Biodiversity and forest management : five forest management plans evaluated
Abstract
The five forest management plans evaluated are: Trout Lake, Nipissing, French-Severn, Kapuskasing, and, Whiskey Jack. Biodiversity is a complex concept that encompasses the structure, composition and
function of the four levels of biological organization (genetic, species, ecosystem and
landscape). A thorough understanding of these concepts and the implementation of the
concepts in management are central to the conservation o f biodiversity. Examining
Ontario forest management plans to evaluate their approach to biodiversity is important
to identify how well forest management is dealing with the concepts o f biodiversity. Five
Ontario forest management plans were examined using an evaluation form and associated
criteria. The five plans were: the Trout Lake Forest Management Plan, the Nipissing
Forest Management Plan, the French-Sevem Forest Management Plan, the Kapuskasing
Forest Management Plan, and the Whiskey Jack Forest Management Plan. The
evaluation procedure was developed based on current literature that identified
management techniques for the conservation of biodiversity. A score was assigned based
on the comparison of the plan against the criteria. A chi-square test was conducted to
determine if there were significant differences between the selected plans. There were no
significant differences among the plans regarding their individual approaches to
biodiversity. The Whiskey Jack Forest Management Plan was most thorough in its
attempt to address important biodiversity concepts. Four of the five plans failed to
identify the genetic level of biodiversity as a consideration in management. Addressing
important biodiversity concepts in the context of forest management planning is essential
to biodiversity conservation. By identifying areas where management plans could
improve would initiate ground-level research into the biodiversity of northern regions and
as a result would promote the conservation of biodiversity.