Protected Area - Working Forest Interface: Ecological Concerns for Protected Areas Management in Canada

The network of protected areas and the magnitude of forestry in Canada result in a mosaic of working and conservation forests in the landscape. Forestry activities immediately adjacent to protected areas can affect ecological processes and organisms within the protected area. Effects include physical and biological changes to streams that flow into or out of protected areas. Harvesting trees adjacent to protected areas creates edge effects. These effects include changes to physical characteristics of a site, old growth, and interior species of the adjacent protected forest, and can increase invasion of alien species. Road construction for forest access can increase isolation of protected areas and affect hydrological processes. Some general guidelines for forest managers to consider when operating near protected areas are: (1) retain or restore natural climax forest species composition; (2) reduce edge contrast between working forest and protected areas; (3) maximize protection of watercourses draining into protected areas; and (4) plan road network to minimize undesirable effects on nearby protected areas.