AB
Canada
Forest dynamics in the Boreal are largely influenced by natural disturbances, in particular wildfire. Consequently, the use of post-disturbance patterns for forest management has been proposed as alternative to conventional clear-cutting, as this approach better preserves forest structure on the landscape and promotes biodiversity, carbon storage and other ecosystem values. The Ecosystem Management Emulating Natural Disturbances (EMEND) project started in 1998 as an effort to test the ecological value of leaving a range of tree retention levels (clearcut, 10%, 20%, 50%, 75%, plus unharvested reference) within cut-blocks. Prescriptions were applied on experimental stands dominated by varying mixtures of broadleaf (mainly trembling aspen) and conifer (mainly white spruce) species in an area close to Peace River.
For this webinar, Linhao Wu and Jaime Pinzon are going to provide a general overview of the EMEND project and discuss the role of retention harvest on carbon dynamics. Our results show that retention harvesting (more than 50%) in all cover types can maintain balance of carbon budget closer to controls than clear-cuts and promote recovery of carbon storage as it seems for biodiversity. Further, they show the importance of post-harvest regeneration and mortality of residual trees for carbon dynamics. Our study demonstrates retention harvesting as a practical forest management approach to benefit carbon sequestration and strengthen carbon sink at boreal forests facing climate change.
Linhao Wu: PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow in Renewable Resources Department at University of Alberta
Jaime Pinzon: PhD, Restoration Ecology Scientist working at Natural Resources Canada