Improving silvicultural systems for mixedwood forests through an evaluation of past, present and future stand responses - natural disturbance compared to harvesting

需要制定生态系统管理做法，以维持我们管理的森林生态系统的生态完整性。这需要我们的森林的自然动态，其自然干扰制度，并比较自然与人为干扰对其结构，功能和组成的影响的良好知识。该项目的重点是制定生态系统管理的做法，在林分一级的南方北方杂木。这种森林类型具有复杂的动态，由于不同的物种组合和各种各样的自然干扰。 我们的总体目标是评估部分采伐在多大程度上产生类似于该地区自然亚灾难性干扰的林分属性，以及在多大程度上部分采伐情景是社会可接受的。我们的方法集成了三个程度的时间感知-过去，现在和未来-和三个互补的方法（回顾性研究，造林试验和林分动态建模）比较两种广泛类型的二次干扰，特别是云杉芽虫爆发和风灾事件（自然）与部分收获（工业）。在1960年至1980年期间受到这些干扰的影响的林分将被清点和比较组成，站立和倒下的结构（活的和死的），干扰和招聘的增长反应。平行于这项研究，造林试验已经建立了不同的部分切割处理（保留，直径限制，间隙削减）和土壤表层干扰林分组成，结构和幼苗招募的影响进行比较。最后，该项目的回顾性和造林试验部分的数据将被用于树级模型SORTIE模拟未来的立场自然和工业干扰的反应进行比较。不同的设想方案将由当地的一些利益集团（林业人员、环境保护者和非木材用途）进行评估。该项目将提供一个框架，在此基础上为这一林区制定创新的造林和管理做法。

The development of ecosystem management practices is required to maintain the ecological integrity of our managed forest ecosystems. This requires a good knowledge of the natural dynamics of our forest, its natural disturbance regime, and a comparison of the effects of natural vs. human-induced disturbances on its structure, function and composition. This project focuses on developing ecosystem management practices at the stand-level for a southern boreal mixewood. This forest type has complex dynamics due a diverse species mix and a large variety of natural disturbances.  Our general objective is to evaluate the extent to which partial cutting generates stand attributes similar to natural sub-catastrophic disturbances in this region and to what extent partial harvesting scenarios are socially acceptable. Our approach integrates three degrees of temporal perception - past, present and future - and three complementary methodological approaches (retrospective studies, silvicultural trials and stand dynamics modelling) to compare two broad types of secondary disturbances, specifically spruce budworm outbreaks and windthrow events (natural) with partial harvesting (industrial). Stands that have been affected by either of these disturbances between 1960 and 1980 will be inventoried and compared for composition, standing and fallen structures (live and dead), growth response to disturbance and recruitment. Parallel to this study, silvicultural trials have been established to compare the effects of different partial cutting treatments (retention, diameter limit, gap cuts) and soil surface-layer disturbances on stand composition, structure and seedling recruitment. Finally, data from both the retrospective and silvicultural trial components of this project will be used in the tree-level model SORTIE for comparisons of simulated future stand responses to both natural and industrial disturbances. The different scenarios will then be evaluated by a number of local interest groups (foresters, environmentalists and non-timber uses). The project will provide a framework upon which innovative silvicultural and management practices will be developed for this forest region.