Conifer
Plantation
Management
Conifer Plantations
Module #5
Biodiversity and
Wildlife Values
5-1
Caring for Your Land Series of Workshops
Conifer
Plantation
Management
What’s in the
Module?
Biodiversity
defined
 Importance
 Typical forest
ecosystem
 Forest succession
 Your property
 Your plantation
 Plantation review
 Managing for birds
 Managing for
animals

5-2
Caring for Your Land Series of Workshops
Conifer
Plantation
Management
What is Biodiversity?
Biodiversity: full variety of life in
an area
Species
diversity: number and
Genetic
diversity: genetic
relative abundance
variation
Ecosystem
5-3
diversity: variety
Caring for Your Land Series of Workshops
Conifer
Plantation
Management
Diversity is
Important
current extinction rates far exceed
rates documented in geologic records
 manage for generalist organisms at the
expense of habitat specialists
 Preserving single species has
dominated
 More attention to whole ecosystems
 Diverse ecosystems better able to
withstand stress and disturbance

5-4
Caring for Your Land Series of Workshops
Conifer
Plantation
Management
Generalists and
Specialists


5-5
Caring for Your Land Series of Workshops
Generalists in
a variety of
ecosystems
Specialists
limited to only
a few
ecosystems
Conifer
Plantation
Management
5-6
Forest Ecosystem
Caring for Your Land Series of Workshops
Succession
Conifer
Plantation
Management

Natural
process of
change
pioneer
species
 climax
forest


5-7
Conifer
plantations
shorten the
time span
and provide
economic
return
Caring for Your Land Series of Workshops
Conifer
Plantation
Management
Where do you Start?
Inventory
 Identify ecosystems and their
relationships
 Identify options to protect and
enhance existing sites with
linkages
 Create a Management Plan

5-8
Caring for Your Land Series of Workshops
Conifer
Plantation
Management
Plantation’s Role on
your Property






5-9
Nurse crop
Adds diversity
Links degraded and
fragmented forest patches
Stabilizes eroded areas
Protects waterways
Meets your needs
Caring for Your Land Series of Workshops
Conifer
Plantation
Management
Plantations are not
stable ecosystems
Continuous change from
open areas





to
to
to
to
to
young trees
crown closure
maintaining vigour
regeneration
renewal
Continued management
as plantation changes






site preparation
planting
early tending
thinning for products
thinning for regeneration
harvesting and
conversion
Plantation ecosystem constantly evolving towards the
desired natural forest after one rotation
5-10
Caring for Your Land Series of Workshops
Conifer
Plantation
Management
Let’s Look at Wildlife

Birds and animals




5-11
cover
food
water
space
Caring for Your Land Series of Workshops
Conifer
Plantation
Management
Birds in Your
Plantation


Species composition changes as the
plantation matures
Hardwoods critical

Species diversity
increases with age

5-12
Without thinning,
canopy closed and
dramatic reduction in
species present
Caring for Your Land Series of Workshops
Conifer
Plantation
Management
Helping our
Feathered Friends




5-13
Restrict operations
from April to July
Thin plantations on
schedule to
promote hardwoods
Thin plantations
adjacent to
hardwood seed
sources first
Plant mixtures e.g.
Pr/Pj
Caring for Your Land Series of Workshops
Conifer
Plantation
Management
More Help



5-14
Direct seed or
plant
hardwoods
where no
seed source
Promote and
maintain
snags and
cavities
Minimize
edge habitat
Caring for Your Land Series of Workshops
Conifer
Plantation
Management
Animals in your
Plantation





5-15
Animals tend to use edge
Cover from the elements
Cover from predators
A limited source of food
Older plantations provide
opportunities for homes
Caring for Your Land Series of Workshops
Conifer
Plantation
Management
Helping the Animals






5-16
Preserve den trees
Conifers to link
woodlots
Conifers as shelter
Openings
Retain hardwood
patches
Plant roads, trails,
landings
Caring for Your Land Series of Workshops
Conifer
Plantation
Management
Other Ideas
on Wildlife
Ecosystem
diversity
 Recreation

 viewing
 hunting

Eco-Tourism
 part
of a variety of ecosystems
 part of a farm complex
5-17
Caring for Your Land Series of Workshops
Conifer
Plantation
Management
Your Plantation —
Summary

Managing your plantation for
biodiversity







5-18
When to operate
Watch that edge
Where are the hardwoods?
Linkages
Species mix
Thin, thin, thin
Don’t forget the overall objectives!
Caring for Your Land Series of Workshops
Conifer
Plantation
Management
Conifer Plantation
Management Workshops

Have been funded by:

Ministry of Natural Resources
and

Eastern Ontario Model Forest
through



4-22
The Stewardship Program
Prepared by Bill Hardy, Hardy Consulting
Layout and design by the LandOwner Resource Centre
Caring for Your Land Series of Workshops