Alternative silvicultural approaches for maintaining biodiversity in black-spruce zone of Western Quebec

部分砍伐作为保持生物多样性和古老特征的手段的有效性在加拿大北方森林得到了广泛的宣传。然而，东部粘土带地区黑云杉/羽毛林的沼泽化（苔藓等有机物质积累，从而降低土壤pH值，提高地下水位的过程）的相对重要性，对可持续森林管理的发展和部分采伐的实施提出了独特的挑战。在这里，我们提出了第二阶段的研究，在一个既定的，实验网络的部分采伐林分（Abitibi部分采伐网络），将1）评估森林的长期反应，如收获后5年和10年的生长、生产力和树木死亡率的变化，2）量化重要结构元素（如粗木质材料（CWM）和其他形式的枯木）的沉积和分解的完整循环3）评估节肢动物生物多样性对林分结构变化和水煤浆组成变化的反应，特别注意它们在与小型哺乳动物及其捕食者（包括美国貂）的营养相互作用中的功能作用（Martes americana），以及5）介导分解和养分循环的作用。这一项目的成果将继续有助于发展可行的造林替代办法和可持续森林管理办法，这对维持森林资源的木材和非木材价值是必要的。

The effectiveness of partial cutting as means to maintain biodiversity and old-growth characteristics has been widely advocated throughout Canada's boreal forests. However, the relative importance of paludification (a process where organic material such as mosses accumulate and thus decrease soil pH and raise the water table) in black-spruce/feathermoss forests of the eastern clay-belt region present a unique challenge for the development of sustainable forest management and the implementation of partial cutting. Here we propose the second phase of research in an established, experimental network of partial harvested stands (Partial Cutting Network in Abitibi) located in Western Québec that will 1) evaluate the longer-term response of forest stands such as changes in growth, productivity and tree mortality 5 and 10 years following harvest, 2) quantify the complete cycle of deposition and decomposition of important structural elements such as coarse woody material (CWM) and other forms of dead wood 3) evaluate the response of arthropod biodiversity to both stand structural changes and changes in CWM composition with special attention to their functional roles in 4) trophic interactions with small mammals and their predators including the American marten (Martes americana), as well as 5) there role mediating decomposition and nutrient cycling. Results from this project will continue to help the development of viable silvicultural alternatives and approaches to sustainable forest management that will be necessary to maintain both timber and non-timber values within the