Forest Management and Wetland Stewardship Initiative (FMWSI)

Boreal wetlands are diverse and complex systems. There is no single, legally recognized definition of the term ‘wetland’ that is applicable across all municipal, provincial, and federal jurisdiction in Canada. We use the widely accepted Canadian Wetland Classification System (National Wetlands Working Group 1997) definition:

“… land that is saturated with water long enough to promote wetland or aquatic processes as indicated by poorly drained soils, hydrophytic vegetation and various kinds of biological activity which are adapted to a wet environment…”

This section is an excerpt from Forest Management and Wetland Stewardship Initiative. 2018. Guiding Principles for Wetland Stewardship and Forest Management: Technical Report. Edmonton, Alberta. Copies of the Technical Report and Practitioner Guide are available for download here.

Classifying wetlands is important for understanding wetland properties and function. Boreal wetlands are typically characterized as organic wetlands or peatlands (bogs and fens) and mineral wetlands (swamps, marshes, and shallow open water). Organic wetlands are characterized by deep organic deposits, typically greater than 40cm. Mineral wetlands are characterized by shallow organic deposits, typically less than 40cm. The Canadian Wetland Classification System recognizes five major wetland classes: bogs, fens, swamps, marshes, and shallow open water. Soil, vegetation, and hydrology are the primary properties used to define these five classes.

Wetlands perform a range of ecological functions that can be grouped into: hydrology, biogeochemical cycling, climate regulation, and habitat. Of particular interest to many industries operating in the boreal are the hydrologic functions. Because boreal wetlands are highly interconnected, industry activities may influence wetland hydrology with potentially far reaching effects to connected wetlands and uplands. Understanding the primary factors influencing water movement in forested environments and how to characterize this water movement can provide valuable information for planning and operational practices.

Forest management and wetland stewardship

Wetlands are an integral component of boreal forest ecosystems and intersect forest management activities in a number of ways. Understanding the benefits and challenges that come from these intersections can help forest managers meet wetland stewardship objectives. Functioning wetlands benefit upland forests by contributing to forest productivity and resiliency, mitigating the effects of upland harvest on water bodies, influencing wildfire behaviour and patterns, and mitigating effects of climate change. By promoting wetland stewardship, forest managers can help to ensure wetlands continue to provide these benefits on the landscapes they manage.

Wetlands also pose challenges to forest managers, particularly if they are not identified and planned for. Because of high water tables, weak organic soils, and other hydrological and ecological properties, wetlands require additional considerations, time and cost when planning, building and maintaining infrastructure, such as resource roads. Wetlands require additional worker and equipment safety considerations, and increasing legal, certification, and social license obligations require forest managers to consider and address a range of wetland stewardship objectives.

In turn, forest management activities can affect wetlands including potential adverse effects to wetland soils, water quality, and vegetation.

Guiding Principles

This project presents four guiding principles for wetland stewardship and forest management: (1) maintain wetland quantity, (2) maintain wetland quality, (3) maintain hydrologic processes, and (4) maintain hydrologic connectivity. 

Working to achieve these principles will support other related values identified under government or certification requirements such as biodiversity, riparian habitats, invasive species control, forest health and productivity, soil productivity, and others.

Stewardship Objectives

This project also describes several wetland stewardship objectives that support the guiding principles. We developed the objectives to address potential adverse effects of forest management activities on wetlands and aligned objectives with current mandatory and/ or voluntary forest management requirements where applicable: 

1. Maintain surface and subsurface water flow
2. Avoid or minimize soil compaction
3. Avoid or minimize soil layer disturbance
4. Maintain structure and function of riparian and wetland vegetation
5. Avoid or minimize site level run-off and erosion
6. Prevent sediment and pollutants from entering the wetland
7. Avoid or minimize invasive species introduction and/ or spread 49

Planning Considerations

The final report describes avoidance and minimization planning considerations that support the stewardship objectives and guiding principles. The key decisions for successful forest management that promote and support wetland stewardship are made in the planning and design phase.

Avoidance Considerations

1. Map the distribution of wetlands on the landscape by type
2. Avoid new disturbances to wetlands by participating in integrated land management planning
3. Avoid new disturbances to wetlands by locating new infrastructure near or on existing disturbances and by planning access routes to accommodate future development needs
4. Prioritize avoidance

Minimization considerations

1. Consider timing, location and equipment when working in or near wetlands in relation to the following: climate, bedrock and surficial geology, soils, and topography and drainage network.
2. Consider the location of planned access, harvest, and renewal activities in relation to wetlands and the following: key attributes and flow characteristics, position of wetland in the watershed, and wetland connectivity.
3. Locate wetland crossings to minimize disturbance.
4. Consider the wetland type when choosing the wetland crossing.
5. Schedule activities to occur during favourable weather conditions (e.g. winter operations, shutting down operations during spring runoff or heavy rain events).
6. Establish vegetated zones around wetlands.
7. Establish storage sites and recovery plans for petroleum products and other pollutants
8. Minimize invasive species introductions and spread.

Enhancing knowledge and awareness

1. Targeted off highway vehicle recreation.
2. Reclamation
3. Introductory wetlands training
4. Best management practices training.

Linking Principles, Objectives and Planning Considerations

The planning considerations can be applied to meet the stewardship objectives and in turn the guiding principles. We discuss a range of tools, approaches, and supporting resources that can be applied to assist with meeting the guiding principles.

Gaps and Recommendations

The report identifies a number of research and knowledge gaps in key topics relating to forest management and wetland stewardship. Monitoring the outcomes of current research in these areas as well as participating and supporting future research will help to close existing gaps and advance knowledge. Topics include:

• Successional dynamics over space and time given historical landscape conditions and projected conditions
• Wetlands and forest fire
• Vegetation regeneration success (e.g., road crossing reclamation)
• Wetland hydrologic connectivity
• Wetland hydrologic processes
• Wetland greenhouse gas (GHG) dynamics
• Wetland carbon storage
• Relative value of wetland types
• Effectiveness of minimization strategies