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Introduction

The purpose of this manual is to develop forest management guidelines aimed at protecting biodiversity in ecologically sensitive sites on private woodlots within the Fundy Model Forest (see Figure 1). It is necessary to maintain these existing sites until some degree of restoration takes place on a provincial scale. This manual will be used by technicians working with the Southern New Brunswick (SNB) Wood Cooperative, N.B. Department of Natural Resources and Energy (NBDNRE) staff, woodlot owners, and others who wish to identify and manage these sites.

The criteria to identify ecologically significant areas on forest sites are as follows:

1. Presence of uncommon or rare species, including some of the rare plants listed throughout this manual.
2. Presence of "rare - spatially restricted" assemblages of species, such as wet cedar forest sites, which contain mixes of species not found on other sites.
3. Little-disturbed remnants of once-more-common community types such as mature tolerant hardwood stands or red spruce stands (MacDougall and Loo, 1996).

These criteria apply to a variety of sites in the Fundy Model Forest (FMF) and across the province. Although these areas are important to maintain biodiversity across the landscape, the larger forest community must not be forgotten and must also be managed in an ecologically sustainable manner. Without this step, further loss of biological diversity is inevitable. Most of the suggested management options in this manual could be further modified and used over a broader land base to restore forest communities that have been
reduced or lost.

Eight forest community types were identified within the FMF as being ecologically significant because they met one or more of the above-listed criteria. Each of these community types was identified and described in the publication, Fine-Scale Community Types of the Fundy Model Forest in Southeastern New Brunswick (MacDougall and Loo, 1996). They will form the basis for this manual and are as follows:

• Hemlock Slope Forest Community Type
• Pine­Oak Forest Community Type
• Talus Slope Hardwood Forest Community Type
• Wet Cedar Forest Community Type
• Coastal Ravine Red Spruce Forest Community Type
• Sugar Maple­White Pine Inland Cove Forest Community Type
• Rich Northern Hardwood Forest
• Sugar Maple­White Ash­Ironwood­Beech Community Type
• Silver Maple­American Elm Alluvial Bottomland Community Type

Figure 1. Map of the Fundy Model Forest in New Brunswick (reprinted from MacDougall and Loo, 1996).

Biodiversity Loss within the Fundy Model Forest

Several tree species in the Fundy Model Forest, and across the province, have been significantly reduced in abundance and distribution. This decrease in biodiversity may have negative effects on other wild life1 species that use these trees (Woodley and Forbes, 1997). Research on the abundance of tree species in the Fundy Model Forest during colonial times (175-225 years ago) has identified that the following tree species were once much more common than they are today: eastern white-cedar, ash, eastern hemlock, large, healthy beech, sugar maple, and yellow birch (Lutz, 1997).

Other species such as white pine, red spruce, red oak, ironwood, black cherry, butternut, bur oak, basswood, and American elm have also been reduced over the past century. In fact, most long-lived species, requiring shade for regeneration, have decreased in quantity and quality over the past century or more. Logging pressure or habitat change due to human activity have been the main causes of this loss (Woodley and Forbes, 1997), except for elm and beech which have been reduced in frequency and size by introduced diseases. Because they have decreased in abundance, forest communities containing these species will be the focus of management actions within this manual.

Locating and Protecting Ecologically Sensitive Sites

Although a number of specific ecologically sensitive sites have been identified within the FMF, many more may exist on a much finer scale on private woodlots. SNB staff spend a great deal of time advising woodlot owners on forest management issues. The opportunity exists to increase awareness of these sensitive sites, and to add to the number of known sensitive sites. Proper management may help maintain these community types on the landscape.

Soil maps are the second most important source of information for finding new sites. Forest inventory data are the main source. These maps are available from the FMF office or from the New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources and Energy (NBDNRE) offices, free of charge.

1. Wild life is expressed throughout this manual as two words to remind the reader that it refers to all species of plants and animals that are not domesticated.