Trees are being thinned out in Northumberland Forest, but it’s all part of the 2018 Fall harvest that is based on improving the health of the forest.
A total of 2,740 tonnes of trees are being removing from the forest as part of the 30-40 year plan of rotating harvests to return the forest to its natural state said Director of Communications for Northumberland County Kate Campbell.
“Settlers would cut an area, and then as time went by and soil degradation and resulting flooding became an issue, they planted rows upon rows of mono-culture trees (mainly Red, White and Jack Pine) in order to preserve the soil.”
“Northumberland County’s silviculture plan is about converting the forest from this mono-culture back to a natural and diverse habitat in order to encourage the healthy development of forest ecosystems.”
Campbell explains that by allowing more sunlight into an area by thinning out these plantations, this encourages growth of species such as shrubs (eg, raspberry, blackberry) and then tree species (poplar, choke cherries, white birches, oaks, maples, etc) which, in turn, supports the health and development of native insects, birds and other wildlife species, which results in a healthy forest system.
Before the harvest, County Forest staff went out to assess and mark every single tree that will be part of the harvest, ensuring only those mono-culture or unhealthy trees are removed. Staff then carefully monitor to ensure the harvest is managed according to international standards set by The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) http://ca.fsc.org/en-ca/about-us.
The majority of harvest rotations should be complete by about 2040, at which time the forest will be returned predominantly to its natural state.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
