Research Projects

Projet description

The experimental sites of the Réserve faunique de Portneuf are the firsts of the Québec component and of the DREAM network. In 2018, the site of the Lac-des-Amanites was established in a mixedwood temperate forest to evaluate the potential of assisted migration to restore resinous yellow-birch stands impoverished by past practices. The second site of Lac-à-Charles (establishment in 2024) is located in a northern hardwood forest. It will help us understand how to improve the composition and resilience of maple stands invaded by American beech. On top of providing essential data regarding the survival and growth of twelve tree species, these plantations will help us determine which seed source should be used (e.g., local or southern) as well as the conditions favouring a successful establishment.

Lac-des-Amanites site

The site of Lac-des-Amanites was conceptualized in collaboration with the Pine Popple site (Wisconsin), with an almost identical design and several common characteristics. The creation of both sites has been the subject of a scientific article, which compares both sites and relates the main challenges in their establishment (Royo et al 2024).

The experiment is a full split-split-split factorial design, where we evaluate the effects of forest cover (clearcut vs. uniform shelterwood cut with 40% removal establishment cut), of excluding large herbivores and of removing competing vegetation. Harvest treatments were selected to allow seedling establishment outside or at the northern limit of their natural distribution, but also for restoring resinous yellow-birch stands impoverished by past high-grading practices. Nine species, each with three climate analogues, were planted. These species were chosen based on scientific and operational considerations, to obtain a mix of deciduous and evergreen species with ecological and economic value.

The installation of this site was completed in 2018. Since, we surveyed seedlings, residual cover and regeneration closely. Several DREAM research projects are supported by the Lac-des-Amanites sites, notably on ecophysiology, trophic interactions and carbon stocks.

Lac-à-Charles site

The site of  Lac-à-Charles is an adaptation of the Lac-des-Amanites experimental design to another type of forest, e.g., maple-yellow birch stands. The harvest treatments are specific to a northern hardwood stand (gap selection vs. continuous cover irregular shelterwood) and the competing vegetation is removed in the entirety of the site to manage the American beech encroachment. Some of the planted species are the same as in the Lac-des-Amanites site (red oak, sugar maple, black cherry, red spruce, red pine, cedar) while others are specific to this site (Canadian hemlock, red maple)

The experimental design establishment was realized in 2023-2024. This site will be closely monitored in the next few years.

The sites of Lac-des-Amanites and Lac-à-Charles are under the responsability of  Ministère des Ressources naturelles et des Forêts. Multiple research projects involving the DREAM network are planned there, in collaboration with the USDA Forest Service, Université Laval and Université du Québec à Chicoutimi.

Contributions to the project

Such a large project requires the contribution of many people. We would like to acknowledge here those contributions.

Conception of experimental design

Researchers :  Alejandro Royo, Patricia Raymond, Christel Kern, Steven Matthews, Laura Leites, Margot Kaye

Climatic analogues computation

Researchers : Travis Logan (Ouranos) et Catherine Périé (DRF)

Seedling production

Seeds : Fabienne Colas, Anne Savary (Centre de semences forestières de Berthier), Donnie McPhee (National Tree Seed Centre), Greg Adams (J.D. Irving), David Lee (Saratoga Tree Nursery), Don Allen (FW Schumacher), Jeannette Arnold (Ernst’s Conservation Seeds), Alejandro Royo, Jean-Luc Landreville, Hugo Tremblay, Léonie Carignan-Guillemette

Seedling production : Marie-Josée Gilbert, Rémy Thouin, Vladimir Rousse, Anne Déziel (Pépinière forestière de Berthier)

Establishment of the experiment

Operational planning : Yves Gauvreau et Pascale Doyon (Unité de gestion Basse-Mauricie)

Forestry operation : Nikita Touchette (Forex Langlois), Xylobois

Technicians : Éric Saulnier, Gabrielle Tremblay-Brassard, Félix Bouchard, Serge Williams, Frédéric Mireault-Pelchat

Students : Olivier Duperron

Researchers : Alejandro Royo, Daniel Dumais, Emilie Champagne, Patricia Raymond

Measurement of seedlings

Technicians : Éric Saulnier, Gabrielle Tremblay-Brassard, Félix Bouchard, Serge Williams, Étienne Duberger, Pierre-Luc Déchêne, Simon Potvin, Simon Marcouiller

Students : Simon Haché, Claudelle Bourque, Eva Ors, Catherine Ouellet, Mathieu Deblois, Rosalie Jolin, Geneviève Grégoire-Duval