Experimental manipulation of habitat structures in intensively managed spruce plantations to increase conservation value

在未来几十年里，加拿大至少有一部分森林将继续加强森林管理。一种批评是，种植的林分被“消毒”了，结构多样性更少，物种更少，倒下和站立的枯木也被清除了。人们通常关注的是枯木的缺乏和林下物种多样性的减少。这项研究将确定在人工林轮作的早期，关键生境结构对动植物类群的影响，从而对关键生态系统过程的影响，以及如何将这些影响纳入管理战略。我们关注的是与枯木和间伐反应有明确联系的分类群，即直接依赖枯木的无脊椎动物、苔藓植物和鸟类物种，对干扰敏感的地面植被物种，以及在人工林中观察到密度低的小型哺乳动物物种。我们将实验性地操纵栖息地结构元素

At least part of Canada's forest will sustain intensification of forest management over the next decades. A criticism is that planted stands are 'sanitized', with less structural diversity, fewer species, and removal of downed and standing deadwood. Concerns are typically focused on paucity of deadwood and reduced species diversity in the overstory. This research will determine the influence of key habitat structures, early in the rotation of planted stands, on animal and plant taxa and thereby on key ecosystem processes, and how these can be incorporated into management strategy. We are focusing on taxa that have a clear connection to deadwood and thinning response - namely invertebrates, bryophytes, and bird species that are directly dependent upon deadwood, ground vegetation species sensitive to disturbance, and small mammal species that have been observed to have low density in planted stands. We will experimentally manipulate habitat structure elements