Canadian Forest Service links

Introduction and Site Criteria

Abstract

The Forest Ecosystem Research Network of Sites (FERNS) is a national network of major forest research installations located in each ecosystem across Canada. The installations are focused on the study of sustainable forest management practices and ecosystem processes at the stand level. Normally, they have a substantial research history developed with many disciplines and interest groups. FERNS network promotes world class forest research based on ecosystems and sustainable forest management and provides a forum for information exchange and data sharing. FERNS was initiated by Natural Resources Canada – the Canadian Forest Service in the mid 1990s.
 

Introduction

Forests are fundament to the economic, social and environmental make up of Canada. Canada’s forests cover almost one-half of the landmass of Canada and 10% of the global forest cover. As a result, Canada finds itself at the centre of the growing international debate on the environment. Increasingly, science has a critical role to play in this debate. FERNS has a tremendous wealth of knowledge on a wide range of topics including forestry practices on ecosystem productivity, ecosystem processes and long term biological diversity.

The primary mission of FERNS is to promote Canada’s rich history in forest research by drawing attention to a network of major forest research installations. The network spans all of Canada’s forest ecosystems. Individual FERN Sites are examples of high quality forestry practices research. By providing opportunities for comparative and collaborative research, FERNS also fosters partnerships between governments, universities and industry, and serves as a national communication tool between researchers, policy makers and with forest managers. FERNS is fostering a sense of community among forest ecosystem management researchers in Canada. In addition, at the national and international levels, the network is linking forest managers to researchers.

 

A new global scientific culture is emerging in which archiving and inter-connectivity of data sets is becoming increasingly important. Researchers are now being encouraged to make their data available for wider distribution once the scientific paper has been published. FERNS will be able to play a pivotal data management role by providing a means to synthesize and integrate the scientific information across a number of sites.
 

Characteristics and Criteria

The major forest research installations of FERNS have the following in common:

• Each address forest harvesting options and ecosystem functioning aimed at sustainable forest management;
• Each is multi-disciplinary and multi-partnered; and
• Each has an extensive history of world-class forest research.
   

Current Status

FERNS is undergoing a revitalization. Building upon it’s extensive knowledge base and support for FERNS from research partners both inside and outside of the CFS, we are more actively marketing the strengths of FERNS and the importance of science to policy and the issues of the day. FERNS has its feet planted firmly on the ground and represents hundreds of experiments, success and some failures.

In August 1997, an Internet web site was launched to profile FERNS. It has been refreshed in the fall of 2003. Please take some time to browse the site.

FERNS contains information on individual FERNS sites, as well as linkages to collaborators.