Adaptive silviculture for climate change in the Great Lakes- St. Lawrence Forest Region of Canada: Background and design of a long-term experiment
We present the implementation of the Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change (ASCC) initiative at the Petawawa Research Forest (PRF) in Ontario, Canada. The study addresses the urgent need for adaptive forest management strategies in response to climate change by examining silvicultural treatments...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Canadian Institute of Forestry
2024-09-01
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| Series: | The Forestry Chronicle |
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| Online Access: | https://pubs.cif-ifc.org/doi/10.5558/tfc2024-016 |
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| author | Nelson Thiffault Jeff Fera Michael K. Hoepting Trevor Jones Amy Wotherspoon |
| author_facet | Nelson Thiffault Jeff Fera Michael K. Hoepting Trevor Jones Amy Wotherspoon |
| author_sort | Nelson Thiffault |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We present the implementation of the Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change (ASCC) initiative at the Petawawa Research Forest (PRF) in Ontario, Canada. The study addresses the urgent need for adaptive forest management strategies in response to climate change by examining silvicultural treatments aimed at mitigating its impacts on forest ecosystems. It addresses the complex interplay between climate change projections, regional climate characteristics, and forest management practices for pine dominated forests in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Forest region of Canada, underscoring the importance of adaptive approaches in sustaining forest ecosystems. We outline the design and objectives of five distinct treatments—control, business-as-usual, resistance, resilience, and transition—implemented over 4 replicate blocks on a 212-ha area at the PRF. We provide detailed descriptions of each treatment’s management objectives, desired future conditions, and silvicultural strategies. We conclude by summarizing planned research efforts, including seedling survival assessments, phenological monitoring, and measuring treatment impact on fuel loads. By addressing the challenges and opportunities of climate change as part of an international research network, this research will contribute to a deeper understanding of forest ecosystem responses to climate change and inform adaptive management strategies for sustainable forest management. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1876c1a9ff7b49b8942ca24f7675fc62 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0015-7546 1499-9315 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-09-01 |
| publisher | Canadian Institute of Forestry |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Forestry Chronicle |
| spelling | doaj-art-1876c1a9ff7b49b8942ca24f7675fc622025-08-20T03:39:00ZengCanadian Institute of ForestryThe Forestry Chronicle0015-75461499-93152024-09-01100215516410.5558/tfc2024-016Adaptive silviculture for climate change in the Great Lakes- St. Lawrence Forest Region of Canada: Background and design of a long-term experimentNelson Thiffault0Jeff Fera1Michael K. Hoepting2Trevor Jones3Amy Wotherspoon4Canadian Wood Fibre Centre, Natural Resources Canada, 1055 du P.E.P.S., P.O. Box 10380, Sainte-Foy Stn., Québec, QC G1V4C7, Canada, and Centre d’étude de la Forêt, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3P8, CanadaCanadian Wood Fibre Centre, Natural Resources Canada, 1219 Queen St. E., Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6A 2E5, CanadaCanadian Wood Fibre Centre, Natural Resources Canada, 1219 Queen St. E., Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6A 2E5, CanadaCanadian Wood Fibre Centre, Natural Resources Canada, 1219 Queen St. E., Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6A 2E5, CanadaDepartment of Forest Resources Management, Faculty of Forestry, University of British Columbia, 2424 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, CanadaWe present the implementation of the Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change (ASCC) initiative at the Petawawa Research Forest (PRF) in Ontario, Canada. The study addresses the urgent need for adaptive forest management strategies in response to climate change by examining silvicultural treatments aimed at mitigating its impacts on forest ecosystems. It addresses the complex interplay between climate change projections, regional climate characteristics, and forest management practices for pine dominated forests in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Forest region of Canada, underscoring the importance of adaptive approaches in sustaining forest ecosystems. We outline the design and objectives of five distinct treatments—control, business-as-usual, resistance, resilience, and transition—implemented over 4 replicate blocks on a 212-ha area at the PRF. We provide detailed descriptions of each treatment’s management objectives, desired future conditions, and silvicultural strategies. We conclude by summarizing planned research efforts, including seedling survival assessments, phenological monitoring, and measuring treatment impact on fuel loads. By addressing the challenges and opportunities of climate change as part of an international research network, this research will contribute to a deeper understanding of forest ecosystem responses to climate change and inform adaptive management strategies for sustainable forest management.https://pubs.cif-ifc.org/doi/10.5558/tfc2024-016silvicultural researchadaptive forest managementfield experimentmethodsassisted migrationshelterwood harvest |
| spellingShingle | Nelson Thiffault Jeff Fera Michael K. Hoepting Trevor Jones Amy Wotherspoon Adaptive silviculture for climate change in the Great Lakes- St. Lawrence Forest Region of Canada: Background and design of a long-term experiment The Forestry Chronicle silvicultural research adaptive forest management field experiment methods assisted migration shelterwood harvest |
| title | Adaptive silviculture for climate change in the Great Lakes- St. Lawrence Forest Region of Canada: Background and design of a long-term experiment |
| title_full | Adaptive silviculture for climate change in the Great Lakes- St. Lawrence Forest Region of Canada: Background and design of a long-term experiment |
| title_fullStr | Adaptive silviculture for climate change in the Great Lakes- St. Lawrence Forest Region of Canada: Background and design of a long-term experiment |
| title_full_unstemmed | Adaptive silviculture for climate change in the Great Lakes- St. Lawrence Forest Region of Canada: Background and design of a long-term experiment |
| title_short | Adaptive silviculture for climate change in the Great Lakes- St. Lawrence Forest Region of Canada: Background and design of a long-term experiment |
| title_sort | adaptive silviculture for climate change in the great lakes st lawrence forest region of canada background and design of a long term experiment |
| topic | silvicultural research adaptive forest management field experiment methods assisted migration shelterwood harvest |
| url | https://pubs.cif-ifc.org/doi/10.5558/tfc2024-016 |
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