Groupe de Recherche en Écologie de la MRC Abitibi (GREMA), Forest Research Institute, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, 341 Rue Principale Nord, Amos, QC, J9T 2L8, Canada.
Center for Forest Research (CFR), Biology Sciences Building, Université du Québec à Montréal, 141 Président-Kennedy, Bureau SB-2987, Montréal, QC, H2X 1Y4, Canada.
Sci Rep. 2024 Oct 3;14(1):23027. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-74013-3.
Despite the wide application of riparian buffers in the managed boreal forest, their long-term effectiveness as freshwater protection tools remains unknown. Here, we evaluate windthrow incidence in riparian buffers in the eastern Canadian boreal forest and determine the effect of windthrow on the water quality index of the adjacent freshwater ecosystems. We studied 40 sites-20 riparian buffers, aged 10 to 20 years after harvesting and 20 control sites within intact riparian environments-distributed among clay and sandy (esker) soils and black spruce (Picea mariana) and jack pine (Pinus banksiana) stands. We observed more windthrow in the harvested stands (36%) relative to the control sites (16%), regardless of substrate and species. We determined that the most important factors explaining windthrow were exposition, harvesting, aquatic environment size, and stand characteristics. These factors drive wind exposure, speed, and force, which determine post-harvest windthrow risk. Furthermore, windthrow negatively affected the water quality index of the adjacent aquatic systems, i.e., greater windthrow decreased the protective effect of the riparian buffer. We recommend increasing the use of partial harvest near riparian environments and adapting riparian buffers to site conditions to ensure the long-term protection of adjacent freshwater ecosystems.
尽管滨岸缓冲带在管理北方森林中得到了广泛应用，但它们作为淡水保护工具的长期有效性仍不清楚。在这里，我们评估了加拿大东部北方森林滨岸缓冲带中风倒的发生率，并确定了风倒对相邻淡水生态系统水质指数的影响。我们研究了 40 个地点——20 个滨岸缓冲带，在收获后 10 到 20 年，以及 20 个位于完整滨岸环境中的对照地点，分布在粘土和沙质（冰碛）土壤以及黑云杉（Picea mariana）和短叶松（Pinus banksiana）林分中。我们观察到收获林分中的风倒（36%）比对照林分（16%）更多，而与基质和物种无关。我们确定，解释风倒的最重要因素是暴露、收获、水生环境大小和林分特征。这些因素驱动着风的暴露、速度和力量，从而决定了收获后的风倒风险。此外，风倒对相邻水生系统的水质指数产生了负面影响，即更大的风倒降低了滨岸缓冲带的保护效果。我们建议在靠近滨岸环境的地方增加使用部分收获，并使滨岸缓冲带适应场地条件，以确保相邻淡水生态系统的长期保护。
