GREATER FUNDY ECOSYSTEM RESEARCH PROJECT
UNB Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management
Forest Management Guidelines to Protect
Native Biodiversity in the Fundy Model Forest
Eastern Lowlands Ecoregion
(Petitcodiac River - Ecodistrict 30)
Harvest Pattern:
The disturbance regime in this ecodistrict is related to Spruce Budworm and fire (stand-replacing) and wind/disease (gap-replacing). We recommend clearcut harvest (on Black Spruce-Balsam Fir stands) and modified "3-pass" shelterwood harvest (Red Spruce stands) on even-aged conifer sites and selection harvest on hardwoods. Adjacency rules established by DNRE should be followed.
Cut Block Size:
On stand-replacing sites, cut size should be 25-50 ha over 10-15 years within a 375-500 ha operating block. On gap-replacing sites, selection cuts are not limited by size as long as they maintain closed canopy cover (greater than 60%), and a mixed-age distribution of overstory trees.
|
|
Connectivity:
300 m wide and less than 3 km long corridors. Harvest within the corridors follows DNRE Water Course Buffer Guidelines but with a minimum 35% crown closure and minimum canopy height of 12 m.
Water Course Buffers:
Follow existing DNRE Water Course Buffer Guidelines for delineation and operation activity and add the following: 1) begin 60 m buffer at the site where slope less than 20; 2) the harvest schedule must retain a range of size classes within the buffer.
Mature Provisions:
Note: Since restoration of existing agricultural areas to forest is unlikely, agricultural lands are not considered in calculations for historical abundance.
Forest communities requiring mature provisions in this ecodistrict are:
- CONIFER (=BSRS, BSJP, BS) = 1613 ha
- CEDAR (=EC) = 538 ha
- MIXED (=RMMX) = 1075 ha
Size of Mature Patches:
The goal is a minimum patch size of 375 ha for all community types. For CEDAR, large Cedar patches presently are rare but need protection and restoration. Some of these areas may exist as recognised deer wintering areas. For MIXED, large patches of Red Maple mixed-forest are rare and mature provisions can only be met with harvesting that leads to restoration of this community.
Protected Areas:
Follow those protected areas delineated by the Province and the gap analysis project.
Snag Retention:
On selection cut sites, leave a minimum 12-15 standing dead trees greater than 20 cm dbh/ha and 12-15 live or partially dead Aspen or Beech greater than 25 cm dbh/ha.
On small clearcuts (less than 5 ha) leave a minimum of 12-15 greater than 25 cm dbh trees/ha, preferably in clumps.
On large clearcuts (greater than 5 ha) leave scattered clumps of live coniferous and deciduous trees. Trees greater than 25 cm dbh are preferred.
Species of Concern:
Hemlock and Cedar were once much more common in this ecodistrict. Harvest of Hemlock should be eliminated and harvest of Cedar should be restricted to shelterwood cuts. A number of species such as Ironwood were also more common. These trees should be left during selection harvests.
Go to Guidelines for:
Continental Lowlands Ecoregion (Anagance Ridge - Ecodistrict 29)
Southern Uplands Ecoregion (Fundy Highlands/Plateau - Ecodistrict 12)
Fundy Coastal Ecoregion (Fundy Coastal - Ecodistrict 32)
Return to Table of Contents
The UNB Forestry Home Page
Information provided by:
Dr. Graham Forbes
Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management at UNB
Last Update: Dec 17, 1997
This document: http://www.unb.ca/web/forestry/centers/cwru/ecodis30.htm