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

在欧洲定居者到来之前，白松林和红松林在整个北方寒带南部、温带和大湖地区都很常见。劳伦斯林区。然而，其历史范围的覆盖范围和范围已显著下降，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和引进疾病（白松锈病）。通过与学术、政府和行业研究人员和实践者的合作，本研究项目的目标是通过模拟商业林业实践中的自然干扰动态，重现相似的条件，从而维持森林的组成、结构、生物多样性和基本生态功能，为位于其分布北部极限的混合和纯白松林和红松林制定可持续管理策略。我们将研究地表火灾、森林管理、云杉芽虫爆发和白松水疱锈病如何影响白松和红松的更新响应，以及这些物种占主导地位的森林中的林分结构和物种组成。我们将确定这些动态在自然干扰、未受干扰和采伐的林分之间的差异。这些森林生态系统具有丰富的生物多样性，因为它们的年龄和结构多样性范围广泛，对木材具有重要的经济价值，对土著社区具有重要的文化和精神价值。我们的方法旨在恢复和增加混合松林在其历史范围内的分布，同时支持加拿大东部高价值木材的可持续生产。这些知识也可以用来建立自然再生阈值的基准，作为各种现有和新的管理策略的一部分；发展或完善再生和演替模式；继续研究气候变化对自然干扰状态、物种和生态系统恢复力以及适应能力的潜在影响。项目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，并在气候变化的情况下制定可持续森林管理战略。

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.