozersky Model Forest, Russian Federation

2012 ◽  
Vol 88 (03) ◽  
pp. 298-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marine Elbakidze ◽  
Per Angelstam ◽  
Robert Axelsson
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Russian Federation ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Adaptive Governance ◽  
Stakeholder Identification ◽  
Opportunities For Learning ◽  
New Ideas ◽  
Forest Biome

The Model Forest is a concept developed to facilitate implementation of sustainable forest management (SFM). The key functions of a Model Forest are to develop innovations and test new ideas related to SFM, driven by the needs, interests and challenges of Model Forest stakeholders and local communities. Russia is an important global actor when it comes to the boreal forest biome and forestry, but also has several challenges related to development of adaptive governance and the introduction of SFM. The purpose of this study is to identify landscape stakeholders—their values, needs and interests— in order to develop and adapt the governance of forest landscapes in the Kovdozersky Model Forest. The location of the Kovdozersky Model Forest in the Barents region presents opportunities for learning between Nordic countries and Russia.

scholarly journals How do Alberta's, Ontario's and Quebec's forest operation laws respect ecological sustainable forest management criteria in the boreal forest?

2007 ◽  
Vol 83 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurence Bourgeois ◽  
Daniel Kneeshaw ◽  
Louis Imbeau ◽  
Nicolas Bélanger ◽  
Stephen Yamasaki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Aquatic Environment ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Forest Certification ◽  
Forest Operations ◽  
Ecological Criteria ◽  
Canadian Boreal Forest ◽  
Forest Operation ◽  
To Receive

In order to receive forest certification and to respond to societal desires, many forest companies are attempting to demonstrate that their forest activities are «sustainable». The main objective of this paper is to qualitatively evaluate the ways in which forestry-related provincial regulations in the three provinces (Alberta, Ontario and Quebec) that contain most of the Canadian boreal forest help forest companies achieve certification with respect to ecological criteria. In the process of continually evolving towards sustainable forest management, we evaluate how these provincial regulations governing forest operations can be helpful in maintaining three criteria: biodiversity, the aquatic environment and soils. This study shows that the regulations evaluated have varied in their approach and thus have different strengths that must be underlined: (1) Ontario's approach is the strongest in terms of biodiversity, (2) Alberta and Ontario provide measures to abandon roads after harvesting, (3) Quebec provides the greatest specific measures for protecting waterways and aquatic species, (4) Alberta shows the greatest consideration for maintaining the most soil properties and functions. Better links between different regulations are necessary in all jurisdictions. The continual improvement of Canadian forest rules is often slow and advances at a different pace depending on regulators but it should be supported in all provinces. Key words: sustainable forest management, biodiversity, aquatic environment, soils, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec

Assessing the implications of a carbon market for boreal forest management

2011 ◽  
Vol 87 (03) ◽  
pp. 367-381
Author(s):  
Stewart Elgie ◽  
Geoffrey R. Mccarney ◽  
Wiktor L. Adamowicz
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Carbon Price ◽  
Integrated Modelling ◽  
Harvest Scheduling ◽  
Boreal Plains ◽  
Management Changes ◽  
Modelling Approach

Canada's forests —particularly the boreal—are a major storehouse of carbon. How they are managed could significantly affect Canada's greenhouse gas emissions while also presenting a new revenue source for forest managers. This study attempts to assess how a carbon price could affect forest management, particularly in Canada's boreal plains region. An integrated modelling approach is developed to incorporate both forest carbon and timber supply considerations within an optimal management framework. This modelling approach allows for consideration of alternative market and regula tory scenarios, along with a range of possible management intensity and harvest scheduling options over the landscape. The overall conclusion is that carbon incentives will increase the value of the boreal forest—potentially quite signifi cantly— and will generally encourage management changes consistent with sustainable forest management practices.

A biophysical approach to delineate a northern limit to commercial forestry: the case of Quebec’s boreal forest

2015 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 515-528 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Jobidon ◽  
Yves Bergeron ◽  
André Robitaille ◽  
Frédéric Raulier ◽  
Sylvie Gauthier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Sequential Analysis ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Forest Harvesting ◽  
Timber Production ◽  
Northern Limit ◽  
Biodiversity Indicators ◽  
Potential Productivity ◽  
Highly Sensitive

The boreal forest ecosystem is one of the largest frontier forests of the world, providing many ecological services to society. Boreal forests are also economically important, but forest harvesting and management become increasingly difficult when one moves from south to north in boreal environments. An approach was thus developed to assess the suitability of land units for timber production in a sustainable forest management (SFM) context in the northern boreal forest of Quebec (Canada). This area includes all of Quebec’s spruce – feather moss bioclimatic domain (closed forest), as well as the southern portion of the spruce–lichen bioclimatic domain (open woodland). Four criteria specific to the biophysical aspects of SFM were evaluated in 1114 land districts: physical environment, timber production capacity, forest vulnerability to fire (e.g., probability that it reaches maturity), and conservation of biodiversity. Indicators and acceptability cutoff values were determined for each selected criterion, and a sequential analysis was developed to evaluate if a land district has the potential to be sustainably managed. This analytical process led to the classification of land districts into three categories: slightly sensitive (SFM possible); moderately sensitive (SFM possible under certain conditions); and highly sensitive (SFM not possible). The results show that 354 land districts were highly sensitive, 62 due to physical constraints (7.5% of the area), 130 due to insufficient potential productivity (15.4% of the area), 92 due to insufficient potential productivity to account for the fire risk (13.8% of the area), and 70 due to an insufficient proportion of tall and dense forest habitats (7.7% of the area — biodiversity criterion). This work provides scientific background to proposing a northern limit for forest management activities in Quebec. The developed approach could be useful in other jurisdictions to address similar issues.

scholarly journals Hierarchical forest management planning and sustainable forest management in the boreal forest

2001 ◽  
Vol 77 (6) ◽  
pp. 998-1005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Tittler ◽  
Christian Messier ◽  
Philip J. Burton
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Forest Policy ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Hierarchical Systems ◽  
Management Planning ◽  
Forest Management Planning ◽  
Planning Framework

In keeping with international efforts to encourage sustainable forest management, new legislation, regulations, and certification criteria have been brought into effect across boreal regions of the world in the past decade or less. These initiatives have established hierarchical systems of forest management planning that consider multiple uses of the forest and various aspects of sustainable forest management at different scales. We describe the systems established in Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia, Russia, Finland, and Sweden. Most jurisdictions employ some form of three-level planning framework, in which strategic, tactical, and operational plans and considerations are presented with successively greater detail and spatial explicitness. However, planning scales and time horizons vary considerably, as does the level of consideration given to biodiversity and social concerns. We examine these systems in the context of sustainable forest management, raising a number of questions to be addressed in future research, adaptive management, and policy reform. In particular, we note (1) a need of new landscape and regional planning tools to evaluate the long-term and large-scale impacts of various land uses and (2) a general lack of responsiveness to global carbon and climate change concerns. Key words: forest management planning, sustainable forest management, boreal forest, forest policy, planning hierarchies, hierarchical planning

scholarly journals A comparison of pre-European settlement forest characterization methodologies

2002 ◽  
Vol 78 (3) ◽  
pp. 422-432 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Betts ◽  
Judy Loo
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Forest Composition ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Ecological Land Classification ◽  
European Settlement ◽  
Pinus Spp ◽  
Tree Method

The characterization of "natural" or "presettlement" forest has become a relatively common practice in Canada as forest managers strive to put into practice concepts of sustainable forest management. Various methods have been developed to undertake such characterizations, leading to confusion about how to define "presettlement forest" and uncertainty over the approach that will best serve as a basis for management. We report on two methods of presettlement forest characterization: the "Witness Tree" and the "Potential Forests" approaches. We compare results from these approaches to the existing forest composition in the Fundy Model Forest, New Brunswick. Both approaches indicate a decline in the predominance of tolerant hardwood and eastern cedar since presettlement. However, the Potential Forests approach consistently suggests much higher presettlement frequencies of spruce (Picea spp.) and, in most cases, pine (Pinus spp.) than the Witness Tree method. Differences between frequencies of tree species estimated by the two methods probably result from biases associated with both methods and the different scales of reporting. If used critically, the combined use of both sets of presettlement forest information will allow managers to determine the historical frequency of individual tree species and forest communities. Such information will provide some guidance in maintaining the diversity of native species and community types. Key words: presettlement forest, ecological land classification, Witness Tree method, Potential Forests, forest management, biodiversity

Current capacity to conduct ecologically sustainable forest management in northeastern Canada reveals challenges for conservation of biodiversity

2015 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 567-578 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louis Imbeau ◽  
Martin-Hugues St-Laurent ◽  
Lothar Marzell ◽  
Vincent Brodeur
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Anthropogenic Disturbances ◽  
Dense Forest ◽  
Coarse Filter ◽  
Fine Filter ◽  
Ecologically Sustainable ◽  
Forest Habitats

Long-term exploitation of boreal ecosystems often results in a reduced range of ecological conditions that threatens several species. In most boreal jurisdictions, the northern extent of commercial forestry corresponds to economical rather than ecological considerations. Our general objective is to offer guidance for sustainable boreal forest management by using a biodiversity criterion based on three indicators. The first two indicators are part of a coarse filter referring to the proportion and fragmentation of tall, dense forest habitats, whereas a third one uses a fine filter for specific requirements of boreal caribou. We applied the methodology with and without anthropogenic disturbances on 1114 land districts to contrast the preindustrial potential and current capacity of Quebec’s boreal forest to support forest management. Originally, 826 districts (74%) were above the 20% cutoff value for the minimum proportion of tall, dense forest habitats. Among the 567 districts currently under forest management, 45 did not reach this value because of past anthropogenic disturbances. Originally, 88% of the districts had sufficient undisturbed habitats to maintain caribou populations, but anthropogenic disturbances reduced this proportion to 51%. The proposed methodology could contribute to delineating areas where sustainable forest management can be implemented. Our results also clearly show that management targets of the last decades were insufficient to prevent loss of habitats below strict minimum ecological thresholds. Our approach offers a general framework that could be adapted to other forested regions to attain similar biodiversity conservation objectives.

Thinking and acting differently for sustainable management of the boreal forest

1999 ◽  
Vol 75 (6) ◽  
pp. 929-938 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Messier ◽  
Daniel D. Kneeshaw
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Ecosystem Management ◽  
Sustainable Management ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Crop Species ◽  
Forestry Practices ◽  
The Impact

Sustainable forest management has replaced sustained yield as the new management strategy for most countries and forest companies. This concept has generated a lot of interest and discussion, and a great deal of effort is being made to modify current forestry practices to be sustainable. In this paper, we argue that the still somewhat vague concept of sustainable forest management calls for a substantial modification in our way of thinking about and practising forestry. To move toward that goal, we recognize important social and economic challenges to sustainable management and suggest nine essential notions: 1) manage the forest ecosystem as a whole and not in parts nor only for the crop species; 2) conserve a significant proportion of the boreal forest (i.e., at least 12%); 3) practice intensive forestry on a small portion of the land to recover the fibre lost from notions 1 and 2; 4) strive for innovation in thinking and acting; 5) foster research and development to support notion 4; 6) balance regional needs with that of the global community; 7) encourage public participation; 8) consider the impact of substantial change in climate over the next 100 years (or next rotation); and 9) substitute regulations that are adaptive for those that are restrictive. An example of the kind of silviculture that could be used in ecosystem management for the black spruce forest is also discussed. Key words: sustainability, ecosystem management, boreal forest, socio-economic and biophysical concerns, natural dynamics

Biodiversity and multiple disturbances: boreal forest ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) responses to wildfire, harvesting, and herbicide

2007 ◽  
Vol 37 (8) ◽  
pp. 1310-1323 ◽  
Author(s):  
T.P. Cobb ◽  
D.W. Langor ◽  
J.R. Spence
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Ground Beetle ◽  
Natural Disturbance ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Multiple Disturbances ◽  
Compositional Variability ◽  
The Individual

Rising societal demands for forest resources along with existing natural disturbance regimes suggest that sustainable forest management will increasingly depend on better understanding the cumulative effects of natural and anthropogenic disturbances. In North America, for example, there is increasing economic pressure to salvage log burned forests, although the ecological consequences of combining fire and harvesting on the same sites are unclear. We examined the short-term (2 year) responses of boreal forest ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) to the individual and combined effects of wildfire, harvesting, and herbicide. Ground beetle responses to wildfire and forestry-related disturbances differed strongly and suggested that, although some species may appear to benefit from disturbance combinations (e.g., Sericoda quadripunctata (DeGeer)), these effects are detrimental to others (e.g., Sericoda bembidioides Kirby). Species compositional variability was significantly reduced by disturbance combinations suggesting that multiple disturbances may lead to a simplification of this entire assemblage. In addition, ground beetle responses were correlated with changes in several key habitat parameters such as amount of woody debris, exposed ground, and plant species richness suggesting avenues for future study. Overall, however, our results suggest that efforts to avoid compounding disturbances on any site should be considered when developing current and future forest management guidelines.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document