Balsam Fir-Yellow Birch Forest Succession in the Lower St. Lawrence Region

In Quebec, the bioclimatic zone of balsam fir-yellow birch covers an area of 94,768 km². Some of the forest cover types in the area, such as balsam fir-yellow birch, are among the most productive in Quebec. Fire, harvesting and spruce budworm outbreaks are the main disturbance types that affect the dynamics of balsam fir-yellow Birch ecosystems. However, little is known about the effect of these disturbances on forest succession.

The aim of this study was so identified the post-fire and post-clearcut patterns of succession encountered on mesic sites in the balsam fir-yellow birch bioclimatic zone of the Lower St. Lawrence region.