PARENT SESSION
Poster Session: Qualitative Relationships Between Landscape Processes and Patterns

Determination of biodiversity indicators at landscape level in Quebec. ^*ALVAREZ, ERIC ¹, BÉLANGER, LOUIS ¹ and ARCHAMBAULT, LOUIS ², ¹ Faculté foresterie et géomatique, Université Laval, Ste-Foy, Québec, Canada² Canadian Forest Service, 1055, rue du PEPS, C.P. 3800, Ste-Foy, Québec

ABSTRACT- Emulating natural disturbances is widely considered as the best way to manage forests when we intend to maintain biodiversity, which is one criterion to reach sustainable development. However, to evaluate if we are going the right way, indicators are a necessity. Therefore, in this study, our goal is to develop indicators at the landscape level in a mixed forest in Quebec by comparing effects of cuts and natural disturbances on forest succession. In our case, fire is the main natural perturbation. The last big fires have occurred in 1923. On the other hand, forest operations have begun in the mid 1800's. Up to now, we have compared proportions of stands less than 70 years (since the last big fires) that originated from cuts or fires for territories that average 300 km² (3 from fires, 2 from cuts). At this time of the study it appears that, at landscape level, the proportion of stands with intolerant hardwood (mixedwood + pure hardwood stands) differs depending on the disturbance history. In human induced territories, their proportion is 42%, comparatively to 36% in territory induced from fires.

KEY WORDS: logging , biodiversity indicators, natural disturbances