Predicting present and future habitats using LiDAR to integrate research and monitoring with landscape analyses

Managed forests contribute to both economic and non-timber values, but the ecological role of managed, including planted, forests to biodiversity objectives at the landscape scale needs to be better understood. In this project in collaboration with J.D. Irving, Limited, we: 1) used airborne LiDAR an...

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Main Authors: David A. MacLean, Thomas Baglole, Maurane Bourgouin, Billie Chiasson, Jiban C. Deb, Maitane Erdozain, Remus J. James, Lauren Negrazis, Louka Tousignant, Phil Wiebe, Greg Adams, Joseph R. Bennett, Erik J.S. Emilson, Nicole J. Fenton, Graham J. Forbes, Michelle A. Gray, Karen A. Kidd, Andrew McCartney, Gaetan Moreau, Kevin B. Porter, Osvaldo Valeria, Lisa A. Venier
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Canadian Institute of Forestry 2025-08-01
Series:The Forestry Chronicle
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Online Access:https://pubs.cif-ifc.org/doi/10.5558/tfc2024-024
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author David A. MacLean
Thomas Baglole
Maurane Bourgouin
Billie Chiasson
Jiban C. Deb
Maitane Erdozain
Remus J. James
Lauren Negrazis
Louka Tousignant
Phil Wiebe
Greg Adams
Joseph R. Bennett
Erik J.S. Emilson
Nicole J. Fenton
Graham J. Forbes
Michelle A. Gray
Karen A. Kidd
Andrew McCartney
Gaetan Moreau
Kevin B. Porter
Osvaldo Valeria
Lisa A. Venier
author_facet David A. MacLean
Thomas Baglole
Maurane Bourgouin
Billie Chiasson
Jiban C. Deb
Maitane Erdozain
Remus J. James
Lauren Negrazis
Louka Tousignant
Phil Wiebe
Greg Adams
Joseph R. Bennett
Erik J.S. Emilson
Nicole J. Fenton
Graham J. Forbes
Michelle A. Gray
Karen A. Kidd
Andrew McCartney
Gaetan Moreau
Kevin B. Porter
Osvaldo Valeria
Lisa A. Venier
author_sort David A. MacLean
collection DOAJ
description Managed forests contribute to both economic and non-timber values, but the ecological role of managed, including planted, forests to biodiversity objectives at the landscape scale needs to be better understood. In this project in collaboration with J.D. Irving, Limited, we: 1) used airborne LiDAR and field data to identify terrestrial habitats; 2) monitored selected taxa by 18 stand type/seral stage habitat types in intensively and extensively managed forests and reserves; 3) assessed effects of management intensity on water quality and aquatic habitat; and 4) projected forest and wildlife habitat under planned management and natural disturbance scenarios. Taxa studied included songbirds, bryophytes and beetle species associated with mature-overmature forests, and several listed ground vegetation species. LiDAR-based enhanced forest inventory provided forest structure variables that improved bird habitat models and spatial predictions of bird habitat, metrics explaining bryophyte composition and richness, and variability in beetle abundance and richness. There was no evidence of negative landscape-level effects of increasing management intensity on bird communities in mature forest stands, suggesting that managed spruce-fir-tolerant hardwood landscapes provide habitat for bird species that need old forest. Richness, diversity, and composition of bryophyte guilds in reference stands in Mount Carleton Provincial Park unmanaged reserve did not differ from stands in the intensively managed District. The landscape focus and stratification into stand type/seral stages were important to understand habitat requirements. Catchments with greater forest management did not show any consistent signs of biological impairment from smaller to larger scales, and all sites had good or very good biological water quality based on the aquatic insect communities. This study helped to evaluate forest management effects on habitat areas, detected with airborne LiDAR data, that need to be addressed to enhance decision making processes.
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spelling doaj-art-8af08c13df3a4d1ab9c7afeff58788742025-08-20T04:02:28ZengCanadian Institute of ForestryThe Forestry Chronicle0015-75461499-93152025-08-011011566910.5558/tfc2024-024Predicting present and future habitats using LiDAR to integrate research and monitoring with landscape analysesDavid A. MacLean0Thomas Baglole1Maurane Bourgouin2Billie Chiasson3Jiban C. Deb4Maitane Erdozain5Remus J. James6Lauren Negrazis7Louka Tousignant8Phil Wiebe9Greg Adams10Joseph R. Bennett11Erik J.S. Emilson12Nicole J. Fenton13Graham J. Forbes14Michelle A. Gray15Karen A. Kidd16Andrew McCartney17Gaetan Moreau18Kevin B. Porter19Osvaldo Valeria20Lisa A. Venier21Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management, University of New Brunswick, P.O. Box 4400, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3, Canada ORCID ID 0000-0002-0314-4435Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management, University of New Brunswick, P.O. Box 4400, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3, Canada ORCID ID 0000-0002-0314-4435Institute de Recherche sur les Forêts, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, 445 boul. de l’Université, Rouyn-Noranda, QC J9X 5E4, CanadaDépartement de biologie, Université de Moncton, Moncton, NB, E1A 3E9, CanadaFaculty of Forestry and Environmental Management, University of New Brunswick, P.O. Box 4400, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3, Canada ORCID ID 0000-0002-0314-4435Canadian Rivers Institute and Biology Department, University of New Brunswick, 100 Tucker Park Road, Saint John, New Brunswick E2L 4L5, CanadaDepartment of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Col By Drive, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6 CanadaDepartment of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. W., Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada ORCID ID 0000-0002-5619-1358Département de biologie, Université de Moncton, Moncton, NB, E1A 3E9, CanadaFaculty of Forestry and Environmental Management, University of New Brunswick, P.O. Box 4400, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3, Canada ORCID ID 0000-0002-0314-4435J.D. Irving, Limited, P.O. Box 5777, 300 Union Street, Saint John, NB, E2L 4M3, CanadaDepartment of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Col By Drive, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6 CanadaNatural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Great Lakes Forestry Centre, 1219 Queen St. East, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario P6A 2E5, CanadaInstitute de Recherche sur les Forêts, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, 445 boul. de l’Université, Rouyn-Noranda, QC J9X 5E4, CanadaFaculty of Forestry and Environmental Management, University of New Brunswick, P.O. Box 4400, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3, Canada ORCID ID 0000-0002-0314-4435Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management, University of New Brunswick, P.O. Box 4400, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3, Canada ORCID ID 0000-0002-0314-4435Canadian Rivers Institute and Biology Department, University of New Brunswick, 100 Tucker Park Road, Saint John, New Brunswick E2L 4L5, CanadaJ.D. Irving, Limited, P.O. Box 5777, 300 Union Street, Saint John, NB, E2L 4M3, CanadaDépartement de biologie, Université de Moncton, Moncton, NB, E1A 3E9, CanadaFaculty of Forestry and Environmental Management, University of New Brunswick, P.O. Box 4400, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3, Canada ORCID ID 0000-0002-0314-4435Institute de Recherche sur les Forêts, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, 445 boul. de l’Université, Rouyn-Noranda, QC J9X 5E4, CanadaNatural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Great Lakes Forestry Centre, 1219 Queen St. East, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario P6A 2E5, CanadaManaged forests contribute to both economic and non-timber values, but the ecological role of managed, including planted, forests to biodiversity objectives at the landscape scale needs to be better understood. In this project in collaboration with J.D. Irving, Limited, we: 1) used airborne LiDAR and field data to identify terrestrial habitats; 2) monitored selected taxa by 18 stand type/seral stage habitat types in intensively and extensively managed forests and reserves; 3) assessed effects of management intensity on water quality and aquatic habitat; and 4) projected forest and wildlife habitat under planned management and natural disturbance scenarios. Taxa studied included songbirds, bryophytes and beetle species associated with mature-overmature forests, and several listed ground vegetation species. LiDAR-based enhanced forest inventory provided forest structure variables that improved bird habitat models and spatial predictions of bird habitat, metrics explaining bryophyte composition and richness, and variability in beetle abundance and richness. There was no evidence of negative landscape-level effects of increasing management intensity on bird communities in mature forest stands, suggesting that managed spruce-fir-tolerant hardwood landscapes provide habitat for bird species that need old forest. Richness, diversity, and composition of bryophyte guilds in reference stands in Mount Carleton Provincial Park unmanaged reserve did not differ from stands in the intensively managed District. The landscape focus and stratification into stand type/seral stages were important to understand habitat requirements. Catchments with greater forest management did not show any consistent signs of biological impairment from smaller to larger scales, and all sites had good or very good biological water quality based on the aquatic insect communities. This study helped to evaluate forest management effects on habitat areas, detected with airborne LiDAR data, that need to be addressed to enhance decision making processes.https://pubs.cif-ifc.org/doi/10.5558/tfc2024-024managed landscapessongbirdswater qualitybryophytesbeetleswhite-tailed deer
spellingShingle David A. MacLean
Thomas Baglole
Maurane Bourgouin
Billie Chiasson
Jiban C. Deb
Maitane Erdozain
Remus J. James
Lauren Negrazis
Louka Tousignant
Phil Wiebe
Greg Adams
Joseph R. Bennett
Erik J.S. Emilson
Nicole J. Fenton
Graham J. Forbes
Michelle A. Gray
Karen A. Kidd
Andrew McCartney
Gaetan Moreau
Kevin B. Porter
Osvaldo Valeria
Lisa A. Venier
Predicting present and future habitats using LiDAR to integrate research and monitoring with landscape analyses
The Forestry Chronicle
managed landscapes
songbirds
water quality
bryophytes
beetles
white-tailed deer
title Predicting present and future habitats using LiDAR to integrate research and monitoring with landscape analyses
title_full Predicting present and future habitats using LiDAR to integrate research and monitoring with landscape analyses
title_fullStr Predicting present and future habitats using LiDAR to integrate research and monitoring with landscape analyses
title_full_unstemmed Predicting present and future habitats using LiDAR to integrate research and monitoring with landscape analyses
title_short Predicting present and future habitats using LiDAR to integrate research and monitoring with landscape analyses
title_sort predicting present and future habitats using lidar to integrate research and monitoring with landscape analyses
topic managed landscapes
songbirds
water quality
bryophytes
beetles
white-tailed deer
url https://pubs.cif-ifc.org/doi/10.5558/tfc2024-024
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