• Belanger, Louis
  Faculty of Forestry and Geomatics, Laval University
  

Montmorency Forest, Laval University's 66 km^2 teaching and research forest, is an example of integrated management of a boreal balsam fir forest. For the last 30 years this forest has been managed using an ecosystem-based management approach, accomplished by implementing a type of "naturalistic" silviculture and a management that emphasizes the landscape's heterogeneity. Our "forest mosaic" management strategy is characterized by intermingling a number of even aged stand which are at different successional stages. This is achieved by dispersing throughout the landscape, patch cuts of 1 to 10 ha, 10-30 ha and 30 to 100 ha. The distribution of cuts is done bu attempting to mirror the natural landscape bu maintaining recent cuts as a minor proportion of each 3 to 10 km^2 parcel. Our experience indicates that this strategy seems to be socially acceptable in Quebec. It results in an improvement of habitat for flagship species, maintains an acceptable visual quality, protects water quality, and conserves biodiversity, while simultaneously maximizing wood production.