Partial harvesting and green tree retention in Canadian boreal mixedwood forests are gradually gaining support from local communities, scientists and forest managers. The shift from a single even-aged management approach based on complete harvesting of the forest overstorey towards a range of approaches that leave behind varying proportions of residual cover is driven by the scientific community as well as by industry responding to governmental and public pressures.
The SAFE Project, a series of experiments within the Lake Duparquet Research and Teaching Forest (LDRTF) in the southern part of the eastern Canadian boreal forest, tests an ecosystem management model based on natural dynamics. This research provides an experimental framework for identifying the range and configuration of partial and selection cuts that will lead to desired regeneration trajectories or conservation objectives and for understanding the productivity implications of these new systems. Studies in the Lake Duparquet Forest (LDRTF), including SAFE, provide an internationally acclaimed model for this approach to boreal forestry. Coarse woody debris (CWD) - snags and downed logs - is part of residual forest ecosystem structures, or legacies, left over from catastrophic disturbances such as fires or insect outbreaks that consume small amounts of wood. The amount of CWD in an ecosystem reflects the balance between inputs through tree mortality and outputs through respiration and export. Forest management activities (harvesting, plantation, thinning) induce changes in the amount, size, distribution, and rate of decomposition of CWD. By physically reducing the amount of well-decomposed downed wood, partial and complete harvesting induce immediate changes in carbon dynamics. In the medium term, (5 to 10 years) further changes in CWD dynamics might be caused by an increase in windthrow due to the opening of the stands or residual tree instability as a result of damage caused during partial harvesting, variations in mortality rates of the residual trees, and changes in decomposition dynamics. The impact of shifting from a single even-aged management to a multi- cohort may have implication on the role of forest as a C sink at the landscape level. The project offers the opportunity to test existing C simulation models such as CBM-CFS and suggest improvement, especially for ephemeral pools such as CWD. The candidate will investigate the relationships between CWD dynamics and the carbon cycle. The suggested work includes: Dynamics of coarse woody debris as a C pool for tree species of the southern boreal forest, using chronosequence of dead boles and litter bags. Stand level dynamics of deadwood following different intensity of harvesting. Implications of the TRIADE management approach to carbon budget at the stand and landscape levels. Each successful applicant will be awarded with a research assistantship of $12,000 to $19,000 per year for 3 years. Students with high academic standing (GPA> or = 80%) are encouraged to pursue scholarships such as NSERC PGS and IPS, and FQRNT (Canadian citizens only). A top-up award is provided to all major scholarship holders. The proposed projects will be implemented in collaboration with the Canadian Forest Service in Quebec and major scholarship holders would also be eligible to the NSERC-SCF supplement. For more information contact : Suzanne Brais Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue 445, boul. de l'Université Rouyn-Noranda (Québec) J9X 5E4 Room D-222 phone : 819-762-0971 #2349 fax : 819-797-4727 e-mail : [EMAIL PROTECTED]
