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Forest management has reduced the structural diversity of residual boreal old-growth forest landscapes in Eastern Canada

Summary

Published in Forest Ecology and Management 458: 117765. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2019.117765

The impact of traditional even-aged forest management on landscape age structure, tree composition, and connectivity has been well documented. Very little, however, is known about the impact on stand structural diversity. This study aims to compare the structural and abiotic characteristics of forest stands disturbed by clearcut logging and by stand-replacing fire in Quebec’s boreal landscapes. We hypothesized that unlike fire, logging specifically targeted stands having a higher economic value, i.e., merchantable volume, leaving altered forest characteristics on post-harvested landscapes. We compared two aerial forest surveys of a 2200 km2 study area, one survey completed before any logging activity (preindustrial survey; 1980s), and the second survey collected >10 years after logging activity (modern survey; 2000s). Forest stands at the time of the preindustrial survey were primary forests. We identified stands as either burned, logged, or left aside after forest management of the area (remaining stands) between the two surveys and compared their structural and abiotic characteristics using logistic regression. The structural and abiotic characteristics of burned and logged stands differed significantly. Relative to the burned stands, logged stands were older, denser, and marked by poorer drainage and a higher proportion of black spruce; therefore post-harvest and post-burn landscapes differed in terms of their structural diversities. Traditional even-aged forest management has significantly altered the boreal forest landscape by targeting specific stands having higher economic value and leaving behind stands of lower economic value. Remaining high economic stands should be protected, and a more balanced approach to harvesting must be used in the context of ecosystem-based management.

Sector(s): 

Forests

Categorie(s): 

Scientific Article

Theme(s): 

Forest Ecology, Forestry Research, Forests

Departmental author(s): 

Boucher, Yan

Author(s)

MARTIN, Maxence, Yan BOUCHER, Nicole J. FENTON, Philippe MARCHAND and Hubert MORIN

Year of publication :

2020

Format :

PDF

ISSN

0378-1127

Keywords :

forestry research scientific article, coupes, forêt boréale, feu, diversité, améagement forestier, écologie forestière, article scientifique de recherche forestière, forest ecology, logging, boreal forest, fire, diversity, forest management

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