Regions: Gwich'in Settlement Area
Tags: biology, revegetation, forestry, forest fire, anthropogenic impacts, forest regrowth
| Principal Investigator: | Van Gerwen-Toyne, Melanie (2) |
| Licence Number: | 13334 |
| Organization: | Gwich'in Renewable Resource Board (GRRB) |
| Licensed Year(s): |
2003
2002
2001
2000
|
| Issued: | Jun 23, 2002 |
Objective(s): Baseline data on the rate of tree growth (productivity) and time required for trees to re-establish (regeneration) following fires and anthropogenic disturbances are required to determine forest sustainability and understand how habitat changes over time (succession). RWED has inititiated the collection of tree productivity data from forests in the Mackenzie Delta. Additional tree samples will be obtained and a productivity analysis started to obtain reliable estimates of forest growth and regeneration rates in this region. Seismic line cutting the 1960's and 70's resulted in hundreds of kms of cleared 9 metre lines that crisscross the GSA. Short term projects were carried out to determine the effects of seismic line cutting on northern environments, but no long term monitoring studies were undertaken. It has now been 30 years since the lines were cut and we have the opportunity to assess how well northern forests have recovered from the disturbance. The results of this are important as a second wave of oil and gas exploration is planned for the region and a clear understanding of past seismic cutting effects is needed to assess future work. Knowledge of forest regrowth in the region will help predict impacts of timber cutting and refine replanting techniques for northern forests.
