Petawawa Research Forest

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The forest
Location – At a glance – History – Forest environment

Where Is the Petawawa Research Forest?
Map of Directions to PRF

The entrance to the PRF is located adjacent to Trans-Canada Highway 17, approximately 200 km west of Ottawa and 180 km east of North Bay. The bulk of the land area lies west of the highway. The forest is serviced by a network of all-season roads reaching to the far corners of the forest.

At a glance

The experimental forest encompasses 100 km2 of mixed mature forest in the middle Ottawa Section of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Forest Region and is characterized by white, red, and jack pine, trembling aspen, white birch, and red oak.
Photograph of front entrance

The oldest stands date from fires in the 1870s, 1903, and 1917. About 85% of the Petawawa Research Forest is productive forest land. The site is dominated by mixedwood stands (70%) but also contains stands of hardwood (22%) and softwood (8%). Several forest management plans have been completed and the most recent was implemented in 1990. The present management plan expires in 2010. Growing stock on the experimental forest is estimated at 1.5 million m3. At present, harvesting schedules are directly linked with research program needs. Thus, volumes of wood harvested can range from 2400 to 7000 m3 per year.

The forest contains countless irreplaceable experiments and demonstrations in silviculture, genetics, and growth and yield. Some of the most advanced generations of domesticated tree species are established at Petawawa. These provide exceptional experimental materials for genetics, biotechnology, and physiology programs. The world's first conifers from single cells are established here . The Petawawa Research Forest has also been extensively mapped and provides an essential resource for advanced remote-sensing technologies. Wildlife management activities and ecological reserves are also part of the research forest.

History

The PRF, with its combination of experimental plots, plantations, and non-research areas, is the oldest continuously operated forest research centre in Canada. The 10 000-ha area encompasses the northern portion of the Petawawa Military Reserve through a formal agreement with the landowner, the Department of National Defence.

In 1918, the Petawawa Forest Experiment Station was established to protect and manage the forest of the Petawawa Military Reserve. This was also seen as an opportunity to initiate a research program and to demonstrate applied silviculture that would advance the scientific foundations of forest management in Canada and abroad. That first year resulted in the first forest inventory at the PRF and the first Canadian permanent sample plot (PSP 1).
Photograph of men numbering trees on PSP in 1919

The Station, later known as the Petawawa National Forestry Institute (PNFI), evolved to the forefront of forestry research in Canada. It continuously monitored and managed its forest estate, while pioneering systematic study in silviculture, forest ecology, fire research, and tree breeding and genetics. Its contributions in these areas exceed those of any other research centre in the country. With more than 2 000 experimental plots and sites established, the Station became internationally recognized as Canada's pre-eminent research forest.

In 1996, through a decision of the Government of Canada, the research programs undertaken at PNFI were transferred to other CFS research centres across Canada. The PRF remains and has been maintained. It serves as a facility for scientific research by the CFS science and technology networks and for cooperating scientists and partners from other agencies. The PRF also aims to educate technical personnel and the interested public through field demonstrations of forest management principles and methods.

The Forest Environment

The forest is now a predominantly mixed mature forest characterized by eastern white pine, red pine, trembling aspen, and white birch. Red oak dominates many poor dry soils. Boreal forest species from the north and shade-tolerant hardwoods from the south invade suitable sites.

Geology and soils

Geologically the PRF lies on the southern edge of the Precambian Shield with the bedrock consisting of granites and gneisses, some of which are about one billion years old. The topography has been strongly influenced by glaciation and post-glacial outwashing. There are three types of terrain: extensive sand plains of mostly deltaic origin; imposing hills, shallow sandy soils, and bedrock outcrops; and gently rolling hills with moderately deep loamy sand containing numerous boulders. Elevations vary from 140 to more than 280 m above sea level.

Climate

The climate is continental. Mean annual precipitation is about 800 mm with about 230 mm in the form of snow. January is the coldest month with a mean temperature of -12.4°C and July the warmest with a mean temperature of 19.1°C. The mean annual temperature is 4.4°C. The lowest recorded temperature is -40.6°C and the highest 38.9°C. The minimum frost-free period is about 100 days and the average growing season is 136 days. Prevailing winds are from the northwest.