F. Wayne Bell

Ontario Forest Research Institute · Forest Monitoring and Research Section

In this study we sought answers to two questions (i) What is the relative influence of silvicultural disturbances on species richness in northern temperate and boreal forests? and (ii) In a scenario where emulating natural disturbances is applied, do collinearity and hierarchical structure exist among climate, soils, disturbance of the forest canop...

Throughout much of the northern temperate and boreal forests of Canada, intensifying silviculture to enhance fibre production is of increasing interest. However, some oppose the application of intensive silviculture, citing possible negative effects on biodiversity. Using fifth-year post-harvest data from the NEBIE Plot Network in Ontario, Canada,...

We assessed 27 indicators of plant diversity, stand yield and individual crop tree responses 25 years post-treatment to determine long-term trade-offs among conifer release treatments in boreal and sub-boreal forests. This research addresses the lack of longer-term data needed by forest managers to implement more integrated vegetation management pr...

Given the large contribution of forests to terrestrial carbon storage, there is a need to resolve the environmental and physiological drivers of tree-level response to rising atmospheric CO 2 . This study examines how site-level soil moisture influences growth and intrinsic water-use efficiency in sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.). We construct t...

In the past two decades, forest management has undergone major paradigm shifts that are challenging the current forest modelling architecture. New silvicultural systems, guidelines for natural disturbance emulation, a desire to enhance structural complexity, major advances in successional theory, and climate change have all highlighted the limitati...

We present an ecological framework for classifying sites to support vegetation management decisions in the boreal and northern temperate forests of northeastern Ontario and northwestern Quebec. This first approximation draws on several regional ecological classifications to provide an initial framework and background information for the Herbicide A...

Nous présentons un cadre écologique pour la classification des sites afin de soutenir les décisions de gestion de la végétation dans les forêts boréales et tempérées septentrionales du nord-est de l’Ontario et du nord-ouest du Québec. Cette première approximation s’appuie sur plusieurs classifications écologiques régionales pour offrir un cadre ini...

1. Intraspecific trait variability (ITV) provides the material for species’ adaptation to environmental changes. To advance our understanding of how ITV can contribute to species’ adaptation to a wide range of environmental conditions, we studied five widespread understorey forest species exposed to both continental‐scale climate gradients, and loc...

Purpose Mycorrhizal interactions can drive plant productivity, diversity, and ecosystem function; however, gaps remain in our understanding of interactions among plants and different mycorrhizal types. Species in the Pinaceae primarily associate with ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi; however, some species can be colonized by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM)...

Although exotic (i.e., non-native) plant species are among the main factors contributing to ecosystem change globally, investigations of northern temperate and boreal forest ecosystems in North America in the context of invasion science are scarce. Multiple hypotheses, including the ‘biotic resistance’, ‘intermediate disturbance’ and ‘disturbance-m...

PURPOSE Mycorrhizal interactions can drive plant productivity, diversity, and ecosystem function; however, gaps remain in our understanding of interactions among plants and different mycorrhizal types. Species in the Pinaceae primarily associate with ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi; however, some species can be colonized by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM)...

In recent decades, retention forestry has become an increasingly popular management approach. Previous research has demonstrated that persistence of retained live trees (residuals) is higher when they are larger and more densely packed. Beyond density, minimal research has been done on how differing silviculture treatments post-harvest affect the p...

Environmental concerns and economic pressures on forest ecosystems have led to the development of sustainable forest management practices. As a consequence, forest managers must evaluate the long-term effects of their management decisions on potential forest successional pathways. As changes in forest ecosystems occur very slowly, simulation models...

To provide essential knowledge for the development of woodland caribou recovery plans, the Canadian Forest Service initiated an integrative research project in collaboration with the Pessamit Innu community (QC North Shore). The first objective is to mobilize science and indigenous knowledge and perspectives to inform the North Shore caribou recove...

Increasing the production of wood fibre from conifer species such as white spruce (Picea glauca [Moench.] Voss) is one of many challenges in the management of boreal mixedwood forests. The effects of various competition measures on relative growth and relative growth rate variables were calculated for individual white spruce subject trees. Correlat...

1.Considering intraspecific trait variability (ITV) in ecological studies has improved our understanding of species persistence and coexistence. These advances are based on the growing number of leaf ITV studies over local gradients, but logistical constraints have prevented a solid examination of ITV in root traits or at scales reflecting species'...

In response to concerns about the effects of traditional timber harvesting practices on biodiversity, we examined the effects of alternative silvicultural systems, including partial cutting and modified herbicide use on understory plant communities in an aspen-dominated mixedwood stand. These alternative silvicultural systems match disturbance rate...

The Intensive Management Science Partnership: NEBIE Plot Network is a stand-scale, multi-agency research project designed to compare the ecological effects of a range of silvicultural treatments in northern temperate and boreal forest regions of Ontario. The NEBIE plot network was established in 2001 with randomized complete block experiments insta...

The NEBIE plot network is a stand-scale, multi-agency research project designed to compare the ecological effects of a range of silvicultural treatments in northern temperate and boreal forest regions of Ontario, Canada. While research on silviculture intensities has been previously conducted, the NEBIE plot network is at a larger scale, and covers...

Rises in atmospheric carbon dioxide (atmCO2) levels are known to stimulate photosynthesis and increase intrinsic water-use efficiency (iWUE) in trees. Stand-level increases in iWUE depend on the physiological response of dominant species to increases in atmCO2. While tree-level response to increasing atmCO2 depends on the balance between the direct...

Ecologists have made reference to over 1000 rules, laws, hypotheses and theories (including synonyms). These can be organized into a few broad categories. Here I propose the Ecology 360 framework. I suggest that graduate students learn to use the framework to develop alternative testable hypotheses.

Forest biodiversity refers to the variability among all forest life forms (trees, plants, animals, fungi and micro-organisms) from genetics to species and ecosystems and their associated ecological processes. Conserving forest biodiversity is a fundamental goal of sustainable forestry. Therefore, governments, non-government organizations (NGOs), ac...

Throughout much of the northern temperate and boreal forests of Canada, intensifying silviculture to enhance fibre production is of increasing interest. However, some oppose the application of intensive silviculture citing possible negative effects on biodiversity. Using fifth-year post-harvest data from the NEBIE Plot Network in Ontario, Canada, w...

A 20-year-old experimental white spruce plantation was used to identify key stand (neighbourhood competition) and soil (physical and chemical properties) factors influencing spruce growth (Periodic Basal Area Increment) and foliar nutrients. Total and species-specific competition was estimated using Hegyi's distance-dependent index for 39 individua...

Free-to grow (FTG) surveys in Ontario are based on criteria developed from expert opinion and a variety of information sources from various jurisdictions. These criteria need to be tested and evaluated for use with Ontario tree species and conditions. Data from Ontario's former Vegetation Management Alternatives Program were used to evaluate the cr...

Growth and tree form characteristics of jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) rooted cuttings propagated from proliferated dwarf shoots (PDS) were compared with seedlings in two field trials 8 years after establishment. Results indicated that jack pine rooted cuttings from PDS can grow as well as seedlings and maintain acceptable tree form. Rooted cutt...

Competition in forest stands has long been of interest to researchers. However, much of the knowledge originates from empirical studies that examined the effects of competition. For instance, many studies were focused on the effects of the presence of herbaceous species on the development of tree seedlings or the decrease in individual tree growth...

In this paper, we discuss the broad array of treatments that could be used to control competitive vegetation in conifer plantations in the boreal forests of Canada. We present vegetation management alternatives screened based on their treatment efficacy, which we defined as their ability to (a) control competitive vegetation and (b) not cause undue...

In boreal and temperate forests in Canada, at least 71 plant species, including trees, shrubs, herbs, grasses, and ferns, have the potential to significantly reduce the growth of conifer regeneration. A thorough understanding of the autecology of these plants-their response to their environment can help resource managers to improve their approaches...

We examined differences in stem quality, and volume and value of fibre produced by planted white spruce 16 years after vegetation management treatments in northwestern Ontario. Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVSOntario) was used to project the total and merchantable volume to age 70 and BUCK-2 was used to optimize the resulting product mix. Projected...

Vegetation management practices are an integral component of forest management. In this paper, we report results of stand-level benefit cost analyses of 12 vegetation management treatments applied at six study sites in northern Ontario. Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVSOntario) was used to project gross total and merchantable volumes to 70 years of...

We examined the response of breeding songbird communities 11 years after four vegetation management treatments were applied. Post-treatment vegetation was characterized by manually interpreting large-scale aerial photography and estimating proportional cover of eight vegetation classes. Songbird abundance was assessed by territory mapping. Using GI...

In 2007, a multi-agency, multi-disciplinary team from across Canada embarked on an exercise to synthesize knowledge about forest vegetation management alternatives and their use in northern forests. This exercise involved: (1) updating the Canadian Forest Pest Management database, (2) synthesizing relevant forest vegetation management literature, (...

In this paper, we present examples of stand-level consequences of using forest vegetation management treatments in boreal and temperate forest ecosystems in Canada. Specifically, we address several selected indicators: air and water quality, soils and nutrients, plant diversity, and wildlife habitat. For each of these, we discuss direct and indirec...

We monitored mammal assemblages in treatment areas in three studies, two involving competition control (with live capture) in Ontario and one involving commercial thinning (with snow tracking) in Alberta. Abundant and opportunistic species were relatively unaffected by treatments, while species preferring open habitats or a dense shrub layer thrive...

In Ontario, forest management planning requires that legal obligations to sustain forest composition and pattern, wildlife habitat, and other values are met, while at the same time addressing, for example, wood supply needs, costs, forest access,and stakeholder concerns. One of the latter is pressure to reduce herbicide use. Stand-level effects of...

We assessed growth responses 10 years post treatment for 31 combinations of site, species, and treatments from six studies in Ontario, Canada, to determine if conifer release treatments increase gross total conifer volumes but decrease gross total stand volumes in boreal forests. Treatments included single and multiple herbicide application or moto...

Length–biomass models are a convenient and time-efficient method of estimating the biomass of invertebrates. Our purpose was to develop such a model for terrestrial gastropods that adequately predicted gastropod dry tissue biomass (Y) on the basis of animal length (X). The power equation Y = 0.172X1.688 (r2 = 0.85) proved to be the best model for t...

Differences in yield-density models derived from an additive experimental design were used to compare the relative competitiveness of nine early-successional boreal forest plants (aster, grass, fireweed, fern, raspberry, willow, alder, birch, and aspen) on jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) and black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP). A randomized...

The influence of eight early successional plant species from the boreal forest on photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) were compared using a controlled plant competition study. Four woody (green alder, Alnus crispa (Ait.) Pursh; upland willow, Salix humilis Marsh.; white birch, Betula papyrifera Marsh.; wild red raspberry, Rubus idaeus L.) and...

Stem, branch, needle, and total aboveground biomass were assessed for three 9- to 12-year-old white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) plantations, each subjected to three different stand tending options at age 4 to 7. Biomass components were predicted from measures of stem diameter with coefficients of variation between 24% and 29%. Diameter at b...

Plantations have been claimed to be "monocultures", or "biological deserts". We investigated these claims in the context of a long-term study on plant diversity within plantations with different indigenous tree species, spacings, and soil types that were compared with 410 native stands. Soil type had no influence on plantation species diversity or...

This study examined changes in terrestrial gastropod density and species composition in the second and third years after the application of conifer release treatments in regenerating spruce plantations. Data were collected monthly from June to September during the summers of 1995 and 1996 from four conifer release treatments (herbicides (Vision廬 an...

Using an additive-density study with 10 woody and herbaceous plant species of the boreal forest, we compared equations predicting the biomass growth of jack pine(Pinus banksiana Lamb.)seedlings using measurements of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) transmission and visual estimates of vegetation cover. Nonlinear regression equations accoun...

Three compartments differing in soil texture were established in 1994 to examine interspecific competition using Pinus banskiana Lamb. and 11 competitive species including Aster macrophyllus L. Each competitive species was established in six planting densities in combination with P. banksiana. Since P. banksiana and A. macrophyllus are hosts of the...

Two commonly used silvicultural herbicides (triclopyr and glyphosate) were examined for their effects on lichens in northeastern Ontario. One hundred 1 m2 plots were randomly established throughout a sin- gle, open canopy forest stand with tree cover dominated by Picea mariana and Pinus banksiana and ground cover dominated by lichens. Herbicides we...

Improvements to forest management decisions require accurate and quantifiable information. We examined the effects of various classes of competitors on crop tree growth in the context of free-to-grow standards using regression analysis. We found that seedling size accounted for most of the variation in height and volume growth of jack pine (Pinus b...

Deferring conifer release treatments is sometimes necessary, but its effects on crop tree performance are not well understood. We investigated the effects of deferring glyphosate applications on jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.), black spruce (Picea mariana [Mill.] BSP), and white spruce (Picea glauca [Moench.] Voss.) plantations established on a d...

Knowledge transfer, including awareness, transfer, extension, training, and education activities, was purposely incorporated into the Canadian Ecology Centre - Forestry Research Partnership (CEC-FRP) at an early stage as part of an adaptive management approach. Over the course of 7 years, the level of involvement from researchers, policy-makers, an...

Between April 2000 and March 2007, the Canadian Ecology Centre – Forestry Research Partnership funded, directed, or catalyzed approximately 145 projects. Most of these focused on knowledge and data acquisition, providing a solid foun-dation for a series of sensitivity and gap analyses to determine whether a long-term goal of enhancing productivity...

The province of Ontario holds approximately 70.2 million hectares of forests: about 17% of Canada's and 2% of the world's forests. Approximately 21 million hectares are managed as commercial forests, with an annual harvest in the early part of the decade approaching 200 000 ha. Yield tables developed by Walter Plonski in the 1950s provide the basis...

This paper provides a synthesis of a 2-phase approach used by the Canadian Ecology Centre - Forestry Research Partner- ship (CEC-FRP) to implement adaptive management on 6 forest management units in northeastern Ontario. It also pro- vides a summary of a self evaluation of the partnership using a set of attributes deemed necessary to successfully i...

Lack of a management framework on which to base silviculture options has plagued the forest management planning process in Ontario. The Forest Management Planning Manual for Ontario's Crown Forests directs that strategic silvicul- tural options be developed and identified in terms of the (i) applicable forest unit, (ii) associated assumptions, and...

The application of enhanced forest productivity (EFP) through intensive silviculture on designated forest areas is arguably one means to maintain or increase fibre supply and global market competitiveness. The Canadian Ecology Centre - Forestry Research Partnership's (CEC-FRP) 10/10 objective (to increase sustainable fibre production by 10% in 10 y...

As forest management intensifies, the conservation of forest biodiversity is a growing concern. Bryophytes are known to represent a considerable portion of plant diversity within northern forests. This is because bryophyte diversity is closely associated with microhabitat diversity. In this study, the influence of microhabitats on bryophyte diversi...

Concern about forestry practices creating tree-level monoculture plantations exists. Our study investigates tree diversity responses for six early seral boreal forest plantations in Ontario, Canada, representing three conifer species; black spruce (Picea mariana), white spruce (P. glauca), and jack pine (Pinus banksiana), 14 release treatments, and...

In Canada, forest managers operating under public licenses are under pressure from the public to cease using herbicides or at minimum reduce the quantity of active ingredient applied in the environment. Lacking in their decision-making toolbox is information about biological cues that could help optimize herbicide performance. In 1990, two rates of...

The effects of forest floor disturbance by six mechanical site preparation (MSP) treatments on structural and compositional diversity of early successional communities were examined in a clearcut in central Ontario. Periodic assessment of floristic diversity and abundance was performed to quantify treatment effects on species richness and abundance...

Long-term interactive effects of site preparation, brush control and fertilization treatments on productivity, composition and structure were examined on jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.), black spruce (Picea mariana [Mill.] B.S.P.), white pine (Pinus strobus L.) and white spruce (Picea glauca [Moench] Voss) plantations, 15 years after planting in...