An integrated multi-trophic assessment of the impact of biomass harvesting on forest sustainability

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The forest bioenergy sector is developing rapidly across Canada, and harvesting residues are emerging as an important source of industrial feedstock. The bioenergy sector has the potential for many social and economic benefits, including new and diversified markets and renewable sources of energy. Despite these benefits, there is concern regarding the potential impacts of biomass harvesting on the future sustainability of this resource. Knowledge on the impact of biomass harvesting on biodiversity has been identified as an urgent need by a wide range of members of the bioenergy sector, including forest managers, NGOs, and university and government researchers. Through our partnerships with industry, government, and academia, we have put together a multi-disciplinary team of researchers to examine the issue. We propose an innovative approach to examine the effects of biomass harvesting intensities on boreal forest biodiversity and its linkage to soil properties and site productivity. This work is unique as it will study a broad range of key taxa (soil microbes, soil microarthropods, surface macroarthropods, and vegetation) that are important links in the food-chain and hence linked to nutrient cycling and site productivity. The results will be interpreted both for individual taxa and in an integrated ecosystem level assessment. Such information is crucial to the development of thresholds of sustainable biomass removal. The results of this study will directly inform provincial guideline development on biomass harvesting practices, guide industrial bioenergy harvest strategies and forest certification standards, and influence the direction of research in Canada. Ultimately, forest management based on strong science is required if Canada is to access a wide range of new international markets and remain competitive, thus benefiting the Canadian economy and society.