Operationalizing conservation value through multi-species evaluation and implementation on forestlands certified as sustainably managed in Canada

Being certified as sustainable through a third-party organization, such as the Sustainable Forestry Initiative and the Forest Stewardship Council, gives forest products companies and organization a way to demonstrate to consumers that their management practices are ecologically sound. To understand the value of certification programs, it is important to be able to quantify the conservation benefits of certified forest lands in terms of important conservation outcomes. One way to do this is to measure the biodiversity value of certified forests, i.e. how sustainable forest management contributes to the maintenance of biodiversity. This research will provide a concrete way to measure the conservation impact of forest certification on biodiversity through the effect on regional bird community diversity. Bird communities are a reliable indicator of ecological conditions and overall biodiversity, and so provide an excellent species group for understanding how to manage forests sustainably. TO BE CONT’D

Faculty Supervisor:

Erin Bayne

Student:

Partner:

Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc;Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries Inc;fRI Research;Fuse Consulting

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Agriculture; Manufacturing

University:

University of Alberta

Program: