How Forestry is Supporting Biodiversity in Northumberland County

In one Ontario community, forestry is actually helping to restore ecosystems.

Trudging through thigh-deep snow on a startlingly blue day in late February, the only sound is the wind in the white pines and the crunch of our boots breaking through the snow’s crisp surface, and it’s hard to imagine the head-high grasses, monarch butterflies and wheeling nighthawks that will soon populate this landscape.

Todd Farrell, Natural Heritage Manager for Northumberland County, keeps up a continuous patter as we hike to the top of one of the forest’s Special Management Zones. His connection to this place is obvious, as he shares how his team is helping to return the area from monocultural row crops of invasive pine species to the richly diverse tallgrass prairie, oak woodland and savanna that existed here before European settlement.

Building Biodiversity

In December 2022, Canada, along with 195 other nations, signed the Montreal-Kunming Biodiversity Framework, to conserve and restore biodiversity globally. The protocol establishes 22 targets, including a commitment to protect 30 percent of lands and waters by 2030 (better known as 30x30). Canadian forests are crucial to this work, and Northumberland County is a leading example of local restoration and protection of habitats.

The Special Management Zone Todd has brought us to is one 40 areas in Northumberland County Forest that has been recognized as contributing to 30x30 as an OECM, or Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measure. The OECM label is a formal recognition of areas with important biodiversity values, that have strong conservation guardrails in place, allowing them to be protected in perpetuity. Ontario Nature led the work to assess Northumberland’s lands to see if they meet the criteria to count as OECMs, with recognition being granted in early 2022.

Reaching a point where OECM designation was possible has taken time and vision. Early settlers, mistaking the sand and gravel of the Oak Ridges Moraine for fertile farmland, cleared the native grasslands and oak savannas. Without these critical species, which had been skillfully maintained by Indigenous burning practices, the area experienced massive soil and water erosion. Botanists recommended planting conifers, both as a resource and to prevent further damage.

While these plantations kept the soil in place, the invasive Scotch pine took over, and the natural habitat changed. Canopies closed over, sun-loving plants were reduced, and the insects, birds and animals that relied on them disappeared.

Restoration Through Forestry

Each winter, Northumberland thins between 50 and 100 hectares of row conifer plantations, from a total of 2,500 hectares of forest, pausing operations over summer so birds can nest and raise their young. While logging might seem at odds with the conservation of biodiversity, it is actually helping to restore the area’s globally rare ecosystems. Although much was lost with the early plantations, ecologists like Todd have been able to identify remaining indicator species that point to possibilities of returning the land to its natural state.

“Our goal is to regenerate the natural biodiverse forest from underneath the plantations. That takes several years of thinning to reach the final removal stage,” Todd explains. “Every 10 to 15 years, depending on the site, we thin the conifer row plantation to move it towards a diverse, healthy natural forest.”

Northumberland is part of the Eastern Ontario Model Forest (EOMF), a nonprofit organization that facilitates partnerships and knowledge sharing for forest managers, owners and users. Through EOMF, Northumberland achieved Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification in 2011, ensuring harvesting standards meet strict sustainability guidelines. “There are only good forestry practices happening here in the forest - we complete forestry prescriptions and have treatment guidelines and principles we adhere to and are audited on, and we’re here every day monitoring what’s being taken,” says Ryan Adams, Northumberland County Forestry Technician.

Giving Nature a Helping Hand

FSC Certification is also connected to the forest’s Special Management Zones, or OECMs, as the Standard requires at least ten percent of land to be set aside for conservation.

While a common perception is that natural habitats are untouched, Todd emphasizes the importance of actively managing areas of unique biodiversity, ensuring they continue to thrive. The team is on the ground year-round, managing invasive species, conducting prescribed burns to restore the land and promote fire-adapted species, as well as thinning, planting and seeding. They monitor changes to ecosystems caused by climate change, and are considering options for “assisted migration” - actively planting species that are moving further north as temperatures climb.

This work is supported by aerial photographs of the site dating back to 1929, along with historical records from surveyors and botanists - an unusual and invaluable resource for the County, helping ensure the reconstruction of healthy forest, tallgrass prairie communities and wetland habitats the way nature intended.

As each area is unique and responds to restoration differently, knowledge sharing is vital to developing a successful approach to land restoration. In addition to collaborations through the Model Forest, Northumberland County works closely with its neighbours, Alderville First Nation, who have been highly successful at restoring the black oak savanna using prescribed burns and Traditional Ecological Knowledge. “They’re the model we draw on for restoration examples and how species react,” says Todd.

A Thriving Forest

In 2024, Northumberland County celebrated 100 years of stewardship of the County Forest. Today, it holds a special place in the local community, with visitors coming from across Southeastern Ontario to spend time exploring its extensive forest trails and unique habitats. Many don’t realize the diverse ecosystems they enjoy have been brought back to life thanks to the County’s longterm vision.

“Restoration takes time, but you see species changing in the understory, and animals moving around too, it’s quite distinct, even after one thinning or prescribed burn,” Todd says, looking up at the sky as if expecting to hear the birds returning. “We removed the scotch pine and the nighthawks have come back.”

Ryan nods in agreement. “I love being out here,” he says. “It’s my life.” As we step past fresh deer prints in the snow and new oak saplings basking in the sunlight now available to them, it’s easy to see why.

Photography: Laura Wunderlich