Forest Practices Around Forest Practices Around North BayNorth Bay

Fred Pinto, 1st Vice President

Canadian Institute of Forestry

QuestionsQuestions• What product is best for the

environment:– Steel– Concrete– Wood

• Should we use fiber from hemp or trees to make paper?

Life cycle analysis

Common Natural Common Natural DisturbancesDisturbances

• FireFire::

– Thin from belowThin from below

– Larger trees more likely Larger trees more likely to surviveto survive

• Surface fire: Most common Surface fire: Most common by far!by far!

White pine adaptationsWhite pine adaptationsWhite pine adaptationsWhite pine adaptations

• thick barkthick barktall - tall - crowns crowns held high held high above above groundground

seed seed do not do not storestore

roots roots grow grow deepdeep

Surface fires and moderate to intense wind events

Surface fires and moderate to intense wind events

Balsam fir (Balsam fir (Abies balsameaAbies balsamea (L.) Mill.) adaptations(L.) Mill.) adaptations

Balsam fir (Balsam fir (Abies balsameaAbies balsamea (L.) Mill.) adaptations(L.) Mill.) adaptations

• thin bark, lots of resin

• short

• seeds: abundant and frequent

ResultsResultsResultsResults

Fire• Small white pine

killed, large trees may survive

• Balsam fir killed, survivors seed in

• Poplar killed, can sucker back and seed in

Logging• White pine: large

trees killed, some small survive

• Balsam: most survive

• Poplar: some survive, profuse suckering

Change in White & Red Pine

What do we do?What do we do?• Assume that an ecosystem is a helicopter

• As we remove parts we are prone to a crash

• Laws in Ontario requires us to ensure forests are sustainable

• If nature is sustainable we can try and copy nature in our activities

ClearcutClearcutClearcutClearcutShelterwoodShelterwoodor Selectionor Selection

4-Cut 4-Cut ShelterwoodShelterwood

3-Cut 3-Cut ShelterwoodShelterwood

Disturbance Intensity Disturbance Intensity ContinuumContinuum

Seed treeSeed tree StandardsStandards

Make it OperationalMake it Operational• Private enterprise ;

– plans

– implements treatments

• Government role: – laws

– research,

– development of guidelines and standards

• Partial harvest silviculture on provincial public land delivered by certified tree markers– 1,300 trained over 12 yrs.

The eyes and hands in the forest

Certified tree markersCertified tree markers

• Training at community college or a 1 week course

• Pass:– Written test– 3 Practical tests– Field audit– Refresher course and test every

5 years

Make it PracticalMake it Practical

Before harvest

After harvest

Harvest system for White Pine

Abundant White Pine

Some Sugar Maple Some Sugar Maple AdaptationsAdaptations

Frequent Frequent seed cropseed crop

Seedling Seedling banksbanks

SproutsSproutsLow to moderate wind events

Low to moderate wind events

SelectionSelection

Single Tree Selection

AGS

UGS

Stand Quality Improves Stand Quality Improves Following Selection HarvestFollowing Selection Harvest

AGS

UGS

AGS

UGS

70%

30%

Pre-harvest

1st entry Post-harvest

43%57%

2nd entry Post-harvest

62%38%

What about the birds and What about the birds and bugs and …bugs and …

• Name the species of vertebrates that are negatively impacted by current forest operations in Ontario.

Forest or Landscape

Timber Timber Supply Supply and and Wildlife Wildlife Habitat Habitat ModelModelllinging

Model outputsModel outputs

0

20000

40000

60000

80000

100000

120000

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Term

Mart

en

Hab

itat

In the StandIn the Stand