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Great Lakes Forestry Centre (GLFC)

 

Issue 52, November 2024

Comings and goings

Overview

Welcome to all new employees and farewell to a retiree.

John Huber, a well-known Ottawa-based insect taxonomist with the Great Lakes Forestry Centre (GFLC), retired in May.

Laura Scott has recently joined the ForSITE team as a Regional Liaison Officer at GLFC, working within the Forest Ecosystem Division. She comes from Dr. Isabelle Aubin’s lab where she worked as a forest biologist for over 2 years.

Jamie Dearnley was the successful candidate in the recent Analytical Chemistry Lab Manager competitive process.

Danielle Greco has recently been appointed permanently into her Forest Ecologist position.

Dr. Ben Filewod has joined GLFC (based out of HQ – Ottawa) as a forest economist working on the Forest Degradation program (ForSITE) and other large-scale issues such as carbon.

Tyler Rudolph has also been hired as a Forest Integrity Specialist reporting to Dr. Filewod.

Congratulations to everyone!

 

Canadian Forest Service turns 125!

Overview

“It’s time to celebrate, as the CFS turns 125 this year” says Glenn Hargrove, Assistant Deputy Minister – Canadian Forest Service (CFS)

logo - 125th anniversary of the CFS/125e anniversaire du SCF

In an e-mail to all staff, Glenn provided the following comments:

“On this anniversary, it is important to acknowledge that Canada’s forests have been nurtured by Indigenous Peoples for thousands of years. CFS researchers, technicians, scientists, policymakers and management — all of our employees — continue to weave traditional knowledge with next-generation innovation, ensuring a legacy that will endure.

It is interesting to reflect on the fact that the CFS — which has gone through a number of name changes — started out with a focus on wildfires and tree planting. The former shines the spotlight on us today, and the latter exemplifies our commitment to the future.

As well, many of our regional centres were built to address pest outbreaks. As climate change continues its path, our research into native and invasive species, including our herbariums, insectariums, xylariums and the National Tree Seed Centre will remain more than relevant: they will be vital for generations to come.

A work force to be reckoned with, here’s to continuing to reflect the resilience and diversity of the land and people we are gifted with serving. We will continue to contribute our policies, programs and science to support sustainable forest management, and innovation, across the country.”

 

Natural Resources Canada’s (NRCan’s) new Open Science and Technology Repository launched in February

Overview

The Open Science and Technology Repository (OSTR) replaces GEOSCAN and the CFS publications database.

The new OSTR will provide long-term storage for, access to, and preservation of NRCan’s scientific and technical publications. It will help NRCan meet its open science commitments by facilitating the discovery of NRCan’s science and technical publications through searching and harvesting.

Follow this link to the new site Open Science and Technology Repository

 

NRCan’s Indigenous Forestry Initiative is going strong

Overview

The Indigenous Forestry Initiative continues to advance reconciliation in the forest sector.

Since the late 1980s, GLFC has been home to the Indigenous Forestry Initiative (IFI) for the Ontario Region. Initially, the program funded small discrete projects within communities but expanded to support collaboration with other partners to accomplish larger goals.

The objective of the IFI is to advance reconciliation in the forest sector by supporting indigenous-identified priorities to accelerate Indigenous awareness, influence, inclusion, and leadership. In September 2023, the Government of Canada announced a 3-year, $16.6 million renewal of the IFI program and also expanded the IFI’s mandate beyond economic development to also support Indigenous-identified priorities in knowledge and science and forest stewardship.

The IFI provides financial support to indigenous-inclusion and Indigenous-led activities in the forest sector, such as: the gathering, development, use and protection of Indigenous knowledge and science; Indigenous leadership and participation in forest stewardship; and the identification, consideration, and pursuit of economic development opportunities.

The IFI now also offers grants (up to $50,000) for Indigenous communities and other entities that hold collective Indigenous and/or Treaty rights. Grants are smaller and more quickly approved. Projects range widely geographically and cover many different activities. For example, Nokiiwin Tribal Council (Thunder Bay) is partnering elders with youth to map traditional plants and areas of importance and Thessalon First Nation is developing maps and databases for culturally significant areas to safeguard the integrity of traditional knowledge. In Larder Lake, a project is being undertaken to reduce waste in harvesting and repurpose storm-fallen trees. Further south, Grand River Employment and Training (Six Nations) will be hosting an Indigenous environmental symposium.

Some of these projects will enable community members to return home by providing training and economic opportunities that will allow them to make a living within their communities identifies Ray Wilson, Indigenous Engagement Officer with IFI.

Negotiations on larger projects are currently underway and projects will be announced as they are finalized. Though the funding for the 2023 program has now been set, the program welcomes expressions of interest and new ideas at any time.

For more information contact Ray Wilson or Stephanie Seymour (Indigenous Engagement and Science Advisor) or consult the Indigenous Forestry Initiative Applicant Guide 2023.

 

Big problem, tiny pest: Hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) in Canada

Overview

NRCan-GLFC, Invasive Species Centre (ISC) and Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), along with many collaborators, continue to look at the risk and mitigation of HWA.

HWA is a very small pest, related to aphids and scales, that creates a white woolly coating to protect itself. It is a significant mortality factor for eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) since it kills trees in 3-6 years.

HWA was first detected in the east in the 1950s, likely brought over from Japan on horticulture stock, and slowly spread to upstate New York in the early 2000s. In Ontario, it was found in Etobicoke in 2012 and in Niagara Falls in 2014 but those instances were eradicated. However, a fairly advanced infestation was found again in Niagara Falls and Wainfleet in 2019 and since then a new infestation has been found in Ontario somewhere every year. The infestations found in Pelham and Grafton in 2022 have become research sites. Interestingly, HWA is not an invasive species in western Canada but exists there as a distinct native population originating from the period when the land bridge existed between Asia and western North America.

Since 2019, research has focused on improved detection and trapping tools, developing optimization strategies for allocating survey resources, assessment of overwintering survival of HWA in Ontario and Nova Scotia, and species distribution modeling of HWA in Canada under present and future climate conditions (Cameron Cornelson at Lakehead University/University of Toronto).

Current research is looking at developing a revised hemlock inventory (Zhaoshu Shi and Ben DeVries at Guelph University), improved species distribution model and stand risk assessment, and assessment of HWA phenology in Ontario.

Current research aimed at mitigating the risk from HWA is looking to optimize survey and detection; assessing the fate, efficacy and non-target impacts of insecticides; developing a biological control program; and optimizing eDNA detection.

HWA was first detected in Nova Scotia in 2017, and many of the eastern provinces have become interested in sampling for the occurrence of HWA. NRCan, CFIA and the ISC co-developed a surveillance and monitoring network for HWA using members of the public as observers. NRCan contributes protocol expertise and trap processing to this effort, CFIA does site inspections and eDNA analysis, and program coordination and product development is managed by ISC.

The ISC and NRCan have recently co-published the evergreen “Guide for Managing Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Adelges tsugae); An Invasive Insect Threatening Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) in Canada”. For more information contact Dr. Chris MacQuarrie.

 

Development of a risk assessment framework for cumulative effects

Overview

Dr. Effah Antwi, in collaboration with other CFS staff and researchers from other organizations, is working to develop a risk assessment framework for cumulative effects (CEs) in the context of a regional assessment (RA).

NRCan-CFS leads the Government of Canada’s efforts to address cumulative effects from natural resource activities on forested landscapes. In 2019, the CFS published “Addressing Cumulative Effects of Natural Resources Development in Canada’s Forests”, a national-scale research agenda that presents a coordinated vision for this initiative for 2019-2029.

The assessment of CEs in the context of an RA requires interdisciplinary knowledge, and integrated science-policy interactions as well as effective planning guided by a structured decision-making process. While the Government of Canada through its Impact Assessment Agency has developed a new Policy Framework (Policy and Guidance) to guide CE under the new Impact Assessment Act, currently there are no commonly agreed upon frameworks or methods to guide how to conduct an RA.

The “Report on Risk Assessment Framework for Cumulative Effects (RAFCE)”, published in 2023, is an expert-led risk and impacts-based cumulative effects assessment framework to guide scoping and prioritizing regional risk and CEs issues in the context of an RA. Specifically, RAFCE supports: the identification of the drivers and impacts of CEs, including potential preventive and mitigative measures; the identification of major impact categories and components to support effective impact management; the quantification and ranking of impacts that are cross-cutting, multi-sector driven, synergistic and relevant to a regional context; and scenario planning to guide future RAs. The RAFCE was developed and tested using Northern Ontario’s Ring of Fire region as a case study.

Currently, Effah is working with software developers to translate the RAFCE into an open-source software that can be adapted and customised under different contexts to guide the conduct of CEs during RAs.

 

Understanding climate change dynamics of tree species: Implications for future forests

Overview

CFS scientists John Pedlar and Dr. Dan McKenney contribute a chapter to the book “Future Forests: Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change”.

The chapter in “Future Forests: Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change” addresses how future forests will be shaped, in large part, by tree responses to climate change via mortality, migration, and adaptation. The strong relationship between tree distributions and climate is demonstrated and various approaches for modeling this relationship under current and future climate are discussed. The potential role of tree migration (via seed dispersal) as a means of tracking shifting climate habitats is examined but the conclusion is reached that most tree species will not be able to migrate quickly enough to keep pace with expected climate shifts.

Alternatively, trees may be able to adapt in place to climate change. Studies have shown that northern tree populations have a high capacity to absorb temperature increases, which may bode well for these populations under climate change. Finally, human interventions such as assisted migration, wherein tree populations and/or species are intentionally moved to track climate change, are discussed as potential approaches for helping to maintain healthy and productive future forests.

Contact John Pedlar or Dr. Dan McKenney for more information.

 

Ontario’s Breeding Bird Atlas

Overview

Data is currently being collected for the third, 5-year survey of Ontario’s breeding birds.

Barred owl

An update on the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas was recently presented by Stan Phippen and Dr. Lisa Venier. The first 5-year atlas (survey) of the breeding birds in Ontario was undertaken in 1981 and has continued on a 20-year cycle. The information collected provides a standard assessment of the current status, distribution and abundance of breeding birds and lays the framework for evaluating long-term changes, which is critical to conservation decision-making.

This is one of the best available data sets for biodiversity. Birds are effective indicators of environmental health because they respond quickly to environmental change, occupy every habitat type, and are relatively easy to survey.

Atlas data can be applied to develop provincial distribution maps for bird conservation planning and forest management planning applications such as developing habitat models and maps for strategic-level planning. Since these Atlases measure 20-year changes in bird populations and distribution, they can also be used to assess the effectiveness of forest management policy in Ontario.

Ontario is divided into 47 regions for data collection and Region 35, where GLFC is located, is composed of 74 squares, mostly 10 km2 in size. Very preliminary observations from Region 35 appear to suggest that some of the bird populations have seen change since the second Atlas (2001-2005). Bald Eagle numbers have been reported in more squares in Region 35 than previously seen but Osprey observations are down, perhaps due to the increased presence of Bald Eagles. Northern Cardinal observations have also increased in Region 35 but Canada Jay numbers are down which could be due primarily to warmer winters. Other species which are sensitive to disturbance, like Common Loon, appear to be unchanged in Region 35 from the last Atlas. These results from Region 35 are early and it will have to be seen if any of these observations will be reflected in provincial trends.

There is one more year of data collection for the 2021-25 Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas and more observations are welcomed from anywhere in the province during the breeding bird season. To find out more, go to Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas or contact Stan Phippen or Dr. Lisa Venier.

 

Drought triggers and sustains overnight fires in North America

Overview

Traditional understanding of the “active day, quiet night” fire model of the diurnal fire cycle is being challenged.

Overnight fires are emerging in North America with previously unknown drivers and implications. This notable phenomenon challenges the traditional understanding of the ‘active day, quiet night’ model of the diurnal fire cycle and current fire management practices. It is demonstrated that drought conditions promote overnight burning, which is a key mechanism fostering large active fires. The hourly diurnal cycle of 23,557 fires were examined and 1,095 overnight burning events (OBEs, each defined as a night when a fire burned through the night) were identified in North America during 2017–2020 using geostationary satellite data and terrestrial fire records.

A total of 99% of OBEs were associated with large fires (>1,000 ha) and at least one OBE was identified in 20% of these large fires. OBEs were early onset after ignition and OBE frequency was positively correlated with fire size. Although warming is weakening the climatological barrier to night-time fires, it was found that the main driver of recent OBEs in large fires was the accumulated fuel dryness and availability (that is, drought conditions), which tended to lead to consecutive OBEs in a single wildfire for several days and even weeks.

Critically, it is shown that daytime drought indicators can predict whether an OBE will occur the following night, which could facilitate early detection and management of night-time fires. Increases were also observed in fire weather conditions conducive to OBEs over recent decades, suggesting an accelerated disruption of the diurnal fire cycle.

For more information contact Dr. Mark de Jong.

 

2023 Blueprint for forest carbon science in Canada

Overview

2023 Blueprint outlines forest carbon science contributions that will support evolving policy needs in Canada over the next 10 years.

In the past few decades, progress on forest science has been substantial and has contributed to policy development. Many countries, including Canada, have considered the contribution from the land sector towards national greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets. Forests and wood products are included in Canada’s climate change policy instruments (e.g., 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan) and commitments (e.g., reporting to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)), and these require the best possible science.

The first Blueprint, “A Blueprint for Forest Carbon Science in Canada 2012-2020”, was published in 2012 to guide policy and research aimed at filling regional, national and international data gaps, and to support Canada’s objectives and obligations for climate change mitigation and adaptation, sustainable forest management, and reporting requirements.

Initiated in October 2022, with input from numerous science and policy experts, the second recently published 2023 Blueprint for Forest Carbon Science in Canada continues that approach. The 2023 Blueprint discusses: forest carbon policy and science issues that are expected to be important for governments and the forest sector; the forest carbon science goals expected to provide the greatest support for policy; the approaches and partnerships needed to make progress in addressing these science priorities; and recognition and support of Indigenous perspectives and knowledge within forest carbon science.

The knowledge generated from the proposed science priorities will benefit governments, forest industry, environmental organizations, Indigenous organizations, and others in Canada who are interested in how forest management can be improved and how wood can be better utilized to maintain or enhance carbon storage; increase carbon removals from the atmosphere; and reduce GHG emissions to the atmosphere. Agreement on policy-relevant science priorities will help researchers, managers and funding organizations focus their resources, align efforts, and inform the path towards meeting Canada’s climate targets.

The Blueprint recognizes and values Indigenous Knowledges both as independent and complementary to western science in understanding forest carbon with equally challenging needs and priorities.

 

Adaptive Silviculture at the Petawawa Research Forest: preparing our forests for climate change

Overview

A new infographic from The Petawawa Research Forest (PRF) identifies that “A tree planted today will be growing under a different climate in 100 years”.

Climate change is resulting in warmer and drier summer conditions in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Forest region. To better prepare forest managers for these changes, the Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change (ASCC) Network site at PRF is developing “climate change ready” silviculture prescriptions for the region’s pine mixedwood forests.

To better understand how trees respond to the growing conditions created by each treatment, researchers have installed 168 research plots. Through time, data collected from these sites will inform forest managers and policy makers to ensure the long-term sustainability of Canada’s forests.

For further information or to visit the site contact Dr. Trevor Jones.

 

The State of Canada’s Forests Annual Report 2023

Overview

The 33rd edition of this annual report is now available.

The theme of The State of Canada’s Forests Annual Report 2023 is "Relationships for resiliency: Interconnections between people, nature, and the long-term sustainability of Canada's diverse forest-based values". The report highlights how the integrated social, environmental and economic fabric of Canadian forests and forest resources provide a deep source of resilience for Canadians.

Information published within the report is comparable to that reported by other countries participating in the Montréal Process. Canada also uses some of this information to report on United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the United Nation Global Forest Goals. The State of Canada’s Forest: Annual Report will continue to be an accurate, comprehensive and authoritative source for information on Canada’s forests and forest sector.

Download the report

 

Publications

  • To order copies of these publications, please contact the Great Lakes Forestry Centre publications assistant.
  • Publications are available in English unless otherwise indicated.
Recent publications

Arndt, A.; Emilson, E.J.S.; Dew, W.A. 2024. Copper-induced chemosensory impairment is reversed by a short depuration period in northern clearwater crayfish (Faxonius propinquus). Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology. 112:45.

Aubin, I.; Deschenes, E.; Santala, K.; Emilson, E.J.S.; Schoonmaker, A.; McIntosh, A.; Bourgeois, B.; Cardou, F.; Dupuch, A.; Handa, T.; Lapointe, M.; Lavigne, J.; Maheu, A.; Nadeau, S.; Naeth, A.; Neilson, E.; Wiebe, P. 2024. Restoring forest ecosystem services through trait-based ecology. Environmental Reviews.

Augustin, F.; Houle, D.; Gagnon, C.; Pilote, M.; Emilson, E.J.S.; Leach, J.A.; Webster, K.L. 2024. Long-term trend and drivers of inter-annual variability of surface water dissolved organic carbon concentration in a forested watershed. Catena. Volume 239.

Canadian Forest Service. 2024. Adaptive silviculture at the Petawawa Research Forest: preparing our forests for climate change. Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Canadian Wood Fibre Centre. Infographic. Ottawa. 2 p.

Christianson, A.C.; Johnston, L.M.; Oliver, J.A.; Watson, D.; Young, D.; MacDonald, H.; Little, J.; Macnab, B.; and Bautista, N. G. 2024. Wildland fire evacuations in Canada from 1980 to 2021. International Journal of Wildland Fire. Pages 1-18.

Cooke, B.J.; MacQuarrie, C.J.K.; Carroll, A.L. 2024. On the deduction and quantification of irruptive dynamics in mountain pine beetle population and proxy data. Journal of Applied Entomology, 00, 1–15.

Dargent, F.; Candau, J-N.; Studens, K.; Perrault, K.H.; Reich, M.S.; Bataille, C.P. 2023. Characterizing eastern spruce budworm’s large-scale dispersal events through flight behavior and stable isotope analyses. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. Volume 11.

Dedes, J. 2024. Insect production and quarantine laboratories. Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Sault Ste. Marie (Ontario). Frontline Express. Bulletin 94. 2 p.

Derry, V.; DiGasparro, M.; MacQuarrie, C.J.; Sturba, M. 2024. Guide for managing hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae); An invasive insect threatening eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) in Canada. Invasive Species Centre. Edition 1.

Freeman, E.C.; Emilson, E.J.S.; Thorsten, D.; Braga, L.P.P.; Emilson, C.; Goldhammer, T.; Martineau, C.; Singer, G.; Tanentzap, A J. 2024. Universal microbial reworking of dissolved organic matter along soil gradients. Nature Communications. 15:187. 12 p.

Ju, K.S.; Kidd, K.; Stastny, M.; Gray, M.A; Venier, L.; Emilson, E.J.S. 2024. Effects of spruce budworm defoliation on in-stream algal production and carbon use by food webs. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. Volume 81, Number 6. Pages 731-746.

Li, C., Barclay, H., Roitberg. B., Lalonde, B., Huang, S., Kambo, D., Fera, J. 2024. Realizing the full growth potential of a forest: TreeCG, a forest compensatory growth model. Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Wood Fibre Centre. Fibre Facts 28. 4 p.

Luo, K; Wang, X.; de Jong, M.; Flannigan, M. 2024. Drought triggers and sustains overnight fires in North America. Nature 627. Pages 321–327.

MacQuarrie, C.J.K.; Derry, V.; Gray, M.; Mielewczyk, N.; Crossland, D.; Ogden, J.B.; Boulanger, Y.; Fidgen, J.G. 2024. Effect of a severe cold spell on overwintering survival of an invasive forest insect pest. Current Research in Insect Science. Volume 5, 2024.

Mangal, V.; Lam, W.Y.; Emilson, E.J.S.; Mackereth,R.W.; Mitchell, C.P.J. 2024. The molecular diversity of dissolved organic matter in forest streams across central Canadian boreal watersheds. Environmental Science: Processes and Impacts.15 p.

McFayden, C.B.; MacPherson, L.; Crowley, M.A.; de Jong, M.C.; Turbelin, A.; Hope, E.S.; Lynham, T.; Sponarski, C.; Nadea, S.; Sloane, M.; Dufour, D.; Morton, D.C.; and Johnston, J.M. 2024. Initial observations from surveying the global fire management community and their usage of Earth observation wildfire data sources. Information Report GLC -X-37. 20 p.

McFayden, C.B.; Johnston, L.; MacPherson, L.; Sloane, M.; Hope, E.; Crowley, M.A.; de Jong, M.; Simpson, H.; Stockdale, C.; Simpson, B.; and Johnston, J.M. 2024. A perspective and survey on the implementation and uptake of tools to support decision-making in Canadian wildland fire management. The Forestry Chronicle. Vol. 100, No. 2. 15 p.

Natural Resources Canada. 2024. The State of Canada’s Forests Annual Report 2023. 107 p.

Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service (2024). WildFireSat e-Bulletin. Issue 2. WFS e-Bulletin (GLFC - Sault Ste. Marie), 6.

Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service (2024). WildFireSat e-Bulletin. Issue 3. WFS e-Bulletin (GLFC - Sault Ste. Marie), 6.

Prasad, A.; Pedlar, J.H.; Peters, M; Matthews, S.; Iverson, I.; McKenney, D.W.; Adams, B. 2024. Understanding climate change dynamics of tree species: implications for future forests. Future Forests: Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change. Pages 151-175.

Smyth, C.; Metsaranta, J.; Fortin, M.; Le Noble, S.; MacDonald, H.; Wolfe, J.; Boisvenue, C.; Laganière, J.; Krakowski, J.; Zhu, X.; Paré, D.; Tompalski, P.; Emilson, E.J.S.; Webster, K.; Dosanjh, M.; Venier, L.; Edwards, J. 2024. 2023 Blueprint for forest carbon science in Canada. Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service. 50 p.

Turgeon, J. J., Pedlar, J. H., Fournier, R. E., Smith, M. T., Orr, M. & Gasman, B. (2024). Characteristics of logs with signs of oviposition by the polyphagous xylophage Asian longhorned beetle (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). Environmental entomology. 10.1093/ee/nvae041.

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