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Interspecific interactions can mediate site occupancy of sympatric species and can be a key factor in habitat use patterns. American martens (Martes americana) and Fishers (Pekania pennanti) are two sympatric mesocarnivores in eastern North American forests. Due to their larger size, fishers have a competitive advantage over martens. We investigated site occupancy of martens and fishers in temperate deciduous forests of Québec, an environment modified by forest management and climate change. We formulated hypotheses on the spatial distribution of the studied species based on the knowledge of local trappers and on the scientific literature regarding forest cover composition, habitat fragmentation, and competitive relationships. We used a network of 49 camera traps monitored over two fall seasons to document site occupancy by both species. We used two-species site occupancy models to assess habitat use and the influence of fishers on martens at spatial grains of different sizes. None of the habitat variables that we considered explained site occupancy by fishers. Availability of dense old coniferous stands explained the spatial distribution of martens both at the home range grain size and at the landscape grain size. We identified the characteristics of habitat hotspots based on the knowledge of trappers, which highlighted the importance of stand composition, height, age, and canopy closure. The characteristics of habitat hotspots for martens in temperate deciduous forests refine the habitat suitability model for American martens that was originally developed for boreal forests of Québec.

The boreal forest is subject to various anthropogenic disturbances, including logging, mining, and hydroelectricity production and transport. These disturbances affect Indigenous communities and the culturally salient species they depend on for the practice of traditional and subsistence activities. Rhododendron groenlandicum (Oeder) Kron & Judd is one such species whose leaves are used to treat various ailments, due to their concentration in biologically active chemicals such as flavonoids. Our objective was to assess the effect of anthropogenic disturbances on the chemical properties of R. groenlandicum on the territories of three Indigenous communities. Leaf samples were collected near mines, under hydroelectric power lines, and in non-disturbed sites. Our results showed that variations in flavonoid concentration were mainly related to territory ( R2 = 0.43, P = 0.0005), while disturbance type had a smaller effect ( R2 = 0.18, P = 0.02). Samples from Nemaska, the northernmost territory with the most open forest stands, had higher concentrations of epicatechin (+23%, P = 0.03). Quercetin-3-glucoside concentrations were lower near mines (−19%, P = 0.01). The effects of disturbances on the chemical signature of R. groenlandicum are complex, and a complete assessment of the consequences of industrial activity on Indigenous landscape value must take into account other culturally salient species.

1. Climate change is expected to increase wildfire activity in boreal ecosystems, thus threatening the carbon stocks of these forests, which are currently the largest terrestrial carbon sink in the world. Describing the ecological processes involved in fire regimes in terms of frequency, size, type (surface vs. crown) and severity (biomass burned) would allow better anticipation of the impact of climate change on these forests. In Fennoscandia, this objective is currently difficult to achieve due to the lack of knowledge of long-term (centuries to millennia) relationships between climate, fire and vegetation.2. We investigated the causes and consequences of changes in fire regimes during the Holocene (last similar to 11,000 years) on vegetation trajectories in the boreal forest of northern Finland. We reconstructed fire histories from sedimentary charcoal at three sites, as well as vegetation dynamics from pollen, moisture changes from Sphagnum spore abundance at two sites, and complemented these analyses with published regional chironomid-inferred July temperature reconstructions.3. Low-frequency, large fires were recorded during the warm and dry mid-Holocene period (8500-4500 cal. year BP), whereas high-frequency, small fires were more characteristic of the cool and wet Neoglacial period (4500 cal. year BP onward). A higher proportion of charcoal particles with a woody aspect-characterizing crown fires-was recorded at one of the two sites at times of significant climatic and vegetational changes, when the abundance of Picea abies was higher.4. Synthesis. Our results show both a direct and an indirect effect of climate on fire regimes in northern Fennoscandia. Warm and dry periods are conducive to large surface fires, whereas cool and moist periods are associated with small fires, either crown or surface. Climate-induced shifts in forest composition also affect fire regimes. Climatic instability can alter vegetation composition and structure and lead to fuel accumulation favouring stand-replacing crown fires. Considering the ongoing climate warming and the projected increase in extreme climatic events, Fennoscandian forests could experience a return to a regime of large surface fires, but stand-replacing crown fires will likely remain a key ecosystem process in areas affected by climatic and/or vegetational instability.

This chapter describes key trends in boreal forest governance in the twenty-first century and implications for the engagement of local and Indigenous communities. By focusing on three global trends—internationalization, marketization, and decentralization—we highlight the evolving role of local and Indigenous communities in increasingly hybrid and multiscale governance arrangements. We present two case studies, community forests in Canada and Sami–industry collaborative planning in Sweden, to analyze the qualities of local governance initiatives and how they seek to transform conventional approaches to economic development and land-use practices according to the values and priorities of local and Indigenous communities.

Climate change and natural resource extraction are transforming boreal forest landscapes, with effects on Indigenous people’s relationship with the land. Collaborative management could enhance the consideration of Indigenous perspectives and limit negative outcomes of environmental change, but it remains the exception rather than the norm. We addressed barriers to involvement of Indigenous people in land management by developing a method to enhance communication and trust, while favouring bottom-up decision-making. We partnered with the Abitibiwinni and Ouje-Bougoumou First Nations (boreal Quebec, Canada) (i) to develop indicators of Indigenous landscape state, (ii) to create a typology of Indigenous hunting grounds, and (iii) to suggest guidelines for sustainable land management in Indigenous contexts. Through participatory mapping and semidirected interviews with 23 local experts, we identified factors influencing Indigenous landscape value. Using open-access data, we developed indicators to measure landscape state according to those values. We identified four types of hunting grounds with k-means clustering, based upon biophysical factors and disturbance history. Our results suggest that land management should aim to reduce differences between hunting ground states and consider the risk of rapid shifts from one state to another.

We present the longest tree-ring chronology to date in northeastern North America (2233 years; 227 BCE – 2005 CE), resulting from several research projects conducted at the subarctic treeline in no...

At the end of the last glacial period in the northern hemisphere, meltwater from receding ice sheets accumulated into large proglacial lakes, potentially limiting postglacial afforestation. We explored whether former islands of proglacial Lake Ojibway (Canada) (hilltops in the current landscape) could have acted as migration outposts and thus accelerated the postglacial migration. We extracted sediments from two small lakes located on “paleo-islands” and used XRF to detect changes in soil erosion and vegetation biomass. We also used plant macro-remains and wood charcoal to determine if (and which) tree species colonized the sites and to detect local fire events. Organic sediment accumulation started around 9657 and 9947 cal. yr BP at Lakes Perché and Despériers, respectively, before the level of Lake Ojibway started to decrease and liberate parts of the studied landscape ca 9400 cal. yr BP. Lithogenic elements (Ti, K, Sr, Fe, Zr, and Rb) decreased between the beginning of organic sediment accumulation and 8800–8700 cal. yr BP, indicating reduced soil erosion, possibly due to soil stabilization by vegetation. Then, the S/Ti ratio, a proxy of organic matter increased around 8800 and 8400 cal. yr BP. The earliest tree macro-remains ( Larix laricina and Pinus spp.) were found between 9850 and 9500 cal. yr BP. Local fires were detected around 9820 and 8362 cal. yr BP. Early afforestation occurred on the islands of Lake Ojibway, 200 and 450 years before its level started to decrease, confirming that some islands acted as migratory outposts accelerating postglacial migration.

At the beginning of the Holocene, the Laurentide Ice Sheet was progressively melting and liberating Canadian landscapes. Proglacial Lake Ojibway formed at the contact of the glacier and covered western Québec and eastern Ontario for approximately 2000 years before flushing into James Bay around 8,200 years ago. Lake Ojibway could have limited the afforestation of newly liberated landscapes but could have also provided migratory outposts on its islands. Indeed, several islands were present on Lake Ojibway which could have been colonized by forests before the drainage of lake Ojibway. We studied lake sediments from a small lake located on a paleo-island of Lake Ojibway in Aiguebelle National Park, in order to test the outpost hypothesis. Radiocarbon dating, XRF analysis and charcoal analysis reveal that organic matter (gyttja) started to accumulate around 9,626 years before today (i.e., 1400 years before Lake Ojibway retreat). The signatures of Ca, Sr and Si indicate that soil erosion declined between 9500 and 9000 years before present, meaning this paleo-island was probably colonized during this interval as vegetation stabilizes the soils. Moreover, K (an indicator of vegetation extension) also suggests that afforestation occurred around 9,250 years before present. Macroscopic charcoal particles reveal that one local fire likely occurred 9239 years before present. Burned conifer needle fragments were found among the fossil charcoals, lending support to the hypothesis of wildfire occurrence. All the studied indicators suggest paleo-island colonization around 9,250 years before present, more than 1,000 years before Lake Ojibway retreat.

The participation rate of the Indigenous workforce in the mining industry is significantly lower than that of non-Indigenous people. The purpose of this research was to determine how public and private programs aimed at promoting the recruitment, integration and retention of Indigenous employees in the Canadian mining industry meet the needs of Indigenous employees and mining employers. Five categories of programs were assessed (liaison, work readiness, site readiness, cultural awareness and career progression), according to 50 criteria. A literature review and interviews with 86 participants (43 Indigenous, 27 employers and 16 representatives of public programs in Quebec and Nunavut) showed that only public programs existed in areas not subjected to government/company-Indigenous agreements, meeting 34% of the needs, compared to 76% for private programs in signatory territories. Implementing private programs in non-signatory territories could be beneficial, but would require a mentality change in the industry.

L’objectif de cette recherche exploratoire est d’aborder la triple occultation (ruralité, autochtonie et jeunesse) vécue par les jeunes autochtones en milieu rural en documentant les manifestations des trois aspects du lien au territoire (émotionnel, cognitif et fonctionnel) selon les générations dans deux communautés autochtones au Québec. L’appartenance au territoire (aspect émotionnel) est présente à tous les âges, mais selon une hiérarchie différente entre forêt, communauté et ville. Toutes les générations fréquentent la forêt, mais à des moments différents et pour y pratiquer des activités différentes. Le chez-soi des jeunes est la communauté, tandis que celui des aînés, la forêt. L’aspect cognitif se reflète par la perception de menace face à la dégradation du territoire, particulièrement chez les aînés. Quelques jeunes ont un faible lien au territoire, probablement parce que cette période de la vie est caractérisée par une quête identitaire. Toutes les générations pratiquent des activités traditionnelles (aspect fonctionnel), mais de façon différente., The objective of this exploratory research is to address the triple occultation (rurality, indigeneity, and youth) experienced by young indigenous people in rural areas, by documenting how the three aspects of the link to the land (emotional, cognitive, and functional) are displayed by different generations in two indigenous communities in Quebec. There is a sense of belonging to the land (emotional aspect) at all ages, although the forest, community and city have different levels of importance. All generations spend time in the forest, but at different times and to practise different activities. The youth identify their community as home, whereas for the elderly it is the forest. The cognitive aspect is reflected in the perception of a threat associated to the degradation of the land, particularly among the elderly people. Some young people are weakly linked to the land, probably because this period of life is characterized by a quest for identity. All the generations practise traditional activities (functional aspect), but in different ways.

The skilled labour shortage in the natural resource sector is a major issue in North America, particularly in the Canadian forestry sector. In the province of Quebec alone, 15 000 positions will need to be filled by 2022. At the same time, many Indigenous communities are seeking to develop employment opportunities, as they have high unemployment rates and a young and growing population. But are forestry employers creating an environment conducive to the recruitment, integration, and retention of an Indigenous workforce? We interviewed 22 directors and human resource managers from 19 forestry businesses (16 non-Indigenous and 3 Indigenous) in Quebec, with a view to answering this question. Employer narratives suggest that they have only just begun to see the potential of the Indigenous workforce and put in place diversity management practices. Partnerships between Indigenous communities and forestry businesses, development of alternative training and skill development methods, and awareness-raising among employees and employers were found to favour recruitment, integration, and retention of Indigenous workers. Conversely, according to participants, stereotypes, discrimination, lack of inclusion measures, drug and alcohol use, and lack of training reduce the potential for Indigenous people to join the forestry workforce.

Au Cameroun, les communautés locales font face à des défis de gouvernance forestière et de propriété des forêts communautaires. Les déterminants du succès de la gouvernance forestière ont été étudiés dans douze forêts communautaires (FC) de l’Est-Cameroun. Des groupes de discussion et des entrevues individuelles ont permis de réaliser la cartographie des acteurs d’appui, de documenter la perception de la gouvernance des forêts communautaires et d’en identifier les déterminants, pour ensuite proposer une échelle de gouvernance des forêts communautaires. Les résultats montrent que les acteurs d’appui influencent grandement la création des forêts communautaires. L’exception de la FC A3 montre qu’une communauté peut créer une forêt communautaire sous la seule impulsion du chef traditionnel, sans soutien extérieur. La perception de la gouvernance forestière par les communautés était positive lorsque l’appui à la création de la forêt communautaire provenait d’acteurs tournés vers la communauté (organisations non gouvernementales, administration des forêts et Église) et négative lorsque l’appui provenait d’acteurs tournés vers la ressource ligneuse (élites et opérateurs forestiers privés). Le diagramme des déterminants relationnels entre communautés et acteurs d’appui, basé sur la cohésion entre les principes de gouvernance (participation, transparence, légitimité, équité, intégration, imputabilité, capacité et adaptabilité), met en évidence les actions correctives possibles pour mieux tenir compte des besoins des communautés afin d’atteindre la dévolution sur l’échelle de la gouvernance.

Objective Wellness is a challenge for Indigenous peoples, partly because Western services do not adopt a holistic approach. By devaluing traditional knowledge, Indigenous values and beliefs, these services lower Indigenous power and affect cultural identities. Indigenous elders participate in intergenerational solidarity by transmitting knowledge, values, and culture in a holistic approach. Despite widespread acceptance of the importance of Indigenous elders’ contributions to wellness, a rigorous synthesis of knowledge has never been done. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of how Indigenous elders’ social participation contributes to individual and community wellness. Method A scoping review was conducted with Indigenous elders and stakeholders in Québec (Canada). Sixteen databases were searched with 57 keywords. Data from the documents retrieved were analyzed, organized, and synthesized based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. Synthesis A total of 144 documents were examined, comprising 74 scientific papers and 70 sources from the gray literature. Indigenous elders contributed to wellness mainly through relationships and interactions with other community members and non-Indigenous people (72.2%); intergenerational oral and written communications (70.1%); community, social and civic life (45.8%); volunteering and jobs (35.4%); and family life (29.9%). Elders transmit traditional knowledge, strengthen social cohesion, and help to develop positive attitudes such as reciprocity. Their actions favour disease prevention and health promotion, as including traditional approaches increases the acceptability of health and social services. Conclusion This scoping review highlights the need for longitudinal studies with mixed-method designs involving Indigenous communities at all stages of the research to deepen understanding of the contributions of Indigenous elders to individual and community wellness.

International audience; Exceptionally large areas burned in 2014 in central Northwest Territories (Canada), leading members of the Tłı̨chǫ First Nation to characterize this year as ‘extreme’. Top-down climatic and bottom- up environmental drivers of fire behavior and areas burned in the boreal forest are relatively well understood, but not the drivers of extreme wildfire years (EWY). We investigated the temporal and spatial distributions of fire regime components (fire occurrence, size, cause, fire season length) on the Tłı̨chǫ territory from 1965 to 2019. We used BioSIM and data from weather stations to interpolate mean weather conditions, fuel moisture content and fire-weather indices for each fire season, and we described the environmental characteristics of burned areas. We identified and characterized EWY, i.e., years exceeding the 80th percentile of annual area burned for the study period. Temperature and fuel moisture were the main drivers of areas burned. Nine EWY occurred from 1965 to 2019, including 2014. Compared to non-EWY, EWY had significantly higher mean temperature (>14.7°C) and exceeded threshold values of Drought Code (>514), Initial Spread Index (>7), and Fire Weather Index (>19). Our results will help limit the effects of EWY on human safety, health and Indigenous livelihoods and lifestyles.; Des superficies exceptionnellement vastes ont brûlé en 2014 dans le centre des Territoires du Nord-Ouest (Canada), ce qui a conduit les membres de la Première Nation Tłı̨chǫ à qualifier cette année d’« extrême ». Les facteurs climatiques descendants et les facteurs environnementaux ascendants expliquant le comportement du feu et les superficies brûlées en forêt boréale sont relativement bien connus, mais pas les facteurs associés aux années de feu extrêmes (EWY). Nous avons étudié les distributions temporelles et spatiales des composantes du régime des feux (occurrence, taille, cause, durée de la saison de feu) sur le territoire Tłı̨chǫ de 1965 à 2019. Nous avons utilisé BioSIM et des données de stations météo pour interpoler les conditions météorologiques moyennes, la teneur en humidité du combustible et des indices forêt-météo pour chaque saison de feu et nous avons décrit les caractéristiques environnementa-les des zones brûlées. Nous avons identifié et caractérisé les EWY, c.-à-d., les années dépassant le 80e percentile des superficies annuelles brûlées de la période d’étude. La température et la teneur en humidité du combustible étaient les principaux déterminants des superficies brûlées. Neuf EWY sont survenues entre 1965 et 2019, incluant 2014. Les EWY se différencient des autres années par une température moyenne significativement plus élevée (> 14,7°C) et par le dépassement de valeurs seuils de l’indice de sécheresse (> 514), de l’indice de propagation initiale (> 7) et de l’indice forêt-météo (> 19). Nos résultats aideront à limiter les effets négatifs des EWY sur la sécurité et la santé des personnes ainsi que sur le maintien des moyens de subsistance et du mode de vie autochtones.

PurposeWhile companies in developed countries are increasingly turning to indigenous employees, integration measures have met with mixed results. Low integration can lead to breach of the psychological contract, i.e. perceived mutual obligations between employee and employer. The purpose of this paper is to identify how leadership and organizational integration measures can be implemented to promote the perceived insider status (PIS) of indigenous employees, thereby fostering fulfillment of the psychological contract.Design/methodology/approachA search for relevant literature yielded 128 texts used to identify integration measures at the level of employee–supervisor relationships (leader-member exchanges, inclusive leadership) and at the level of employee–organization relationships (perceived organizational support, pro-diversity practices).FindingsMeasures related to leadership included recruiting qualified leaders, understanding cultural particularities, integrating diverse contributions and welcoming questions and challenges. Organizational measures included reaching a critical mass of indigenous employees, promoting equity and participation, developing skills, assigning meaningful tasks, maintaining good work relationships, facilitating work-life balance, providing employment security, fostering support from communities and monitoring practices.Originality/valueWhile PIS has been studied in western and culturally diverse contexts, it has received less attention in indigenous contexts. Yet, some indigenous cultural values are incompatible with the basic assumptions of mainstream theories. Furthermore, colonial policies and capitalist development have severely impacted traditional indigenous economic systems. Consequently, indigenous people are facing many barriers to employment in ways that often differ from the experiences of other minority groups.

Several industries in developed countries are experiencing labor shortages, a particularly acute problem in the mining sector. Indigenous communities have a growing population, and some are interested in participating in mining. However, challenges prevent Indigenous people from entering the workforce. This research aimed to study the attitudes and behaviors of mining sector employers towards the Indigenous workforce, and to identify measures to promote recruitment, integration and retention of Indigenous employees. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 25 non-Indigenous employers occupying managerial positions and representing 17 mining projects located in Quebec and Nunavut (Canada). Eight of these projects were linked by agreements to neighboring Indigenous communities, either by being located on treaty territories or through Impact and Benefit Agreements (IBAs). The mean percentage of Indigenous employees was 23% in projects with an agreement, compared to

Background Indigenous elders play an important role in transmitting knowledge, values and practices, hence fostering identity-building through intergenerational solidarity. We aimed to verify the association between intergenerational solidarity involving Indigenous elders and mental health of Indigenous people living off reserve. Methods We carried secondary analyses of data for a subsample from the cross-sectional 2012 Aboriginal Peoples Survey (total sample: n = 28,410 Indigenous persons aged ≥6 years old living off reserve; subsample: n = 13,020 aged 18–44 years old). Controlling for age as well as material and social deprivation, we used logistic regressions to verify the association between intergenerational solidarity (proxied as time spent with an elder and potential of turning to an elder or grandparent for support in times of need) and mental health (perceived mental health, mood disorders, anxiety, suicidal thoughts and attempts). Results About 39 and 9% of the respondents respectively reported having spent time with an elder and would have turned to an elder or grandparent for support in times of need. Women who would not turn to an elder or grandparent for support in times of need were more likely to report fair or poor perceived mental health (OR = 1.69, p = 0.03). Men not spending time with an elder were more likely to experience mood disorders (OR = 1.66, p = 0.004). Women who would not turn to an elder or grandparent for support in times of need were more likely to experience anxiety disorders (OR = 1.57, p = 0.04). Women not spending time with an elder or who would not turn to an elder or grandparent for support in times of need were respectively more likely to have suicidal thoughts (OR = 1.62, p = 0.04) or to have attempted suicide (OR = 3.38, p = 0.04). Conclusion Intergenerational solidarity is associated with better mental health outcomes of Indigenous people living off reserve. These results could guide policies and practices that aim to enhance mental health and wellness in Indigenous populations.

The north-central Canadian boreal forest experienced increased occurrence of large and severe wildfires caused by unusually warm temperatures and drought events during the last decade. It is, however, difficult to assess the exceptional nature of this recent wildfire activity, as few long-term records are available in the area. We analyzed macroscopic sedimentary charcoal from four lakes and pollen grains from one of those lakes to reconstruct long-term fire regimes and vegetation histories in the boreal forest of central Northwest Territories. We used regional estimates of past temperature and hydrological changes to identify the climatic drivers of fire activity over the past 10,000 years. Fires were larger and more severe during warm periods (before ca. 5000 cal yrs. BP and during the last 500 years) and when the forest landscape was characterized by high fuel abundance, especially fire-prone spruce. In contrast, colder conditions combined with landscape opening (i.e., lower fuel abundance) during the Neoglacial (after ca. 5000 cal yrs. BP) were related with a decline in fire size and severity. Fire size and severity increased during the last five centuries, but remained within the Holocene range of variability. According to climatic projections, fire size and severity will likely continue to increase in central Northwest Territories in response to warmer conditions, but precipitation variability, combined with increased abundance of deciduous species or opening of the landscape, could limit fire risk in the future.

Se probó el efecto del quitosano sobre la producción de metabolitos secundarios de extractos etanólicos de Piper auritum, así como la actividad fungicida in vitro contra Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vanillae. Las plantas de P. auritum se dividieron en seis parcelas y se añadió quitosano comercial a la mitad de ellas. Se midieron las concentraciones de flavonoides, fenoles, terpenos, alcaloides y ácido salicílico en extractos etanólicos de P. auritum y la actividad antifúngica se midió con la concentración efectiva media (CE50). Las concentraciones totales de flavonoides, fenoles y terpenos fueron más altas con el tratamiento con quitosano (sin quitosano 12.8 versus con quitosano 12.4 ?g equivalente de quercetina por mg, 12.6 versus 2.3 ?g equivalente de ácido tánico por 10 mg y 16.3 versus 11.6 mg equivalente de mentol por 100 mg). Mientras que la concentración de alcaloides disminuyó mediante la adición de quitosano (de 148.2 a 84.5 ?g de equivalente de piperina por mg). La adición de quitosano aumentó la concentración de ácido salicílico (de 1.3 a 2.2 ?g de equivalente de ácido salicílico por mg). La concentración de 4 mg mL-1 de extracto etanólico de P. auritum tratado con quitosano inhibió el 100% del crecimiento micelial. El tratamiento con quitosano generó que la CE50 de P. auritum contra F. oxysporum f. sp. vanillae fuera menor (1.5 mg mL-1) respecto al control (5.1 mg mL-1). Se concluye que la adición de quitosano aumentó la producción de metabolitos secundarios y la actividad antifúngica in vitro en extractos de P. auritum.

Climate change and natural resource exploitation can affect Indigenous people&rsquo, s well-being by reducing access to ecosystem services, in turn impeding transmission of traditional knowledge and causing mental health problems. We used a questionnaire based on the Environmental Distress Scale (EDS) and the Connor&ndash, Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10) to examine the impacts of environmental changes on 251 members of four Indigenous communities in the eastern Canadian boreal forest. We also considered the potential mitigating effects of sociodemographic characteristics (i.e., age, gender, parenthood, and time spent on the land) and protective factors (i.e., health, quality of life, resilience, life on the land, life in the community, and support from family and friends). Using linear regression, model selection, and multi-model inference, we show that the felt impacts of environmental changes increased with age but were lower for participants with higher quality of life. The effect of resilience was opposite to expectations: more resilient participants felt more impacts. This could be because less resilient individuals ceased to go on the land when environmental changes exceeded a given threshold, thus, only the most resilient participants could testify to the impacts of acute changes. Further research will be needed to test this hypothesis.

Au Cameroun, les pratiques locales forestières sont parfois en contradiction avec les exigences légales de commercialisation du bois des forêts communautaires (FC). La présente étude visait à évaluer les pratiques locales en fonction des exigences de la grille de légalité N°6 de l’APV FLEGT (Accord de partenariat volontaire ‒ Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade). Des groupes de discussion, des entretiens individuels et des observations terrain ont permis de montrer que les pratiques locales forestières dans les FC pourraient être compatibles avec les exigences de la grille. Toutefois, certaines pratiques contribuent à compromettre la mise en œuvre de l’APV FLEGT dans les FC. Une des options pour réduire les écarts entre les pratiques locales et les vérificateurs de la grille de légalité consisterait à modifier la grille pour mieux distinguer les responsabilités des communautés, des sous-traitants et de l’administration des forêts. Cela permettrait d’amender la loi forestière pour éviter de surcharger les communautés. Une autre option serait de mettre en place une stratégie de commercialisation du bois légal des FC. Les résultats de cette étude pourraient trouver des applications dans les autres pays qui ont mis en œuvre ou qui négocient des APV FLEGT en Afrique, en Asie, en Amérique centrale et en Amérique du Sud.

Selection cutting is used in northern temperate forests where regeneration dynamics are driven by gap formation. By creating openings in the canopy, selection cutting modifies shrub cover, an important criterion in winter habitat selection by snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus Erxleben, 1777), a key species in North American forests. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of selection cuts on snowshoe hare habitat and to evaluate the restoration of habitat quality over time. Occurrence indices for snowshoe hare (fecal pellets and tracks) were modelled according to habitat quality parameters for 22 hardwood stands that were subjected to selection cutting between 1993 and 2007 and 30 untreated stands (15 hardwood and 15 mixedwood) in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec. Model selection based on the Akaike second-order information criterion (AICc) identified lateral cover as the only habitat structure parameter having a positive effect on snowshoe hare abundance in the study sites. Indicators of snowshoe hare presence were highest in untreated mixedwood stands but more abundant in selection cuts than in untreated hardwood stands. The use of selection cuts by snowshoe hare increased with time since logging was performed. We conclude that selection cutting exerted a positive effect on the use of hardwood stands by snowshoe hare.