GREATER FUNDY ECOSYSTEM RESEARCH PROJECT

UNB Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management

Forest Management Guidelines to Protect
Native Biodiversity in the Fundy Model Forest

Landscape Level Considerations

Roads

Roads affect biodiversity by changing habitat, fragmenting contiguous forest, and increasing access to a site or area (e.g. McGurk and Fong, 1995). From a timber perspective, they are required for forest harvesting and silvicultural activities such as thinning and planting. The maintenance of roads is also valuable for accessing and controlling forest fires.

Road networks allow silviculture and fire control
but also influence wildlife movement and permit
uncontrolled access for recreational uses
(Photo: G. Forbes)

The provincial guidelines suggest that a maximum of 10% of an area be in road condition. We believe that the indirect impacts of forest roads, which allow increased access to wildlife and result in fragmentation of the forest, warrant the development of guidelines that promote biodiversity without constraining timber values.

Our guidelines recommend:

1. maximum of 0.58 km roads/km2;
2. a policy to limit road construction to the lowest density possible. This guideline also reflects timber interests to limit the cost of road construction;
3. closure of most roads not required for ongoing silvicultural activities;
4. avoidance of stream crossings;
5. avoidance of loop networks of roads that promote easy access to areas with little relative effort.

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/roads.htm