Silviculture approaches to restoring a predator-prey system: examples from the LiDea project in Boreal Alberta

Abstract

The issue of Woodland caribou decline has been identified corporately as a top environmental priority for Cenovus energy Inc. Pursuant to this priority, a habitat centric environmental strategy and performance commitments have been developed. Beginning in 2008, Cenovus began applied investigation into the use of silviculture techniques for accelerated restoration, emphasizing the bog and fen forest site types that are characteristic of Boreal caribou habitat. In a larger scale project called LiDea, restoration treatments were ultimately applied to linear features throughout an area of 370 km 2 within the Cold Lake herd range. As indicated by metrics at the site level, as well as GPS collar re-locations, plant and animal response to restoration treatment are positive from a caribou perspective. Results from the LiDea series of projects have been strong enough to warrant the extension of these forest habitat restoration methods to the landscape scale.