Forested lands in southern Ontario are threatened by a myriad of demands. In order to capture the multi-scale, multi-use and multifunction reality of forests within such intense human-nature interdependent landscapes, an integrative approach to sustainable forest management is necessary. Such forest management may be possible by combining the framework of landscape ecology with an understanding of forest multifunctionality. Within the Greater Toronto Area, the management of forests is provided by several agencies; some are responsible for 1) geological landscapes (e.g., the Niagara Escarpment), 2) for watersheds (e.g., Conservation Authorities) and 3) for political regions (e.g., York Region). In this paper, case studies reflecting important management issues are introduced. Wildlife research is then presented to link these issues to landscape ecology and forest multifunctionality in order to illustrate a means of enhancing sustainable forest management.

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Veery (Catharus fuscescens) is a breeding migrant thrush that nests throughout much of the temperate forests within Canada. Habitat loss and degradation is thought to be responsible for a steady decline in Veery populations since 1970. We studied habitat characteristics of occupied Veery territories versus unoccupied adjacent areas in southern Ontario during the 2016 breeding season. Occupied territories were characterized as riparian deciduous forests dominated by ash (Fraxinus spp.), Black Cherry (Prunus serotina), and Red Maple (Acer rubrum) trees with an understorey of Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea) and ferns (order Polypodiales); the presence of fruit-producing plants such as Riverbank Grape (Vitis riparia) and Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis) also was important.

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