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To address the central question of how climate change influences tree growth within the context of global warming, we used dendroclimatological analysis to understand the reactions of four major boreal tree species – Populus tremuloides, Betula papyrifera, Picea mariana, and Pinus banksiana– to climatic variations along a broad latitudinal gradient from 46 to 54°N in the eastern Canadian boreal forest. Tree-ring chronologies from 34 forested stands distributed at a 1° interval were built, transformed into principal components (PCs), and analyzed through bootstrapped correlation analysis over the period 1950–2003 to identify climate factors limiting the radial growth and the detailed radial growth–climate association along the gradient. All species taken together, previous summer temperature (negative influences), and current January and March–April temperatures (positive influences) showed the most consistent relationships with radial growth across the gradient. Combined with the identified species/site-specific climate factors, our study suggested that moisture conditions during the year before radial growth played a dominant role in positively regulating P. tremuloides growth, whereas January temperature and growing season moisture conditions positively impacted growth of B. papyrifera. Both P. mariana and P. banksiana were positively affected by the current-year winter and spring or whole growing season temperatures over the entire range of our corridor. Owing to the impacts of different climate factors on growth, these boreal species showed inconsistent responsiveness to recent warming at the transition zone, where B. papyrifera, P. mariana, and P. banksiana would be the most responsive species, whereas P. tremuloides might be the least. Under continued warming, B. papyrifera stands located north of 49°N, P. tremuloides at northern latitudes, and P. mariana and P. banksiana stands located north of 47°N might benefit from warming winter and spring temperatures to enhance their radial growth in the coming decades, whereas other southern stands might be decreasing in radial growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Environmental Reviews is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Environmental Reviews is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Over the last 25 years, greater understanding of natural dynamics in the boreal forest has led to the integration of forest ecosystem management principles into forest policy of several Canadian provinces and, in turn, to greater interest in developing silvicultural treatments that are grounded in natural stand-level dynamics – often referred to as natural disturbance-based silviculture. As a result, alternative silvicultural practices including variants of partial cutting are increasingly being applied in the boreal forest as an approach to balancing economic and ecological management objectives. While the numerous benefits of partial cutting reported in the literature are acknowledged, the objective of this paper is to provide an overview of factors or constraints that potentially limit the application of these practices in boreal Canada in the context of forest ecosystem management and natural disturbance-based silviculture. Among constraining factors, numerous studies have reported elevated mortality rates of residual stems following partial cutting, initial growth stagnation of residual trees, problems related to recruitment of desirable species and, on certain flat or lowland sites, risks of long-term decline in site and stand productivity. A number of operational challenges to partial cutting in the boreal forest are also presented and several avenues of research are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The boreal zone and its ecosystems provide numerous provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting services. Because of its resources and its hydroelectric potential, Canada's boreal zone is important to the country's resource-based economy. The region presently occupied by Canada's boreal zone has experienced dramatic changes during the past 3 million years as the climate cooled and repeated glaciations affected both the biota and the landscape. For about the past 7000 years, climate, fire, insects, diseases, and their interactions have been the most important natural drivers of boreal ecosystem dynamics, including rejuvenation, biogeochemical cycling, maintenance of productivity, and landscape variability. Layered upon natural drivers are changes increasingly caused by people and development and those related to human-caused climate change. Effects of these agents vary spatially and temporally, and, as global population increases, the demands and impacts on ecosystems will likely increase. Understanding how humans directly affect terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in Canada's boreal zone and how these effects and actions interact with natural disturbance agents is a prerequisite for informed and adaptive decisions about management of natural resources, while maintaining the economy and environment upon which humans depend. This paper reports on the genesis and present condition of the boreal zone and its ecosystems and sets the context for a detailed scientific investigation in subsequent papers published in this journal on several key aspects: carbon in boreal forests; climate change consequences, adaptation, and mitigation; nutrient and elemental cycling; protected areas; status, impacts, and risks of non-native species; factors affecting sustainable timber harvest levels; terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity; and water and wetland resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Native Studies is the property of Brandon University, CJNS, Faculty of Arts and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Forest Research is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Forest Research is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Although succession may follow multiple pathways in a given environment, the causes of such variation are often elusive. This paper describes how changes in fire interval mediate successional trajectory in conifer-dominated boreal forests of northwestern Canada. Tree densities were measured 5 and 19 years after fire in permanent plots and related to pre-fire vegetation, site and fire characteristics. In stands that were greater than 75 years of age when they burned, recruitment density of conifers was significantly correlated with pre-fire species basal area, supporting the expectation of stand self-replacement as the most common successional pathway in these forests. In contrast, stands that were under 25 years of age at the time of burning had significantly reduced conifer recruitment, but showed no change in recruitment of trembling aspen ( Populus tremuloides). As a result, young-burned stands had a much higher probability of regenerating to deciduous dominance than mature-burned stands, despite the dominance of both groups by spruce ( Picea mariana and Picea glauca) and pine ( Pinus contorta) before the fire. Once initiated, deciduous-dominated stands may be maintained across subsequent fire cycles through mechanisms such as low on-site availability of conifer seed, competition with the aspen canopy, and rapid asexual regeneration of aspen after fire. We suggest that climate-related increases in fire frequency could trigger more frequent shifts from conifer to deciduous-dominated successional trajectories in the future, with consequent effects on multiple ecosystem processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Canadian boreal logging industry has attracted little or no attention from economic researchers in spite of its importance for the competitiveness and long-term survival of other forest-based industries. This article uses a panel data set covering the period from 1977 to 1995 to analyze technical efficiency, technical change, and total factor productivity growth in the logging industries for six boreal provinces. The production technology is represented using a data envelopment analysis model. A transitive measure of productivity change that combines technical progress and changes in the degree of productive efficiency is computed. The empirical investigation reveals that logging activities in the boreal region are characterized by substantial efficiency differentials among the regions. Results from a Tobit analysis of efficiency differentials indicate that forest resource characteristics such as forest density and proportion of hardwood production were found to have positive effects. There was also evidence of significant positive scale effects. Engineering construction per area seems to be negatively related to efficiency. Total factor productivity in the boreal logging industry progressed at an average annual rate of 1.56%.L'industrie de la récolte forestière en forêt boréale canadienne a suscité peu ou pas d'intérêt de la part de chercheurs en écon omie et ce malgré son importance pour la compétitivité et la survie à long terme des industries de transformation du bois. Cet article utilise des données en panel couvrant la période de 1977 à 1995 afin d'analyser l'efficience technique, les changements technologiques et le gain global de productivité de l'industrie de la récolte dans six provinces de la zone boréale. La technologie de production est représentée à l'aide d'un modèle d'analyse par enveloppement des données. Une mesure transitive du changement de productivité qui combine le progrès technologique ainsi que les changements dans le niveau d'efficience est présentée. L'approche empirique a révélé que des différences substantielles caractérisaient l'efficience des activités de récolte parmi les régions de la zone boréale. Les résultats d'une analyse Tobit sur les différences d'efficience indiquent que les caractéristiques de la ressource forestière telles que la densité et la proportion des essences feuillues avaient des effets positifs. Des rendements d'échelle positifs ont également été détectés. Les travaux d'ingénierie par superficie traitée semblent affecter négativement l'efficience. La productivité globale dans l'industrie de la récolte en forêt boréale a progressée à un taux annuel moyen de 1,56 %.[Traduit par la Rédaction] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Applied Ecology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Conservation efforts to sustain water resources and aquatic biodiversity in boreal watersheds will require reliable information on the recent status of various indicator species and an improved understanding of the risks to aquatic biodiversity posed by resource development activities. We reviewed the recent state of knowledge on the responses of aquatic biodiversity to forest management, pulp and paper mill effluents, hydroelectric impoundments, mining of minerals and metals, oil sands extractions, and peat mining and offer a prognosis for aquatic biodiversity under each of these environmental stressors. Despite the prevalence of natural resource development in Canada's largest forest ecosystem, there was a limited amount of published literature on the effects of many of the disturbance types on various indicators of aquatic biodiversity, making it difficult to produce a current and reliable status assessment. Across most of the boreal zone, there is a lack of coordinated, consistent data collection for many of the bioindicators and disturbance types discussed in this review. Forecasting the future state of aquatic biodiversity across the boreal zone is challenged by increasing natural resource development and its interactions with other stressors, especially climate change. The cumulative effects of multiple stressors coupled with resource development activities in boreal watersheds remain largely unknown. More importantly, the ecological thresholds for these cumulative effects (that is, the point at which aquatic ecosystems and their biodiversity cannot recover to a desired state within a reasonable time frame) are also unknown and remain gaps in our knowledge. The recent literature identifies a number of risks to aquatic biodiversity at local (tens of square kilometres) to regional (hundreds of square kilometres) scales associated with natural resource development. There are indications that many of these risks can be minimized by 'greener' technologies for resource development and reclamation, practical conservation planning and regulation, and increased stewardship in watershed management, although the effectiveness of many of these measures cannot yet be assessed from the published literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The James Bay Agreement reinforces the rights of the Crees to 500,000 km² of territory in the boreal forest and taiga of northern Quebec. In it, consultation and environmental assessment (EA) mechanisms were set up to ensure the Crees' direct involvement in environmental decisions. This paper addresses three matters: the influence of Native involvement in the EA process; updating the EA process under the Agreement to in-corporate the apparently new tools of strategic environmental assessments (SEAs); and adaptation of the concept of SEA to the Native context. Our analysis focuses on the experience gained from large hydroelectric development projects, recent and planned mining developments, and forestry operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Active adaptive management has recently been advocated for efficiently reducing resource management uncertainties, but no documented applications to forestry issues exist in Ontario. This paper reports the experience of a diverse partnership applying active adaptive management to improve techniques for obtaining desired boreal mixedwood structure and composition in northeastern Ontario. Institutional and economic barriers have been more limiting than technical barriers. Building and maintaining the partnership have required considerable effort, and opportunities for conflict were greatest in the assessment and design steps of the adaptive management cycle. The partnership has maintained its progress by promoting flexibility, trust, and consensus-building. This study demonstrates that classical adaptive management can be simplified for application in local management units. A broader application of active adaptive management in Ontario will require senior decision-makers to endorse a strategy that includes staff retraining, admission of management uncertainties, cooperation among management agencies, stability of long-term funding, encouragement of innovation, and regular adjustment of policies and practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Provides information on the 4th International Workshop on Disturbance Dynamics in Boreal Forest held at the University of Northern British Columbia on August 9 to 12, 2002. Issues involving forest management discussed at the event; Keynote speakers who were present in the workshop; Discussion on the importance and role of disturbance in shaping boreal forest.

Managing competing vegetation is crucial in stand establishment strategies; forecasting the abundance, composition, and impact of competing vegetation after harvesting is needed to optimize silviculture scenarios and maintain long-term site productivity. Our main objective was to identify factors influencing the short-term abundance and composition of competing vegetation over a large area of the Canadian boreal forest. Our second objective was to better understand the mid-term evolution of the regeneration/competing vegetation complex in cases of marginal regeneration conditions. We used operational regeneration surveys of 4471 transects sampled ≈5 years after harvesting that contained data on regeneration, competing vegetation, elevation, ecological classification, soil attributes, and pre-harvest forest stands. We performed a redundancy analysis to identify the relationships between competing vegetation, harvesting and biophysical variables. We then estimated the probability of observing a given competing species cover based on these variables. In 2015, we re-sampled a portion of the sites, where conifer regeneration was marginal early after harvesting, to assess the temporal impact of different competing levels and species groups on the free-to-grow stocking, vigour and basal area of softwood regeneration. Results from the first inventory showed that, after careful logging around advance growth, ericaceous shrubs and hardwoods were not associated with the same sets of site attributes. Ericaceous shrubs were mainly found on low fertility sites associated with black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) or jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.). The distinction between suitable environments for commercial shade-intolerant hardwoods and non-commercial hardwoods was less clear, as they responded similarly to many variables. Analysis of data from the second inventory showed a significant improvement in conifer free-to-grow stocking when commercial shade-intolerant hardwood competing levels were low (stocking 0%–40%) and when ericaceous shrubs competing levels were moderate (percent cover 26%–75%). In these conditions of marginal regeneration, the different types and intensities of competition did not affect the vigour or basal area of softwood regeneration, 9–14 years after harvesting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the long-term (over the last 8000 years) natural variability of a portion of the Picea mariana-moss bioclimatic domain belonging to Québec's Clay Belt. The landscapes are dominated by mesic-subhydric clay and early successional forests composed of Populus tremuloides, Pinus banksiana and Picea mariana. The natural variability (fires and vegetation) of one of these landscapes was reconstructed by means of pollen and macroscopic charcoal analysis of sedimentary archives from two peatlands in order to assess when and how such landscapes were formed. Following an initial afforestation period dominated by Picea (8000-6800 cal. Years BP), small and low-severity fires favored the development and maintenance of landscapes dominated by Picea and Abies balsamea during a long period (6800-1000 BP). Over the last 1000 years, fires have become more severe and covered a larger area. These fires initiated a recurrence dynamic of early successional stands maintained until today. A decline of Abies balsamea has occurred over the last centuries, while the pollen representation of Pinus banksiana has recently reached its highest abundance. We hypothesize that the fire regime of the last millennium could characterize Québec's Clay Belt belonging to the western Picea mariana-moss and Abies balsamea-Betula papyrifera domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although anthropogenic edges are an important consequence of timber harvesting, edges due to natural disturbances or landscape heterogeneity are also common. Forest edges have been well studied in temperate and tropical forests, but less so in less productive, disturbance-adapted boreal forests., We synthesized data on forest vegetation at edges of boreal forests and compared edge influence among edge types (fire, cut, lake/wetland; old vs. young), forest types (broadleaf vs. coniferous) and geographic regions. Our objectives were to quantify vegetation responses at edges of all types and to compare the strength and extent of edge influence among different types of edges and forests., Research was conducted using the same general sampling design in Alberta, Ontario and Quebec in Canada, and in Sweden and Finland. We conducted a meta-analysis for a variety of response variables including forest structure, deadwood abundance, regeneration, understorey abundance and diversity, and non-vascular plant cover. We also determined the magnitude and distance of edge influence (DEI) using randomization tests., Some edge responses (lower tree basal area, tree canopy and bryophyte cover; more logs; higher regeneration) were significant overall across studies. Edge influence on ground vegetation in boreal forests was generally weak, not very extensive (DEI usually < 20 m) and decreased with time. We found more extensive edge influence at natural edges, at younger edges and in broadleaf forests. The comparison among regions revealed weaker edge influence in Fennoscandian forests., Synthesis. Edges created by forest harvesting do not appear to have as strong, extensive or persistent influence on vegetation in boreal as in tropical or temperate forested ecosystems. We attribute this apparent resistance to shorter canopy heights, inherent heterogeneity in boreal forests and their adaptation to frequent natural disturbance. Nevertheless, notable differences between forest structure responses to natural (fire) and anthropogenic (cut) edges raise concerns about biodiversity implications of extensive creation of anthropogenic edges. By highlighting universal responses to edge influence in boreal forests that are significant irrespective of edge or forest type, and those which vary by edge type, we provide a context for the conservation of boreal forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Comparisons of how different species respond to changing climatic conditions offer insight into future community composition and the potential formation of novel communities. This study investigated changes at a subarctic forest-tundra ecotone, or 'tree line'. Our objectives were: (1) to explore species-specific growth forms; (2) to identify temporal patterns of establishment and stand density; and (3) to explore relationships between climate and recruitment/survival amongst co-dominant tree species, with the expectation that climate change will affect species differentially. Location The Mealy Mountains in the High Subarctic Tundra ecoregion in central Labrador, Canada. Methods We examined tree line dynamics for four tree species over the past two centuries. Using ecological and age-structure data, we compared diameter/height relationships across the tree line and generated static age structures from which changes in stand density through time were compared. In addition, model residuals were used to quantify relationships between multi-decadal windows of temperature/palaeotemperature/Palmer Drought Severity Index and decadal tree recruitment. Results Trees were more stunted as elevation increased, except for white spruce ( Picea glauca) for which tree islands became the dominant growth form. The only tree seedlings found at the tree line were of larch ( Larix laricina) and to a lesser extent black spruce ( Picea mariana). From the age structure of trees (height > 2.0 m), only black spruce showed evidence of an advancing tree line. Larch and balsam fir ( Abies balsamea) have become established at the tree line most recently and have undergone greater increases in density over the past few decades. Variability in recruitment increased with elevation: larch recruitment was positively correlated with temperature and negatively correlated with drought at low elevations but negatively correlated with temperature and positively correlated with drought at high elevations, whereas black spruce recruitment was consistently positively correlated with temperature and drought. Main conclusions The multispecies approach provides evidence that species are responding differentially to climate. With continued climate change, we expect density increases and advances of larch and black spruce, giving rise to novel tree line communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During 2 years (2009, 2010), CO fluxes were measured in an oligotrophic fen located at the ecotonal limit of forest tundra and lichen woodland, in northeastern Canada. Peatlands in this region have registered a rise in surface moisture since Little Ice Age, allowing an increase in their pool size and density. In the studied peatland, 83 % of the surface is covered either with pools (42 %), hollows (28 %) and lawns (13 %) all of which present a mean water table higher than 7 cm. We evaluated how these conditions might influence the CO balance in these poor fens located in the northeastern section of the La Grande river watershed. During the two years measurements, results indicate a net CO source with 404 (±287) and 272 (±250) g CO myear emitted to the atmosphere throughout the growing seasons and winters. Modeled wintertime net ecosystem exchange resulted in a net loss of 150 (±36) and 150 (±37) g CO m year in 2009 and 2010 respectively, while 248 (±248) and 124 (±195) g CO m was emitted during 2009 and 2010 growing seasons. This high CO source can be attributed to three factors: (1) the length of the cold season which represented 210-214 days of net CO loss (2) a high pool/vegetated surface ratio since pools are a net source of CO and presented 38-40 % of the annual spatially weighted CO budget and (3) hydroclimatic conditions during the growing season as dryer and warmer conditions in 2009 reduced photosynthesis and increased respiration rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Forest Research is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Environmental Reviews is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Environmental Reviews is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Environmental Reviews is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The structure and productivity of boreal forests are key components of the global carbon cycle and impact the resources and habitats available for species. With this research, we characterized the relationship between measurements of forest structure and satellite-derived estimates of gross primary production (GPP) over the Canadian boreal. We acquired stand level indicators of canopy cover, canopy height, and structural complexity from nearly 25,000 km of small-footprint discrete return Light Detection and Ranging (Lidar) data and compared these attributes to GPP estimates derived from the MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). While limited in our capacity to control for stand age, we removed recently disturbed and managed forests using information on fire history, roads, and anthropogenic change. We found that MODIS GPP was strongly linked to Lidar-derived canopy cover ( r = 0.74, p < 0.01), however was only weakly related to Lidar-derived canopy height and structural complexity as these attributes are largely a function of stand age. A relationship was apparent between MODIS GPP and the maximum sampled heights derived from Lidar as growth rates and resource availability likely limit tree height in the prolonged absence of disturbance. The most structurally complex stands, as measured by the coefficient of variation of Lidar return heights, occurred where MODIS GPP was highest as productive boreal stands are expected to contain a wider range of tree heights and transition to uneven-aged structures faster than less productive stands. While MODIS GPP related near-linearly to Lidar-derived canopy cover, the weaker relationships to Lidar-derived canopy height and structural complexity highlight the importance of stand age in determining the structure of boreal forests. We conclude that an improved quantification of how both productivity and disturbance shape stand structure is needed to better understand the current state of boreal forests in Canada and how these forests are changing in response to changing climate and disturbance regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Botany is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) / Geosciences Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) waveform data are used to estimate biomass and carbon on a 1.27 × 106 km2 study area in the Province of Quebec, Canada, below the tree line. The same input datasets and sampling design are used in conjunction with four different predictive models to estimate total aboveground dry forest biomass and forest carbon. The four models include non-stratified and stratified versions of a multiple linear model where either biomass or (biomass)0.5 serves as the dependent variable. The use of different models in Quebec introduces differences in Provincial dry biomass estimates of up to 0.35 G, with a range of 4.94 ± 0.28 Gt to 5.29 ± 0.36 Gt. The differences among model estimates are statistically non-significant, however, and the results demonstrate the degree to which carbon estimates vary strictly as a function of the model used to estimate regional biomass. Results also indicate that GLAS measurements become problematic with respect to height and biomass retrievals in the boreal forest when biomass values fall below 20 t ha-1 and when GLAS 75th percentile heights fall below 7 m. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Geographer is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Habitat configuration has important implications for the persistence of faunal and floral populations at a variety of spatial scales. Forest harvesting alters habitat configurations. However, measuring and predicting such alterations remains challenging, in part because previously developed metrics of habitat configuration are often not statistically independent of habitat amount. Thus, their ability to measure independent effects of habitat configurations and habitat amount on ecosystem components such as wildlife populations has been limited. Here, we evaluate habitat configuration based on newly developed metrics that are independent of habitat amount but do not depend on regression residuals of abundance and configuration relationships on any population of landscapes. We use these new metrics to measure and predict changes in habitat configuration following forest harvesting in the boreal forest of Alberta, Canada. Our findings clearly demonstrate changes in habitat configuration resulting from forest harvesting can be predicted precisely with information about initial habitat patch structure and harvesting patterns. Because forest harvesting has significant implications for habitat configuration, accurately predicting these changes is critical for determining if forest harvesting strategies are sustainable for ecosystem components and processes. This study provides a set of novel, robust metrics for tracking landscape-scale changes in habitat configuration in harvested boreal forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Zoology is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Forest Research is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Rural communities in the northern boreal forest depend on a suite of wild species for subsistence, including large game animals, furbearers, fish, and plants. Fire is one of the primary ecological disturbances and determinants of landscape pattern in the northern boreal forest. We review responses of key boreal subsistence species to variation and change in post-fire stand age and other characteristics. Available data for 17 species indicate highly varied post-fire habitat requirements. Mosaics of differing stand ages generated by fire could therefore be most effective in supplying a suite of subsistence species to hunting-and-gathering communities. Recent and projected increases in frequency of large-fire years might produce a more homogeneous landscape dominated by younger stand ages. Increases in fire suppression around communities might also produce a more homogenous landscape, but dominated by older stand ages. Neither of these scenarios provides mixed habitats for a diverse suite of subsistence species. We suggest that one aspect of the complex suite of human–fire interactions is an understanding of wildlife and plant species’ response to fire in a subsistence region, in an effort to sustain ecosystem services critical to human well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Reports on a study by Peter Blancher regarding the importance of Canada's boreal forest as a breeding ground for songbirds. Bird species that thrive in the forest; Background information on the boreal forest in Canada; Usefulness of boreal trees to newsprinting.

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Forest Research is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Forest Research is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Forest Research is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Forest Research is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The effects of partial and clear-cut harvesting on forest floor physical, chemical, and biological properties, forest floor mesofauna, and nutrient cycling were investigated in conifer- and deciduous-dominated stands of Alberta's mixedwood boreal forest. Forest floor samples were collected 2.5 years after harvest from clearcuts, strip-cut corridors in a partial cut, green tree retention patches in a partial cut, and uncut control sites. Partial cuts showed intermediate decreases in annual litter input and NH[sub 4] -N between uncut and clear-cut sites of both the deciduous and conifer stands, as did microbial biomass, PO[sub 4] -P, mesofauna abundance (total, Acari, and Collembola), and fine root biomass in the conifer stands. In the deciduous stands, microbial biomass and fine root biomass in partial- and clear-cut treatments were not significantly different, but were significantly reduced compared with the uncut controls. Mesofauna abundance was reduced in the corridors of the partial-cut treatment compared with partial-cut patch, clear-cut, and uncut treatments. In both deciduous and conifer stands, NO[sub 3] -N was elevated in the partial-cut corridors and clearcuts compared with partial-cut patch and uncut treatments. Findings from this study show that negative impact to forest floor properties associated with clear-cut harvesting may be reduced in partial-cut harvesting systems.Les effets de la coupe à blanc et de la coupe partielle sur les propriétés physiques, chimiques et biologiques de la couverture morte, sur la mésofaune de la couverture morte et sur le recyclage des nutriments ont été étudiés dans des peuplements dominés soit par des conifères, soit par des feuillus, dans la forêt mixte boréale de l'Alberta. Des échantillons de la couverture morte ont été prélevés dans des sites coupés à blanc, dans les corridors de coupes partielles par bandes, dans les îlots de réserves de coupes partielles et dans des sites témoins non coupés deux ans et demi après la récolte. La coupe partielle a entraîné une diminution de l'apport annuel de litière et de N (NH[sub 4] ) intermédiaire entre les sites coupés à blanc et les sites non coupés dans les deux types de peuplements de même qu'une diminution de la biomasse microbienne, du P (PO[sub 4] ), de l'abondance de la mésofaune (totale, d'acariens et de collemboles) et de la biomasse des racines fines dans les peuplements résineux. Dans les peuplements feuillus, la biomasse microbienne et la biomasse de racines fines ne différaient pas significativement entre la coupe partielle et la coupe à blanc mais étaient significativement plus faibles que dans les sites témoins non coupés. L'abondance de la mésofaune dans les corridors de la coupe partielle était inférieure à celle observée dans la coupe partielle avec réserves, dans la coupe à blanc et dans les sites non coupés. Tant dans les peuplements résineux que feuillus, N (NO[sub 3] ) était plus élevé dans les corridors de la coupe partielle et dans la coupe à blanc que dans la coupe partielle avec réserves ou dans les sites non coupés. Les résultats de cette étude montrent que l'impact négatif de la coupe à blanc sur les propriétés de la couverture morte peut être minimisé avec des systèmes de coupe partielle.[Traduit par la Rédaction] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Conservation Biology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Discusses how fire history and forest dynamics were reconstructed for a territory located in the south-central boreal forest of Quebec, Canada. How fire cycle was characterized using a random sampling strategy combined with archival data on fires; Consideration of bioclimatic subdomain, land use, surficial deposit, and mean distance; Characterizations of forest dynamics; Findings that species replacement occurs in the eastern boreal forest of Canada.

Discusses the fire suppression efforts in northern Saskatchewan. Effects of fire on the boreal forest; Factors that caused the province to aggressively combat fires in the northern forest; Significance of fire to the northern ecosystem.

Climate change is threatening our ability to manage forest ecosystems sustainably. Despite strong consensus on the need for a broad portfolio of options to face this challenge, diversified management options have yet to be widely implemented. Inspired by functional zoning, a concept aimed at optimizing biodiversity conservation and wood production in multiple-use forest landscapes, we present a portfolio of management options that intersects management objectives with forest vulnerability to better address the wide range of goals inherent to forest management under climate change. Using this approach, we illustrate how different adaptation options could be implemented when faced with impacts related to climate change and its uncertainty. These options range from establishing ecological reserves in climatic refuges, where self-organizing ecological processes can result in resilient forests, to intensive plantation silviculture that could ensure a stable wood supply in an uncertain future. While adaptation measures in forests that are less vulnerable correspond to the traditional functional zoning management objectives, forests with higher vulnerability might be candidates for transformative measures as they may be more susceptible to abrupt changes in structure and composition. To illustrate how this portfolio of management options could be applied, we present a theoretical case study for the eastern boreal forest of Canada. Even if these options are supported by solid evidence, their implementation across the landscape may present some challenges and will require good communication among stakeholders and with the public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tree improvement programs can improve forest management by increasing timber yields in some areas, thereby facilitating conservation of other forest lands. In this study, we used a meta-analytic approach to quantify yields of alternative white (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) and hybrid spruce (Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelmann x Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) stocks across planting sites in the boreal and hemiboreal forests of Canada. We extracted meta-data from published tree improvement program results for five Canadian provinces covering 38 planting sites and 330 white and hybrid spruce provenances. Using these meta-data and a random-coefficients nonlinear mixed-effects modelling approach, we modelled average height over time trajectories for varying planting site characteristics, as well as climate transfer distances between planting sites and provenances. Climatic transfer distances had strong effects on the height trajectory parameters. In particular, the asymptote parameter had a nonlinear increasing trend with planting site versus provenance mean annual temperature differences. We incorporated the height trajectory meta-analysis model into an existing growth and yield model to predict volume yields. Overall, this research provides a mechanism to quantify yields of alternative provenances at a particular planting site, as a component of decision support models for evaluating evaluate forest management investment into improved planting stocks alternatives under current and possible future climates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In eastern Canada, spruces (Picea spp.) and pines (Pinus spp.) are among the main commercial species being logged for their lumber or wood fiber. Annually, about 175 million seedlings are planted in areas totaling ~100,000 ha. Appropriate microsite selection is essential during reforestation operations, given that it can improve the chances of survival and initial growth of the seedlings. In fir (Abies spp.) and spruce forests of eastern Canada, the optimal characteristics of establishment microsites have yet to be identified; these would be determined by different physical and climatic variables operating at several scales. Our study determined the influence of climatic (regional-scale), edaphic (stand-scale), local (microsite-scale) and planting conditions on the establishment substrate and initial growth of black spruce (Picea mariana Britton, Sterns and Poggenb.) and jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.). Substrate characterization and growth monitoring (three growing seasons) for the two species were conducted on 29 planted cutblocks that were distributed over an east–west climatic gradient (precipitation and temperature) in the balsam fir and black spruce–feather moss forests of Quebec (Canada). Linear mixed models and multivariate analyses (PCAs) determined the effects of climatic, edaphic and micro-environmental variables and their interactions on the establishment substrate and seedling initial growth. The predictive models explained, respectively, 61% and 75% of the growth variability of black spruce and jack pine. Successful establishment of black spruce and jack pine depended upon regional conditions of precipitations and temperature, as well as on their interactions with stand-scale edaphic variables (surface deposit, drainage and slope) and local variables (micro-environmental) at the microsite-scale (establishment substrate types and substrate temperature). Mineral, organo-mineral and organic establishment substrates exerted mixed effects on seedling growth according to regional precipitation and temperature conditions, as well as their interactions with edaphic and local variables at the stand and microsite-scales, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Old-growth black spruce (Picea mariana) boreal forest in the Clay Belt region of Ontario and Quebec is an open forest with a low canopy, quite different from what many consider to be "old growth". Here, we provide an overview of the characteristics of old-growth black spruce forest for three different site types on organic, clay, and coarse deposits. Our objectives were (1) to identify the extent of older forests; (2) to describe the structure, composition, and diversity in different age classes; and (3) to identify key processes in old-growth black spruce forest. We sampled canopy composition, deadwood abundance, understorey composition, and nonvascular plant species in 91 forest stands along a chronosequence that extended from 20 to more than 250 years after fire. We used a peak in tree basal area, which occurred at 100 years on clay and coarse sites and at 200 years on organic sites, as a process-based means of defining the start of old-growth forest. Old-growth forests are extensive in the Clay Belt, covering 30–50% of the forested landscape. Black spruce was dominant on all organic sites, and in all older stands. Although there were fewer understorey species and none exclusive to old-growth, these forests were structurally diverse and had greater abundance of Sphagnum, epiphytic lichens, and ericaceous species. Paludification, a process characteristic of old-growth forest stands on clay deposits in this region, causes decreases in tree and deadwood abundance. Old-growth black spruce forests, therefore, lack the large trees and snags that are characteristic of other old-growth forests. Small-scale disturbances such as spruce budworm and windthrow are common, creating numerous gaps. Landscape and stand level management strategies could minimize structural changes caused by harvesting, but unmanaged forest in all stages of development must be preserved in order to conserve all the attributes of old-growth black spruce forest. Key words: boreal forest, old growth, paludification, Picea mariana, structural development, succession.Dans la région de la ceinture d'argile de l`Ontario et du Québec, la forêt boréale ancienne d'épinette noire (Picea mariana) est une forêt ouverte, où la canopée est basse, ce qui diffère considérablement de la perception que le public a d'une « forêt ancienne ». Nous présentons ici un aperçu des caractéristiques de la pessière noire ancienne poussant sur dépôts organiques, argileux et grossiers. Nos objectifs étaient: (1) déterminer l'étendue des forêts plus vieilles; (2) décrire la structure, la composition et la diversité en fonction des classes d'âge; (3) mettre en lumière les processus clés dans la pessière noire ancienne. Nous avons échantillonné la composition de l'étage supérieur, l'abondance de bois mort, la composition du sous-bois et les plantes invasculaires de 91 peuplements forestiers, le long d'une chronoséquence de 20 à plus de 250 ans après feu. Nous avons utilizé le maximum de la surface terrière des arbres, observé à 100 ans sur les dépôts argileux et grossiers et à 200 ans sur les dépôts organiques, pour définir le début de la forêt ancienne. Dans la ceinture d'argile, les forêts anciennes sont abondantes, couvrant de 30 à 50 % du paysage forestier. L'épinette noire domine sur tous les sols organiques, ainsi que dans tous les peuplements plus âgés. Bien que les espèces du sous-bois soient moins nombreuses et qu'aucune d'elles ne leur soit exclusivement liée, les forêts anciennes présentent une structure variée et renferment davantage de Sphagnum, de lichens épiphytes et d'éricacées. La paludification, processus caractéristique des peuplements forestiers anciens sur dépôts argileux dans cette région, entraîne une diminution de l'abondance des arbres et du bois mort. Par conséquent, on ne trouve pas dans les forêts anciennes d'épinette noire, les quantités élevées de gros arbres et de chicots qui caractérisent d'autres forêts anciennes. Des perturbations à petite échelle, comme les épidémies de la tordeuse des bourgeons de l'épinette et les chablis, sont fréquentes et créent de nombreuses trouées. Des stratégies d'aménagement à l'échelle du paysage et du peuplement pourraient réduire les changements structuraux causés par la récolte; cependant, il est essentiel de préserver des peuplements non aménagés à tous les stades de développement pour conserver toutes les caractéristiques d'une pessière noire ancienne. Mots clés : forêt boréale, forêt ancienne, paludification, Picea mariana, développement structurale, succession. [Traduit par la rédaction] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wet boreal forests occur primarily in Atlantic Canada especially in Newfoundland, but examples are also found in Quebec and the northeastern U.S.A. These forests are dominated by balsam fir (Abies balsamea), which is susceptible to fire but flourishes in wetter environments where fire is absent. The major stand disturbances are caused by insects, primarily spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana) and hemlock looper (Lambdina fiscellaria), followed by root rots and blowdown. Stands in Newfoundland were characterized by large amounts of dead standing and fallen wood, as a result of self-thinning processes and insect attacks. A comparison of 40-, 60-, and >= 80-year-old forests in Newfoundland indicated that the oldest stage of balsam fir forests had a distinctly different structure, including more large dead and fallen wood, a more irregular canopy including gaps, a more diverse ground flora, more moss ground cover, a more variable tree height, taller snags, fewer white birch snags, and fewer deciduous small trees. These differences were reflected in various plant and animal faunas that were distinct in the old forest including: flowering plants, beetles, Collembola, oribatid mites, mammals, and birds. Several species of plants and animals were only found in the oldest forest stands, including a high percentage among the arthropods. Suggested indicator species at the stand level include black-backed woodpeckers (Picoides arcticus) and marten (Martes americana). Logging results in a larger mean patch size than that caused by natural insect disturbances, possibly affecting dispersal by soil organisms and plants within the new landscape. A portion of the landscape, keyed to species with the largest area requirements to maintain their populations, including marten, black-backed woodpeckers, and (or) boreal owls (Aegolius funereus) could guide the amount of old forest, and individual patch sizes, required across a landscape over time. Key words: old growth, biodiversity, species richness, forest management, balsam fir.Les forêts boréales humides se trouvent principalement dans les provinces canadiennes de l'Atlantique, surtout à Terre-Neuve. Il en existe également au Québec et dans le Nord-Est des États-Unis. Dans ces forêts domine le sapin baumier (Abies balsamea), sensible au feu, qui prospère dans les milieux plus humides où le feu est absent. Les principales sources de perturbation des peuplements sont les insectes, plus particulièrement la tordeuse des bourgeons de l'épinette (Choristoneura fumiferana) et l'arpenteuse de la pruche ( Lambdina fiscellaria), puis les pourridiés et les chablis. À Terre-Neuve, les peuplements se caractérisent par des quantités importantes d'arbres morts sur pied et de bois au sol résultant des processus d'éclaircie naturelle et des attaques d'insectes. Une comparaison de forêts terre-neuviennes de 40, 60 et 80+ ans a indiqué que, par rapport aux peuplements de 40 ou 60 ans, les sapinières les plus âgées présentent une structure nettement différente, se caractérisant, entre autres, par une plus grande quantité de gros bois morts, un étage supérieur plus irrégulier avec des trouées, une flore au sol plus diversifiée, une strate muscinée plus abondante, une hauteur des arbres plus variable, des chicots de plus grande hauteur, moins de chicots de bouleau à papier et moins de petits arbres feuillus. Ces différences se reflètent dans diverses composantes de la flore et de la faune qui sont distinctes dans la vieille forêt (plantes à fleurs, coléoptères, collemboles, acariens oribates, mammifères et oiseaux, entre autres). Plusieurs espèces végétales et animales, dont un pourcentage élevé d'arthropodes, n'ont été trouvées que dans les peuplements forestiers les plus âgés. Le pic à dos noir (Picoides arcticus) et la martre (Martes americana) sont suggérés en tant qu'espèces indicatrices au niveau du peuplement. La récolte forestière crée des trouées en moyenne plus grandes que celles résultant des perturbations naturelles causées par les insectes, ce qui pourrait affecter la dispersion par les organismes du sol et les plantes dans le nouveau paysage. Une portion du paysage déterminée en fonction d'espèces ayant besoin de plus d'espace pour maintenir leurs populations, incluant la nyctale boréale (Aegolius funereus), pourrait servir de guide pour établir la quantité requise de vieille forêt, et la taille appropriée des parcelles, dans un paysage en fonction du temps. Mots clés : forêts anciennes, biodiversité, richesse des espèces, gestion des forêts, sapin baumier. [Traduit par la rédaction] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]