Silviculture Guide to Managing Spruce, Fir, Birch, and Aspen Mixedwoods in Ontario's Boreal Forest

This guide contains ecological and silvicultural information for the sustainable management of certain stands of spruce-fir-birch-aspen forest mixtures in northern Ontario.

This guide contains ecological and silvicultural information for the sustainable management of certain stands of spruce-fir-birch-aspen forest mixtures in northern Ontario. This silvicultural guide was developed to provide: 

• definitions for boreal mixedwood sites and stands
• a synopsis of the ecology of boreal mixedwood stands
• an overview of what is currently known about boreal mixedwood silviculture in Ontario, and other jurisdictions
• a repository for silvicultural experience in Ontario’s boreal mixedwood forests
• a suggested approach for developing forest units and silvicultural ground rules for mixedwood objectives
• a training and educational tool

This guide is intended to provide a framework and context for generating, collecting, validating, and applying local knowledge and experience for the boreal mixedwood forest of Ontario. It is not intended to be the sole source of silvicultural information, or constrain the application of sound silvicultural practices.

Relationship to other forest management guides

This document is one of a series of silviculture guides, that are part of a larger group of forest management guides. Other forest management guides cover such topics as the provision and protection of wildlife habitat, resource-based tourism and cultural heritage values, the construction of access roads and water crossings, and maintaining the forests’ health and biodiversity.

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• Silviculture Guide to Managing Spruce, Fir, Birch, and Aspen Mixedwoods in Ontario's Boreal Forest (PDF, 9.8MB 230 pages)
• Appendices (1 to 5) (PDF, 3.8MB 125 pages)

The Boreal Mixedwood Notes is a technical supporting document to: Silviculture Guide to Managing Spruce, Fir, Birch, and Aspen Mixedwoods in Ontario's Boreal Forest

• Boreal Mixedwood Notes
• Ontario's Forest Management Guides