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3.2 Species at Risk
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3.4 Attributing Landbase Change: All Habitat Elements

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Chapter 3.3

How Changes in the Landbase Affect Individual Habitat Elements

In this section we evaluate how landbase changes (e.g. new forestry footprint, fire) over 2010-2018 in Norbord's operating areas are predicted to affect specific habitat elements, such as large deciduous trees.

Predicted net change in relative abundance as a result of changes in the landbase (2010-2018):

Large Deciduous Trees

North: -0.2% | South: -1.4%

graph
Negative effects of new forestry and fire offset by positive effects of aging of old forestry and undisturbed stands.
Large Deciduous Snags

North: -0.2% | South: -1.7%

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Negative effects of new forestry and new human footprint offset by aging of harvested and undisturbed stands.
Large Fallen Logs

North: -0.2% | South: +4.0%

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Aging of forests has large positive effects.

Introduction

In this section we provide summaries of the overall predicted change in specific habitat elements due to different types of change on the landbase, including changes as a result of forestry (new and old), non-forestry footprint (new and old), fire, and aging of undisturbed stands. Results are presented for habitat elements in mixedwood and deciduous forests that are difficult to manage for, including: deciduous trees > 25 cm DBH, snags > 25 cm DBH, and fallen logs > 25 cm DBH. Details for calculating attribution can be found in the Methods.

Deciduous snags provide habitat for a variety of species, such as cavity-nesting birds.
Photo: Nicholas A Tonelli

Results

Effects of Landbase Change on Individual Habitat Elements

We use “vector diagrams” to show the effects of each type of landbase change on five habitat elements in the Northern and Southern Operating areas: live deciduous tree basal area (m2/ha), live deciduous trees > 25 cm DBH, deciduous snags > 25 cm DBH, and fallen logs > 25 cm DBH. To interpret the vector diagrams, follow the arrows from the top of the figure, starting at 0% change, to the bottom to see the predicted effects on each habitat element as a result of:

  1. new forestry, then 
  2. the additional effect of old regenerating harvest areas, then 
  3. new non-forestry human footprint, then
  4. changes or disappearance of old non-forestry human footprint, then 
  5. fires, and finally 
  6. aging of undisturbed native forest.  

The endpoint is the net change predicted in that element from 2010 to 2018.

Click on a habitat element to view the effects of landbase change

From soil to canopy, large deciduous trees add structure to boreal forests, providing habitat and foraging opportunities for a range of species. Further, large trees are eventually recruited to large snags or downed logs, serving as habitat for a host of other species. Large deciduous trees can be difficult to maintain in areas impacted by human disturbances. 

Northern Operating Area

  • New forestry was predicted to have reduced the abundance of large deciduous trees by 3.1% between 2010 and 2018.  
  • Regenerating older harvest areas added 0.8% of that back.  
  • Other human footprint is rarer in the area and had little effect.  
  • Fires reduced the predicted abundance a further 1.2%, while aging of undisturbed stands increased abundance by 3.4%.  
  • The net effect was almost no change in the abundance of large deciduous trees due to landbase changes from 2010 to 2018 in the Northern Operating Area.
Figure: Landbase Change. Effects of different types of landbase change on Large Deciduous Trees (> 25 cm DBH) in the Northern Operating Area from 2010-2018. Hover over each landbase category to see the predicted per cent change in species relative abundance for that landbase type.

Southern Operating Area

  • In the Southern Operating Area, new forestry had a larger predicted effect on large deciduous trees than in the north, with a reduction of 5.8%.  
  • With a longer history of older forestry, there was a greater positive contribution from the regeneration of old harvest areas (+2.9%) than in the Northern Operating Area.  
  • More new non-forestry human footprint reduced the element in the Southern Operating Area a further -1.1%.  
  • Fires were largely absent in this area, and therefore had no effect on relative abundance. 
  • Aging of undisturbed stands increased the abundance by about 2.7%.
  • The net predicted change in large deciduous trees was -1.4% in the Southern Operating Areas as a result of new forestry, which was mostly offset by the aging of harvested and naturally disturbed stands.
Figure: Landbase Change. Effects of different types of landbase change on Large Deciduous Trees (> 25 cm DBH) in the Southern Operating Area from 2010-2018. Hover over each landbase category to see the predicted per cent change in species relative abundance for that landbase type.

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