Adapting forest management to forest fires – some options to explore for the boreal forest

The Canadian 2023 forest fire season has been of such magnitude that it forces us to think deeply about forest management as it is currently practiced in the Canadian boreal forest. As similar events are likely to recur in upcoming years, we must reflect on management practices to better cope with t...

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Main Authors: Jean-Pierre Jetté, Alain Leduc, Sylvie Gauthier, Yves Bergeron
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Canadian Institute of Forestry 2025-08-01
Series:The Forestry Chronicle
Subjects:
Online Access:https://pubs.cif-ifc.org/doi/10.5558/tfc2024-022
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author Jean-Pierre Jetté
Alain Leduc
Sylvie Gauthier
Yves Bergeron
author_facet Jean-Pierre Jetté
Alain Leduc
Sylvie Gauthier
Yves Bergeron
author_sort Jean-Pierre Jetté
collection DOAJ
description The Canadian 2023 forest fire season has been of such magnitude that it forces us to think deeply about forest management as it is currently practiced in the Canadian boreal forest. As similar events are likely to recur in upcoming years, we must reflect on management practices to better cope with these risks and mitigate their consequences. Focussing on the Québec situation, we discussed six general options as contributions to the debate on an adaptation strategy to face increasing forest fire risks in the boreal forest. To attenuate the harmful consequences of future fire activity in the boreal forest, we suggest that the maintenance of the natural resilience mechanism, the protection of communities and key infrastructures and the deployment of a test ground for assessing potential adaptation practices are options that need to be considered. We also propose that fire risk be considered a priori in wood supply planning and silvicultural investments, as well as an industrial transition for the forest-dependent communities.
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spelling doaj-art-bf8609d8263e4b589d833efca2a265842025-08-20T04:02:28ZengCanadian Institute of ForestryThe Forestry Chronicle0015-75461499-93152025-08-011011192610.5558/tfc2024-022Adapting forest management to forest fires – some options to explore for the boreal forestJean-Pierre Jetté0Alain Leduc1Sylvie Gauthier2Yves Bergeron3Independent Professional Forester 570 7e rang, Armagh, Québec, G0R 1A0.Associate Professor, Centre d’étude de la forêt, Université du Québec à Montréal, CP 8888, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, Qc, H3C 3P8;Emeritus Research Scientist, Natural Resources Canada, Laurentian Forestry Center, 1055 rue du PEPS, Québec, Québec G1V 4C7Professor Emeritus, UQAM-UQAT Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Institut de recherche sur les forêts (IRF), 445, Boulevard de l’Université, Rouyn-Noranda (Québec), J9X 5E4, CANADAet Université du Québec à Montréal, Centre d’étude de la forêt, C.P. 8888.Succursale Centre-Ville, Montréal (Québec), H3C 3P8, CANADAThe Canadian 2023 forest fire season has been of such magnitude that it forces us to think deeply about forest management as it is currently practiced in the Canadian boreal forest. As similar events are likely to recur in upcoming years, we must reflect on management practices to better cope with these risks and mitigate their consequences. Focussing on the Québec situation, we discussed six general options as contributions to the debate on an adaptation strategy to face increasing forest fire risks in the boreal forest. To attenuate the harmful consequences of future fire activity in the boreal forest, we suggest that the maintenance of the natural resilience mechanism, the protection of communities and key infrastructures and the deployment of a test ground for assessing potential adaptation practices are options that need to be considered. We also propose that fire risk be considered a priori in wood supply planning and silvicultural investments, as well as an industrial transition for the forest-dependent communities.https://pubs.cif-ifc.org/doi/10.5558/tfc2024-022adaptationclimate changeforest managementwildfireadaptationchangements climatiques
spellingShingle Jean-Pierre Jetté
Alain Leduc
Sylvie Gauthier
Yves Bergeron
Adapting forest management to forest fires – some options to explore for the boreal forest
The Forestry Chronicle
adaptation
climate change
forest management
wildfire
adaptation
changements climatiques
title Adapting forest management to forest fires – some options to explore for the boreal forest
title_full Adapting forest management to forest fires – some options to explore for the boreal forest
title_fullStr Adapting forest management to forest fires – some options to explore for the boreal forest
title_full_unstemmed Adapting forest management to forest fires – some options to explore for the boreal forest
title_short Adapting forest management to forest fires – some options to explore for the boreal forest
title_sort adapting forest management to forest fires some options to explore for the boreal forest
topic adaptation
climate change
forest management
wildfire
adaptation
changements climatiques
url https://pubs.cif-ifc.org/doi/10.5558/tfc2024-022
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AT sylviegauthier adaptingforestmanagementtoforestfiressomeoptionstoexplorefortheborealforest
AT yvesbergeron adaptingforestmanagementtoforestfiressomeoptionstoexplorefortheborealforest