Recovery rates of white spruce and balsam fir on seismic lines in NW Alberta, Canada

被引：0
作者：
Jones, Caren [1 ]
Kononovs, Daniels [1 ]
Trepanier, Kaitlyn [1 ]
Harvey, Jill [2 ]
Petty, Aaron [3 ]
Degenhardt, Dani [1 ]
机构：
[1] Canadian Forest Serv, Nat Resources Canada, Northern Forestry Ctr, Edmonton, AB T6H 3S5, Canada
[2] Thompson Rivers Univ, Kamloops, BC V2C 0C8, Canada
[3] Alberta Environm & Protected Areas, Edmonton, AB T5K 2G8, Canada
来源：
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF FOREST RESEARCH | 2025年 / 55卷
关键词：
seismic line; linear disturbance; boreal forest; mixedwood growth model; WOODLAND CARIBOU; BOREAL; MOVEMENT; FEATURES; IMPACTS; GROWTH;
D O I：
10.1139/cjfr-2024-0161
中图分类号：
S7 [林业];
学科分类号：
0829 ; 0907 ;
摘要：
Anthropogenic disturbances have marked Alberta's boreal forest with an extensive network of seismic lines. These are linear disturbances (3-10 m wide) created during oil and gas exploration that have fragmented woodland caribou habitat, resulting in the loss and degradation of ecosystem services. The natural regeneration of trees on seismic lines can support predator-use reduction in caribou habitats; for this reason, 3 m tall trees at a minimum density of 2000 stems per hectare (sph) has been cited as the target for seismic line recovery. However, there is currently no regulatory requirement for their restoration. As such, there is limited baseline ecological knowledge of natural forest recovery on seismic lines, including the rate of tree regrowth. This study aimed to fill this gap by comparing the growth of two common conifer species, white spruce and balsam fir, on seismic lines to trees in the adjacent, mature forest in an upland conifer mixedwood stand located in northwest Alberta. The results showed that white spruce and balsam fir regenerating on seismic lines will take approximately 30-50 years to reach the 3 m tall and 2000 sph criteria, which should support predator-use reduction of seismic lines. It is difficult to determine whether the regeneration rate on seismic lines will be impactful to the restoration of the woodland caribou habitat; this impact will be further investigated in modelling exercises for land use planning purposes.
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页数：16
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