Ecosystem Management Emulating Natural Disturbance (EMEND)

The EMEND Project is a valuable and highly relevant resource to sustainable forestry in the western boreal region. It is remotely located northwest of Peace River, Alberta, Canada. The heart of EMEND is a large-scale (1000 ha) variable retention harvest experiment set within a 7000 hectare forested landscape, protected for long-term ecological research.  This section is taken from the project introduction of the 2016 EMEND Annual Report: Hayden, A., and J. Spence. 2017. The EMEND Project: 2016 Annual Report. Edmonton, AB, Canada.

EMEND was designed to answer questions about how retention of green-tree residuals affects harvest cost, forest regeneration, patterns of succession, biodiversity, nutrient cycling, ground water characteristics and public perception of forestry activities, and to be a resource for developing science-based policies about forest management. EMEND is the first of its kind and is believed to be the largest single site, manipulative forestry experiment in the world. It is used by the Canadian government to illustrate the modern Canadian approach to forest management. Since its inception, it has inspired other research efforts around the globe.

The experimental site has been developed through significant industrial and public investment. Project design and planning occurred during 1996–97. These meetings featured a scientific committee involving both federal and provincial governments, research bodies, and industry. The experiment was laid out in previously un-harvested forest in 1997–98, and harvest treatments were executed during in the winter of 1998/99. Collection of the experiment-wide or “core” data required to monitor EMEND has been conducted at 5 year intervals, with 2–3 years required to collect these data. The plan is to collect data for at least one stand rotation, or approximately 80–100 years. The experiment allows scientists to study a real industrial forest, from initial harvest through a first rotation harvest. This will provide unique insights into processes over an entire woodland life cycle.

EMEND funded research consists of two main components: 1) a core research program, designed to elucidate long-term patterns of response to disturbance on the research site; and 2) a graduate student program that seeks to answer a broad range of focused scientific questions about the responses of biodiversity, productivity, and social values to variable retention harvesting through original scholarly research. Work under component #2 connects EMEND to a vibrant international research culture and provides exceptional educational opportunities to secure the interests of university-based scientists, while that under component #1 assists industry and governments directly with knowledge upon which to develop scientifically- defensible operating rules and policy for forestry in Alberta and elsewhere. Taken together these efforts comprise the double edges of the research and development sword, which we aim to keep as sharp as possible, given the resources available.

EMEND continues to inform management applications and policy in a way that balances social, environmental and economic values; thus the project remains relevant across northern boreal landscapes. While the program’s roots are founded in forest management questions, the fundamental knowledge of the structure and function of boreal ecosystems holds distinct value beyond the forest sector, and should be of significant value to any group attempting to manage boreal forest land.

EMEND 2016 Publications

Amos, J., J. Spence, and D. Langor. 2016. The impact of retention harvesting on bee and hoverfly assemblages in the boreal forest of Alberta. Paper presented at the R.E. Peter Biology Conference, Edmonton, AB.

Amos, J., J. Spence, and D. Langor. 2016. Environmental variables and their effect on bee and hoverfly assemblages following harvesting in the boreal forest of northern Alberta. Paper presented at the CONFORWest conference, Kananaskis, AB.

Bartels, S.F., and S.E. Macdonald (2016). Bryophyte abundance, diversity and composition following variable-retention harvesting in boreal mixedwood forest: Evidence from the EMEND study. 101st Ecological Society of America (ESA) Annual Meeting, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA.

Franklin, C., Macdonald, S.E., and Nielsen, S. 2015. Effects of variable retention harvesting on understory vegetation. CONFORWest Interdisciplinary Forestry and Environmental Studies Conference. Friday Harbor, Washington, United States of America (International Conference, Oral Presentation)

Franklin, C., Macdonald, S.E., and Nielsen, S. 2016. Responses of understory vegetation to green-tree retention harvesting. Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution Meeting. St. John’s, Newfoundland (National Conference, Oral Presentation)

Macdonald, S.E., Bartels, S.F., Echiverri, L., and S. Ronzani (2016). Understanding spatial patterns of biodiversity at the EMEND site using wet areas mapping. Workshop: Towards the goal of environmental excellence: Alberta’s Wet Areas Mapping initiative at year ten. Biodiversity and Forestry Workshop, Alberta Agriculture & Forestry, March 17, Edmonton, AB. Oral presentation ~150 attendees.

Macdonald, S.E., Bartels, S.F., and A. Dabros (2016). The EMEND experiment – impacts of variable retention harvesting on plant biodiversity. Biodiversity and Forestry Workshop, Alberta Agriculture & Forestry, March 16, Edmonton, AB. Oral presentation ~160 attendees.

Robinson, M. (2015) Alberta Biodiversity Conservation Chairs Annual Science Advisory Meeting (April 21, 2015).Poster Title: “Effects of forest disturbance and green tree retention on upland habitat suitability of wood frogs”

Robinson, M. (2016) Alberta Biodiversity Conservation Chairs Annual Science Advisory Meeting (February 23, 2016). Poster Title: “Influence of forest disturbance and green tree retention on upland distributions of wood frogs in the boreal mixedwood forest”

Robinson, M. (2016) Forest Industry Lecture Series and Poster Presentation – Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta. (March 3, 2016).Poster Title: “Influence of forest disturbance and green tree retention on upland distributions of wood frogs in the boreal mixedwood forest”

Robinson, M. (2016) Peace River Museum – Boreal Forest Speaker Series (April 14, 2016). Oral Presentation Title: “Wood frog habitat use and reproduction in post-harvest retention forest stands”