Forest management can alter the mobilization of mercury (Hg) into headwater streams and its conversion to methylmercury (MeHg), the form that bioaccumulates in aquatic biota and biomagnifies through food webs. As headwater streams are important sources of organic materials and nutrients to larger...

Intensive silviculture is practiced in many parts of the world but is rare in the public forests of western Canada. Here, we make the argument that intensive silviculture could be justified in Alberta but has not been implemented due to philosophies and policy decisions by foresters from...

Compensatory growth (CG) appears common in biology and is defined as accelerated growth after experiencing a period of unfavorable conditions. It usually leads to an increase in biomass that may eventually equal or even surpass that of sites not experiencing disturbance. In forestry, with...

The increase in intensity of the harvesting of eastern Quebec's forests has resulted in profound compositional changes at the stand level. The composition and structure of presettlement stands provide key benchmarks when implementing ecosystem-based management (EBM). A core principle of EBM is the...

In recent decades, retention forestry has become an increasingly popular management approach. Previous research has demonstrated that persistence of retained live trees (residuals) is higher when they are larger and more densely packed. Beyond density, minimal research has been done on how...

Changing climates are altering the structural and functional components of forest ecosystems at an unprecedented rate. Simultaneously, we are seeing a diversification of public expectations on the broader sustainable use of forest resources beyond timber production. As a result, the science and art ...

Criteria and indicator (C&I) frameworks are frequently used for assessing sustainable forest management. Despite their suitability to assess performance, less attention is given to translating them into strategic forest management planning processes and practices that are of cross-cultural...

Innovation and knowledge exchange are critical to foster adaptive management and continual learning. Across the spectrum of knowledge exchange, ranging from peer-reviewed research to anecdotes, there is a largely untapped middle ground: real-world silvicultural case studies implemented and...

This data article describes datasets of plant community composition, dendrometric measurements, quantity and quality of snags of humid boreal stands (Quebec, Canada) from an experiment comparing silviculture scenarios of increasing intensity: (i) careful logging around advance growth (CLAAG); (ii)...

Even-aged silviculture based on short-rotation clearcuts had severely altered boreal forests. Silvicultural alternatives (e.g. continuous cover or retention forestry) have the potential to restore and protect the habitats and functions of boreal forests. These alternatives are however often...