Few cost-effectiveness studies of vegetation management in conifer plantations are reported in the literature. This study provides follow-up cost-effectiveness analysis from research conducted at the Fallingsnow Ecosystem Project in northwestern Ontario, Canada with the objective of determining the relationship between release treatment costs and planted white spruce (Picea glauca [Moench] Voss) stem volume ($ m -3 ) ten years after alternative release treatments. Treatment cost estimates for 2003 were calculated by applying 1993 time-study data to estimated 2003 market costs for each treatment component. Untreated control plots had no treatment costs and were not included in the analysis. Including them will always suggest that doing nothing will be the most cost-effective, regardless how limited spruce volume is. The most cost-effective treatment was the aerial application of herbicide Vision ($12.16 m -3 ), followed by the aerial application of herbicide Release ($12.18 m -3 ), cutting with brushsaw ($38.38 m -3 ) and mechanical tending by Silvana Selective ($42.65 m -3 ). No cost differences were found between the herbicide treatments (p = 0.998) or between the cutting treatments (p = 0.559). The herbicide treatments were three-fold more cost-effective than the cutting treatments (p = 0.001). This analysis only considered the planted conifer component of these young stands. Les parcelles témoins non traitées ne se sont pas vu attribuer de coûts et non pas été incluses dans l'analyse. Leur inclusion laissera toujours entendre que ne rien faire sera le traitement le plus rentable, peu importe le volume des tiges d'épinette retrouvé. Le traitement le plus rentable a été la pulvérisation aérienne d'herbicide Vision (12.16$ m -3 ) suivi de la pulvérisation aérienne de l'herbicide Release (12.18$ m -3 ), de la coupe au moyen de débroussailleuse (38.88$ m -3 ) et le dégagement mécanique au moyen du Sylvana Selective (42.65$ m -3 ). Aucune différence de coût n'a été relevée entre les traitements herbicides (p = 0.998) ou entre les traitements de coupe (p = 0.559). Les traitements herbicides ont été trois fois plus rentables que les traitements de coupe (p = 0.001). Cette étude porte seulement sur la partie plantation de conifères de ces jeunes peuplements.

Background: In 2002, the provincial government of Ontario first announced plans to close all coal-burning thermoelectric generating stations. Facing the loss of local jobs should the local generating station close, Atikokan, Ontario, residents responded. This research seeks to answer the following question: What are Atikokan's historical preconditions and residents' attributes and perceptions which likely lead to the community's response, and do these characteristics relate back to the broader body of knowledge? Methods: Our study investigates the Atikokan Generating Station (AGS) conversion from coal to biomass wood pellets as a case, exploring the extent to which the community's identity played in response to the policy change. The current study takes a qualitative data analysis approach utilizing interviews with community members, current newspaper articles, past relevant consultant reports and archival data. Data collected were coded to themes using NVivo 10 software. Four emergent themes were identified and cross-validated. Results: The emergent themes are i) traditions of resource-based industry congruent with producing and burning forest-based renewable fuels, ii) historical linkages to a strong entrepreneurial ethic, iii) community members' recognition of AGS's multifaceted role in the community and iv) strong community spirit and desire to fight for their town. These themes appear to have been prerequisite in order to successfully engage provincial government, and we demonstrate that these findings are somewhat corroborated back to the broader literature. Conclusions: Furthermore, as power generating authorities elsewhere grapple with demands to reduce carbon emissions, the Atikokan case may provide insight for other jurisdictions evaluating renewable energy adoption.

The province of Ontario in Canada is the first North American jurisdiction with legislation in place to eliminate coalfired thermoelectric production by the end of 2014. Ontario Power Generation (OPG) operates coal-fired stations in Ontario, with Atikokan Generating Station being the only facility slated to switch to 100% woody biomass. It is anticipated that this coal phase out policy will have socio-economic impacts. Because of these anticipated changes, in this paper, we review the current state of peer-reviewed literature relating to three burning scenarios (biomass, coal and co-firing) in order to explore the knowledge gaps with regard to socio-economic impacts and identify research needs which should elucidate the anticipated changes on a community level. We reviewed over 150 sources, which included peer-reviewed articles and non-peer-reviewed grey literature such as government documents, non-governmental organization reports and news publications. We found very few peer-reviewed articles related to Canadian studies (even fewer for Ontario) which look at woody biomass burning for thermoelectric production. We identify a number of socio-economic impact assessment tools readily available and present potential criteria required in selecting an appropriate tool for the Ontario context. For any tool to provide meaningful results, we propose that appropriate and robust local data must be collected and analyzed.

Concern about forestry practices creating tree-level monoculture plantations exists. Our study investigates tree diversity responses for six early seral boreal forest plantations in Ontario, Canada, representing three conifer species; black spruce (Picea mariana), white spruce (P. glauca), and jack pine (Pinus banksiana), 14 release treatments, and 94 experimental units. Dominance-diversity curves and Simpson's indices of diversity and evenness indicate tree alpha diversity. We propose a new method for assessing diversity, using percentage of theoretical species maximum (%TSM) which is determined by comparing post-disturbance richness (S) with a theoretical species maximum (TSM). Our results support the hypothesis that alternative vegetation release treatments generally do not reduce tree species diversity levels (%TSM) relative to untreated plots. The only %TSM (P £ 0.05) comparison that produced less diversity than in control plots was repeated annual treatments of Vision herbicide at one of the black spruce study sites. Our results generally support the hypothesis that tree monocultures do not develop after vegetation release. Only one out of 94 experimental units developed into a tree layer monoculture (Simpson's reciprocal diversity index = 1). Again this was one of the repeated annual treatments of Vision herbicide at one of the black spruce study sites-a treatment which is atypical of Canadian forest management.

Background: In 2002, the province of Ontario introduced plans to ban coal in thermoelectric power production. Rural communities with a high proportion of power plant jobs (such as Atikokan, Ontario, Canada) grappled with three potential outcomes of the planned changes. These include the following: (i) the coal ban is overturned and power plants continue to burn non-renewable coal, (ii) the coal ban takes effect and power plants are closed, and (iii) the coal ban takes effect but power plants continue operating with alternative renewable fuel sources such as woody biomass. Considering there is a lack of readily available economic assessment tools for Ontario communities, the objective of this study is to model how direct changes in employment at the power plant (and indirect employment at associated local industries) impact the spending patterns of households associated with the power plant. Methods: To address the objective, an induced economic impact assessment model was developed by integrating quantitative publically available data sources with community-level qualitative data sources incorporating them into an input-output approach. Baseline values were established, representing induced community expenditure under the coal scenario. Values were then adjusted to represent induced community expenditure under shutdown and biomass scenarios. Results: The model suggests that the continuation of coal would allow for $82.7M in household spending, the shutdown reduces overall household spending to $72.1M which represents a decrease of 12.8 %, and the conversion to woody biomass as the sole fuel for the power plant increases household spending relative to the coal by $1.2M or 1.4 %. The results also indicate that the induced economic impact would be realized throughout the region, beyond Atikokan. Conclusions: These results suggest that biomass conversion could produce a net positive-induced economic effect as household spending increases, provided local biomass fuel supply is available. Since a conversion to biomass from coal at this scale is a North American first, other jurisdictions may gain insight from this study as they consider reducing their environmental footprint. Furthermore, the induced economic impact model method which is presented here could easily be adapted and used for other Ontario communities which lack access to established input-output models.