Boreal tree regeneration after fire and fuelwood harvesting in coastal Nunatsiavut
Consecutive landscape-scale disturbances are known to influence boreal forest regeneration, yet few published data exist on the compounding effects of natural and anthropogenic disturbance on regeneration in subarctic forests. We conducted a dendroecological study of eastern coastal boreal forest re...
| Published in: | Arctic Science |
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| Main Authors: | , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English French |
| Published: |
Canadian Science Publishing
2020
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2019-0016 https://doaj.org/article/51fc3a0e3f564cd5a49faa492846d49e |
| Summary: | Consecutive landscape-scale disturbances are known to influence boreal forest regeneration, yet few published data exist on the compounding effects of natural and anthropogenic disturbance on regeneration in subarctic forests. We conducted a dendroecological study of eastern coastal boreal forest regeneration two decades after fire at three subarctic forest stands that are important sources of fuelwood for the people of Nunatsiavut (Labrador, Canada). We quantified spruce (Picea spp.) and balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) seedling regeneration, standing dead tree density, trees harvested within burned forests, and aged proximal unburned stands. Age of unburned forest varied with site; however, each exhibited continuous regeneration over several decades. Despite low seedling regeneration at each site (stems·m−2; less than 35% of pre-fire stem density), model results indicated harvesting post-fire did not impact seedling regeneration. Findings suggest a negative pressure on seedling abundance from increased presence of tall multi-stemmed shrubs, yet we argue that because stands exhibit a range in tree age, shrubs may be a set of early successional species rather than indicating a change in successional trajectory. Examination of a larger chronosequence within coastal forest stands of Nunatsiavut is warranted to further understand forest regeneration in the eastern subarctic under changing disturbance regimes. |
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