Ontario’s forest management practices are governed by an array of guides that outline silvicultural practices and methods to conserve biodiversity and enhance or protect wildlife habitat, aesthetics, watersheds and other values.
The Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), in consultation with the public, the forest industry and other interested parties, produces forest management guides for use by forest management planning teams in the development of prescriptions for operations. These guides are regularly reviewed and updated; for the current status of each document, see Status Summary of the Forest Management Guides.
Current Guides
Landscape and Stand and Site Guides
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Pine Marten |
Previously there were a number of guides that each dealt with a single species or group of species of wildlife and another that dealt with forest pattern. These have been replaced with the Forest Management Guide for Conserving Biodiversity at the Stand and Site Scales and Forest Management Guide for Landscapes (the released Great Lakes – St. Lawrence volume and the yet to be released Boreal volume). These two guides deal with biodiversity in a holistic manner in order to ensure that there is suitable habitat across the entire forest landscape for wildlife, birds, fish, plants, etc., as well as protection for specific habitat features (e.g. nests, species at risk).
These guides use a combination of coarse and fine filters to address the conservation of biodiversity. The coarse filter creates a diversity of ecosystem conditions through space and time, based on the concept of formulating natural patterns and processes, to provide habitat for the majority of native species of plants and animals. Fine filters are applied when the ecological requirements of particular species may not be adequately addressed by the coarse filter alone, or when societal and/or economic aspects of sustainable development require more or less habitat than the coarse filter alone would provide. Both the coarse and fine filter direction is based on a strong foundation of scientific knowledge and operational experience.
Landscape and Stand and Site Guides:
- Forest Management Guide for Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Landscapes (GLSL Landscape Guide)
- Forest Management Guide for Conserving Biodiversity at the Stand and Site Scales (Stand and Site Guide)
- Forest Management Guide for Natural Disturbance Pattern Emulation
- Forest Management Guidelines for the Conservation of Woodland Caribou - A Landscape Approach
- Forest Management Guidelines for the Provision of Marten Habitat
- Forest Management Guidelines for the Provision of Pileated Woodpecker Habitat
Silvicultural Guides
Silvicultural guides provide Ontario forest managers with guidance on current scientific and technical information for use in developing forest management plans. Ontario has silvicultural guides for the Boreal Forest and the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Forest. These guides contain ecological and management interpretations to help guide forest management activities.
Silvicultural Guides:
- Silvicultural Guide for the Tolerant Hardwood Forest in Ontario
- Silvicultural Guide to Managing for Black Spruce, Jack Pine and Aspen on Boreal Ecosites in Ontario
- Silvicultural Guide to Managing Southern Ontario Forests
- Silviculture Guide for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Conifer Forest in Ontario
- Silviculture Guide to Managing Spruce, Fir, Birch, and Aspen Mixedwoods in Ontario's Boreal Forest
Societal Values Guides
In addition, Ontario has forest management guides addressing other operational, environmental and social topics and values, including
- resource-based tourism values, and
- cultural heritage values
Societal Values Guides:
- Management Guidelines for Forestry and Resource-Based Tourism (Tourism Guide)
- Forest Management Guide for Cultural Heritage Values (Cultural Heritage Values Guide)
Supporting Documents for Current Guides
Three former guides are now known as supporting documents since they provide technical information for specific guides. When using the silviculture guides the Boreal Mixedwood Notes and the Ontario Tree Marking Guide may be useful technical references.
The Environmental Guidelines for Access Roads and Water Crossings is useful to those planning and building forest roads and water crossings per the Forest Management Guide for Conserving Biodiversity at the Stand and Site Scales.
Supporting Documents for Current Guides
- Stand and Site Guide - Background and Rationale for Direction (PDF, 4.0MB)
- Boreal Mixedwood Notes
- Ontario Tree Marking Guide
- Environmental Guidelines for Access Roads and Water Crossings
Guides in Transition
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Bald Eagle |
A number of guides were replaced in 2010 when the Forest Management Guide for Conserving Biodiversity at the Stand and Site Scales and the Forest Management Guide for Great Lakes St. Lawrence Landscapes were released. However, the guides that were replaced will still need to be referred to during the preparation, implementation, and independent forest audit of those forest management plans that were written prior to the use of the new guides. The guides that were replaced will therefore remain available on this website.
Guides in Transition
Photography
Dr. Wayne Lynch
