Adaptive forest management through EMEND (Ecosystem Management Emulating Natural Disturbance)

EMEND（Ecosystem-based Management Emulating Natural Disturbance）是一个关于北方森林动态的大规模长期实验，位于西北阿尔伯塔。该项目采用了四种创新的采伐处理方法，标准的加拿大皆伐和两种规定的火处理方法，对四种覆盖类型的业务规模的区块进行处理，代表了北方混合木材的演替顺序。自1999年以来一直在进行灾后恢复。我们的目标是比较可变保留收获后的系统恢复与皆伐和自然干扰后观察到的，与通过监测从未砍伐森林建立的基线条件。EMEND结果提高i）西部北方森林生物多样性的理解（我们相信这是加拿大最完整的单点清单），ii）这些物种如何相互作用，iii）这些连接和非生物环境的联系导致的生态系统动态。我们运用这些知识帮助我们的合作伙伴更可持续、更有效地管理树冠林地。该提案结合了植物，微生物，无脊椎动物和脊椎动物生物多样性如何应对自然和人为干扰，以及这些影响如何反过来与野火，营养循环，碳储存和森林生产力等自然过程相关联。在此提议的次级项目都集中于加拿大森林部长理事会提出的加拿大可持续森林管理六项标准中的一项或多项。这项工作将帮助我们的合作伙伴制定和实施符合这些标准的森林管理计划。这些分项目为研究生和本科生提供了接受教育的机会，同时在多学科环境中进行有益的研究，其特点是来自几个机构的研究提供者和用户之间进行广泛的互动。结果将有助于合作伙伴努力确保公众接受其业务，并赢得和保持可持续生产的木材产品的市场份额。因此，该研究有助于维护加拿大人珍视的森林价值和生态系统服务，并帮助加拿大的旗舰产业保持全球竞争力。

EMEND (Ecosystem-based Management Emulating Natural Disturbance) is a large-scale and long-term experiment about boreal forest dynamics located in NW Alberta. The project has imposed four innovative harvest treatments, standard Canadian clear-cuts and two prescribed fire treatments on operational-sized blocks in four cover-types representing the successional sequence of the boreal mixedwood. Post-disturbance recovery has been followed since 1999. We aim to compare system recovery after variable retention harvest with that observed after both clear-cutting and natural disturbance, in relation to baseline conditions established by monitoring never-cut forest. EMEND results improve i) understanding of biodiversity in the western boreal forest (we believe it is the most complete single site inventory in Canada), ii) how these species interact with each other, and iii) the ecological system dynamics that result from these connections and from linkage to the abiotic environment. We apply this knowledge to help our partners manage crown forest lands more sustainably and efficiently. This proposal couples work about how plant, microbial, invertebrate, and vertebrate biodiversity responds to both natural and anthropogenic disturbance and how these effects, in turn, are linked to natural processes like wildfire, nutrient cycling, carbon storage and forest productivity. The subprojects proposed here are all focused on one or more of the six criteria for sustainable forest management in Canada, as laid out by the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers. The work will help our partners develop and implement forest management plans that satisfy these criteria. The subprojects provide opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students to be educated while generating useful research in a multidisciplinary environment characterized by extensive interaction among research providers and users from several agencies. Results will contribute to partner efforts to ensure public acceptance of their operations, and to win and maintain market share for sustainably produced wood products. Hence the research contributes to maintaining forest values and ecosystem services prized by Canadians, and helps a flagship Canadian industry remain globally competitive.