Forest Health Assessment for Barnum Creek Nature Reserve

Forest Health Assessment for Barnum Creek Nature Reserve

Alyson Bimm, Cailyn Carscadden, Julia Hérault, Natalie Holley, Olivia Gaetz, Jade Gorman, Kevin
Leblond, Emily Lemon, Megan MacPherson, Emilia Violin, & Taylor Howe

Haliburton Highlands Land Trust

Kaitlyn Fleming

4948

December 2022

Online

Haliburton County, HHLT

Terrestrial biomonitoring

Forest health surveys have been done worldwide to provide relevant data on the current health of forests and provide long-term analyses of changes in the ecosystem. This has been shown to help early identification of disturbances and prevent future harm. In this report, students from Trent University set up eight Permanent Sampling Plots (PSPs) in the Barnum Creek Nature Reserve to collect forest health data for the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust. This field data collected includes tree diameter at breast height (DBH), tree height, canopy class, species presence, downed woody debris characteristics, and tree defects. Field data was then analyzed to determine the distribution of DBH and stem defects, relative stem density, basal area per hectare, and proportion of downed woody debris versus decomposition class for each site. This data allowed students to conclude that it is a sugar maple-eastern white cedar-dominated forest with good diversity and valued habitat for wildlife. One concern noted is the high presence of closed wounds on the trees. In completing the analysis of data, students recommend to the HHLT that they continue to pursue goals in protecting and maintaining the forests, and having the public keep good stewardship of the land.

Trent University