Larose Forest was established in 1928, when degraded and abandoned agricultural lands were acquired and trees were planted primarily to stabilize soils and mitigate flood and drought impacts. Since 1928, more than 11,000 hectares of property have been acquired and over 18 million trees have been planted. The properties that form part of Larose Forest are currently forested, both from natural and planted origin. Larose Forest is currently operating under a forest management plan and we undertake sustainable forest operations annually.
One of the objectives for Larose Forest is to naturalize the original tree plantations through forest operations and tree planting to augment natural regeneration. For this project, tree planting is being used to facilitate the transition to forest types that existed prior to European settlement, to re-introduce or increase the abundance of species that were once more common to the region, to enhance wildlife habitat and to promote resilience in the face of climate change.
All sites receive site preparation prior to planting and target spacing for the planting is 2.1 m x 2.1 m between trees, with 1.2 m from residual trees.
Benefits:
- Establishment of tree species that were once more common in the region (e.g. white pine, oak, red spruce, etc.)
- Biodiversity enhancement through tree species diversity and habitat diversity
- Wildlife habitat enhancement through the establishment of mast producing tree species (i.e. oak).
- Promote climate change resilience through the establishment of species that are best suited to survive the projected changes to the regional climate.
- Maintenance of forest cover
Location: Various locations within Larose Forest, Ontario, Canada