Motorized vehicles for forest plant biodiversity research

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On mesic sites in the boreal plain of western Canada forests are dominated by varying combinations of trembling aspen and white spruce. The relative abundance of these two tree species has important implications for the composition and biodiversity of plants growing in the understory. Thus, there is some concern regarding forest management practices that alter the relative abundance of these two types of tree, in terms of the potential effects on biodiversity. Understory plants are an important component of forest biodiversity, they provide habitat for other biota, and are drivers of ecosystem processes. My research is exploring the influence of the presence of white spruce in mixedwood forest landscapes on understory plant community composition and biodiversity. The equipment requested, including three all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and two trailers to transport them, is necessary to gain access to remote forest locations in northern Alberta, where this research is being conducted.    The following graduate student research projects will benefit from the use of this equipment over the next five years: 1) Post-fire understory community development: An MSc student, working in the House River (2002) wildfire in northern Alberta, will document burn severity and understory plant communities as a function of distance from a burnt aspen or white spruce tree. 2) Temporal development of white spruce influence on the understory: A PhD student will characterize understory plant communities in sites with varying densities of white spruce in wildfires varying in age from 15 to 65 years. 3) Effects of large remnant white spruce on understory plant communities: In aspen-dominated stands that contain large, emergent white spruce trees in the canopy a PhD student will quantify the influence of these trees on understory plant communities, white spruce regeneration, and forest environmental conditions.    The research will contribute to our understanding of factors influencing plant communities in the boreal forest and will also provide information critical for sustainable forest management.