The growing demand for bioenergy has raised concerns about the sustainability of intensive forest biomass removal. Less attention has been paid to the ash generated when forest biomass is combusted to produce energy. In Canada, this ash is often landfilled, but in some countries, wood ash is applied to the soil to maintain or improve soil fertility and forest health. AshNet is a network of Canadian scientists, foresters, policy makers and industry representatives that has formed to address opportunities for and challenges to the use of wood ash as a forest soil amendment. To date, AshNet collaborators have produced a guide to navigating the regulatory approval process, and completed a techno-economic analysis of the costs associated with landfilling wood ash versus using it as a forest soil amendment. Practical methods for optimizing ash quality and applying it on forested sites are being investigated. Applications of wood ash are also being examined as a tool for emulating some of the effects of wildfire on soil chemistry. The results of research trials established by AshNet collaborators across Canada will be shared to help develop and refine forest management policies and practices surrounding soil applications of wood ash. Updates on AshNet's activities are available at (http://cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/projects/140 (English); http://scf.rncan.gc.ca/projets/140?lang=fr_CA (French)).

The boreal zone is at risk of cumulative effects of natural resource extraction activities, which may be further exacerbated in the face of climate change. A major challenge is the lack of common approaches to assess the effectiveness of management measures (e.g., acts, regulations, standards, guidelines, best management practices and certification systems) to determine if the policy objective of sustainable management of the boreal zone is being met. The International Organization of Standardization (ISO) 31000 Risk Management Standard and ISO 31010 Bowtie Risk Management Assessment Tool provide a recognized and credible approach for analyzing risk of policy failure, by articulating: (1) the "risk pathway", linking the pressures, effects and impacts based on science; (2) the performance of the system of management measures in reducing risk; and, (3) the interactive nature of management measures in the presence of escalating factors, including climate change. Here we present the first application of the Bowtie tool in terrestrial ecosystem management by examining forest management pressures and impacts on water quality and biodiversity. We provide a policy analysis tool with potential for addressing risks associated with the future sustainability of the boreal zone. Dans cet article, nous présentons les résultats de la toute première application de la méthode Bowtie à la gestion des écosystèmes terrestres en examinant les pressions exercées par l'aménagement forestier et ses impacts sur la qualité de l' eau et la biodiversité. Nous proposons ainsi un outil d'analyse des politiques qui permettra d' évaluer les risques liés à l'avenir de la durabilité dans la zone boréale.