Canadian Forest Service Publications
Composition and dynamics of the understory vegetation in the boreal forests of Quebec. (2003 Re-edition). In: The herbaceous layer of forests of eastern North America, Gilliam, F. S. and M. R. Roberts (eds). Oxford University Press. 2003. De Grandpré, L.; Bergeron, Y.; Nguyen-Xuan, T.; Boudreault, C.; Grondin, Pp.: 238-261.
Year: 2013
Issued by: Laurentian Forestry Centre
Catalog ID: 35069
Language: English
Availability: PDF (request by e-mail)
Additional information:
Plain Language Summary
This chapter deals initially with the implications of length variations in the fire cycle on the diversity of understory vegetation in Quebec's commercial boreal forest. The regional importance of variability in the fire cycle plays a structuring role in the composition of understory vegetation communities. One of the conclusions of this study is that an intermediate-length fire cycle (around 150 years) helps to maintain a vast wealth of understory vegetation.
Next, the authors review the literature on the effect of cutting with protection of regeneration and soil on understory vegetation communities. This effect varies depending on the scale of analysis, but in general, the more that logging reduces forest variability (i.e. the presence of trees of different heights, shrubs, understory vegetation, mosses, etc.), the more the lower strata (including lichen) are protected.
