Effects of thinning on saproxylic beetles in black spruce plantations in northwestern Ontario

The integration of biodiversity value in forest management is becoming more common and widely adopted across many countries. Despite the popularity of conifer plantations and thinning practices in Canada, the current knowledge on long-term effects of mechanical thinning on biodiversity is poorly understood. Saproxylic beetles are a group of insects associated with dead or dying trees. These dead wood-associated insects are critical to forest ecosystem function, yet they are highly sensitive to environmental changes and forest disturbance, making these insects as excellent bio-indicators to assess ecosystem health. The proposed research will explore diversity and community structures of saproxylic beetles among different intensities of thinning in black spruce plantations near Limestone Lake, Nipigon, Ontario, Canada. Given the very limited number of studies on biodiversity responses to thinning practices, the outcomes from this research are expected to fill critical knowledge gaps on biological responses to thinning, thereby contributing to a broader framework of biodiversity sensitive forest management.

Faculty Supervisor:

Seung-Il Lee

Student:

Partner:

Chungbuk National University

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Forestry; Natural Resources; Environmental Science and Technology

University:

Lakehead University

Program: