HR: 1330h
AN: NB33M-05    [Abstracts]
TI: Large Woody Debris in Forest Streams of the Canadian Boreal Shield: Implications for Riparian Management Strategies
AU: * Kreutzweiser, D P
EM: DKreutzw@NRCan.gc.ca
AF: Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada, 1219 Queen St. East, Sault Ste Marie, ON P6A 2E5 Canada
AU: Good, K P
EM: KGood@NRCan.gc.ca
AF: Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada, 1219 Queen St. East, Sault Ste Marie, ON P6A 2E5 Canada
AU: Sutton, T M
EM: TSutton@fnr.purdue.edu
AF: Purdue University, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, 195 Marsteller St., West Lafayette, IN 47907 United States
AB: The inputs, characteristics and function of large woody debris (LWD) were measured in 16 mid-order (3-7 m wide), moderate-gradient (1-5% slope) streams in mixedwood forests of the Boreal Shield in Ontario. Wood pieces in these streams were less abundant, smaller, less stable and, consequently, less functional than in streams of most other forest regions. The average frequency (19.9 pieces/100m), size (16.7 cm diameter), and aggregation (2.4 debris dams/100m) of LWD were less than in most previous studies. Fewer than 15% of the pools in these streams were influenced by LWD. The relatively-low LWD loading and influence on pool formation reflected the boulder-dominated substrates, where bed scouring or aggregation around LWD to influence channel morphology was limited. The dominance of coarse bed materials conferred a high degree of instability on many LWD pieces and increased the likelihood of fluvial transport. Given the limited functional role that LWD seems to have on channel morphology in these types of streams, selection-based logging in riparian zones of Boreal Shield streams may be a viable option to enhance riparian stand quality while maintaining stream channel integrity. Companion studies to examine other potential impacts of selection logging in riparian reserves of boreal streams are ongoing.
DE: 9810 New fields (not classifiable under other headings)
SC: North American Benthological Society [NB]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly