Your Forest in a Changing Climate
Climate Adaptation Project Case Study
Site 4
Hazen & Karen McCrea
Location: South Tetagouche , NB.
Introduction
Hazen and Karen McCrea have owned their 200+ acre woodlot on Route 180 in South Tetagouche for over 30 years. Hazen particularly values the tree plantation on their woodlot.
The main objectives for their woodlot include increasing timber production and maintaining wildlife habitat.
Site description
Site conditions:
Ground conditions:
History of site:
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Softwoods are mature to over-mature
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Hardwoods are mature
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Little to no regeneration present
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Blowdowns, stem breakages, broken tops, up-rooted trees are present
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Regeneration consists of mainly red maple with occasional sugar maple, stunted and suppressed balsam fir and spruce also present
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Wildlife signs of moose and bear were observes along with small animals and many bird species
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Moderate drainage
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Good operability
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No slope or rockiness
Little to no invention has taken place, however an occasional old stump is present.
Owners survey
2020
What has the woodlot been used for in the past (e.g. timber harvesting, firewood, farmland, been left wild and free)? All of the above.
What are your short-term goals for your woodlot (next 7 years)?
Improve.
What are your mid-term goals for your woodlot (7–35 years)?
Improve.
What are your long-term goals for your woodlot (35+ years)?
Improve.
Have you previously taken your woodlot’s ability to adapt to future changing climate conditions into consideration? Yes.
Are you currently aware of what future modelling shows for NB’s climate conditions?
Not all of it.
Do you think your woodlot will be resilient to NB’s changing climate conditions? Why?
No, I’m going to lose all my (balsam) fir.
Sample plot area implementation
Species summary pre-treatment
Size of sample plots
Species summary post-treatment
Treatments implemented by plot
Traditional treatment:
Clear-cut the area. Remove all merchantable timber. Reassess site after 5 years.
Goal:
To salvage volume as stand is over-mature with moderate to poor health.
Climate adaptive treatment:
Remove all softwoods. Retain the sugar maple and yellow birch. Scuff up the soil as much as possible during harvest to create favourable seedbeds for birch and maple regeneration. Harvesting completed with a tracked harvester to reach into the the area from the sides thus not creating trails.
Goal:
To encourage the establishment of long lived climate adaptive species using existing mature trees as seed source.
Outcomes and monitoring progress
This section will be updated each time a site visit is made to measure the updated volumes and site conditions. The first anticipated update will be in fall of 2022, and then every five years afterwards.