Regeneration dynamics of mixed pine forests following surface fires: developing an ecosystem-based forest management strategy for Eastern Canada (PINEFIRE).

在欧洲殖民者到来之前，白色和红色松树林在整个南部北方、温带和大湖-圣劳伦斯森林地区很常见。然而，其历史范围内的覆盖面和范围已显着下降，主要是由于火灾制度的变化（抑制），不可持续的森林管理做法，并引入疾病（白松锈病）。通过与学术、政府和行业研究人员和从业人员的合作，本研究项目的目标是为位于其分布北方界限的混合和纯白色和红松林制定可持续管理战略，通过在商业林业实践中模拟自然干扰动态，以重现类似条件，从而保持森林组成、结构、生物多样性和基本生态功能。我们将研究如何地表火灾，森林管理，云杉芽虫爆发，和白松疱锈病影响的再生反应的白色和红松，以及结构和物种组成的立场在森林中占主导地位的这些物种。我们将确定这些动态之间的不同自然干扰，不受干扰，和收获的立场。这些森林生态系统因其年龄和结构多样性的广泛差异而具有丰富的生物多样性，对木材具有重要的经济价值，对土著社区具有巨大的文化和精神价值。 我们的方法旨在恢复和增加其历史范围内的混合松林的分布，同时支持加拿大东部高价值木材的可持续生产。这些知识还可用于建立自然更新阈值的基准，作为各种现有和新的管理战略的一部分;开发或完善更新和演替模型;继续研究气候变化对自然干扰机制、物种和生态系统恢复力以及适应能力的潜在影响。该项目的成果将改善加拿大森林资源的管理，有助于量化未来的木材供应，并制定可持续森林管理战略，以应对气候变化。

Before the arrival of European settlers, white and red pine forests were common throughout the southern boreal, temperate, and Great Lakes-St. Lawrence forest region. However, the cover and extent across their historic range has significantly declined, primarily due to changes in fire regime (suppression), unsustainable forest management practices, and introduced disease (white pine rust). Through collaboration with academic, governmental, and industry researchers and practitioners, the goal of this research project is to develop a sustainable management strategy for mixed and pure white and red pine forests located at the northern limit of their distribution, by emulating natural disturbance dynamics during commercial forestry practices to recreate similar conditions, thereby maintaining forest composition, structure, biological diversity and essential ecological functions. We will examine how surface fires, forest management, spruce budworm outbreaks, and white pine blister rust affect the regeneration response of white and red pine, and the structure and species composition of stands in forests dominated by these species. We will determine how these dynamics differ among naturally-disturbed, undisturbed, and harvested stands. These forest ecosystems are rich in biodiversity due to their wide range in age and structural diversity, are of significant economic value for timber, and of great cultural and spiritual value for indigenous communities. Our approach aims to restore and increase the distribution of mixed pine forests within their historical range, while supporting sustainable production of high-value timber in Eastern Canada. This knowledge can also be used to establish benchmarks for natural regeneration thresholds as part of various existing and novel management strategies; to develop or refine models of regeneration and succession; and to continue research on the potential effects of climate change on natural disturbance regime, species and ecosystem resilience, and adaptive capacity. The project results will improve the management of Canadian forest resources, contribute to the quantification of the future timber availability, and the development of sustainable forest management strategies in the face of climate change.