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Old Forest Project

Why are Old Forests important? 

Over the past four centuries, little of Nova Scotia’s forested areas have escaped human influences. The outcome has been a proliferation of relatively young, even-aged, early successional forest types across an increasingly fragmented landscape. Less than 1% of Nova Scotia’s forest cover remains as old forest, which makes it increasingly difficult to maintain ecological connectivity between them. Old forests are a vital component of the forest ecosystem and biodiversity; they are important habitat for wildlife including mosses, lichens, cavity nesting birds and mammals. Most of Nova Scotia’s forest land (70%) is privately owned with almost half in small private holdings. Small private landowners must be included in collaborative work to maintain landscape connectivity, conserve biodiversity and restore old forests in western Nova Scotia. The development of private landowner stewardship requires an understanding of landowner knowledge and values about managing old forests and their active participation in research and management activities.

Project Objectives

The Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve includes small amounts of old forests on private and public woodlands. While other projects have investigated old forests on large private woodlands, public crown lands and in protected areas, MTRI has been working with landowners of small private woodlands to achieve the following objectives:

• To conduct a local survey to better understand woodlot owners’ values and attitudes towards old forests.

• To find and characterize old forest features and map and inventory old forest stands on small privately owned land in northern Queens County and southern Annapolis County.

• To assist woodland owners with the creation of management plans for their woodlands that promote restoration of old forest characteristics. 

• To promote stewardship of old forests on private land by utilizing research findings to design communication outreach interventions. 

   

 Methods

Check out a video showing some of the techniques
used by our researchers in the field! 

•  Potential old forest stands in a ~50,000 hectare area were surveyed with GIS using Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources (NSDNR) Forest Inventory database, and also using Land Registry information provided by Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations.

• Queries were developed in ArcMap to identify, in order of priority: (i) tolerant hardwoods stands; (ii) coniferous stands; and (iii) lower quality coniferous and hardwood stands. These queries included height restrictions according to species and a minimum one hectare forest stand.

• At each site, sample points were randomly selected where parameter measurements were taken including tree species, age, height and coarse woody debris using NSDNR’s Old Forest Scoresheet. Stewardship work with landowners was undertaken to assess interest in management plans and the prospects of restoration on their woodlands.

• Educational talks with landowners and other members of the community were also undertaken.

• A GIS map and information database for public and private old forests was initiated.
  

   

Results

• Eighty percent of respondents were somewhat to very concerned with the decline of old-growth forests in Nova Scotia.

• All respondents considered old-growth forests to be an important part of our natural heritage and important habitat for wildlife.

• Eighty-nine percent of landowners claimed they were interested in restoring old-growth forest features on their land and half had already attempted to do so.

• Eighteen letters were sent to landowners with potential old forest to explain the project and ask permission to visit their woodlands. Fifteen landowners were contacted by telephone to discuss potential old forests on their woodlands. 

• Thirteen new sites were identified on small private land. Twenty-five plots were set up on these sites. The average score for these plots was calculated at 43%. The lowest score feature was dead woody debris averaging 4/15 and is a result of past anthropogenic disturbances such as fire and logging.

• The oldest tree on private land was 225+ years old and was 50 cm in diameter. The oldest tree on public land was 352+ years old and was also 50 cm in diameter.

• Twelve land owners expressed interest in management plans after being engaged in discussions either at their properties or on the telephone.

   

   

Years of Data

• Ongoing project since September 2006

Partners

• Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute

• Private Landowners

• Environment Canada EcoAction Program

• Sage Environment Fund

• Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources

• Nova Forest Alliance

• Bowater Mersey Paper Company

• Dalhousie University

• Nova Scotia Community College

• Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Labour

• Natural Resources Canada

• Nova Scotia Nature Trust

• Parks Canada

• Mountain Equipment Co-op

• Esri

  Additional Resources

• MTRI Old Forest Poster

• Old Growth Forests, Nova Scotia Nature Trust Publication, Spring 2000 - 159 Kb

• Old Growth Forests of the Acadian Forest Region, Mosseler et al. (2003) Environmental Reviews, National Research Council of Canada Publication - 6.7 Mb

• Old Growth Definitions and Management: A Literature Review (2007)               BC Journal of Ecosystem and Management - 228 Kb

• Selected Nova Scotia Old Growth Forest: Age, Ecology, Structure, Scoring Stewart et al. (2003), The Forestry Chronicle - 1.7 Mb

• The Acadian Forest: Historical Impacts and Human Impacts, Loo & Ives (2003)   The Forestry Chronicle - 239 Kb

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