Probing for climate change stressors in managed Jack Pine stands: Implications for forestry and forest management

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Domtar is the largest marketer and manufacturer of uncoated freesheet paper in North America and second largest in the world. The business relies on wood fibre to produce its' pulp and paper products. It also produces lumber and is involved in the management of forest resources. An area of uncertainty in sustainable forest management is how harvesting and follow-up silviculture might affect water availability and use and therefore the growth of trees, particularly in the face of climate change, that are the future supply of wood. Research that addresses key uncertainties in this area would thus be valuable to Domtar to improve cost-effectiveness in production and in sustainable forest management. In this project we will combine tree-ring analysis (growth rates from basal area increments) with carbon isotope based water use efficiency analysis to examine how trees in jack pine stands under different management history respond to various stressors including climate change. The information gained from a combination of these analyses can help (1) verify perturbation history, (2) establish the response of pine trees to different intensities and duration of perturbation, (3) identify whether forests are likely to be stressed directly by climate (water, temperature) or if some other stressor may be present and (4) present recommendations for future management to increase productivity under climate change scenarios.