PEI Forests in Transition

Natural processes (like post-tropical Storm Fiona) are part of forest renewal.

Post-tropical storm Fiona impacted an estimated 25,000 hectares of forest, including many protected natural areas across Prince Edward Island that islanders and visitors use and enjoy for recreational purposes. Most people think in terms of decades or human generations, and at this time scale our forested landscape will not return to pre-Fiona condition. But forests operate at a much longer time scale, and our Island’s forests have experienced events like this before and survived. 

Post-tropical storm Fiona has removed many trees from the canopy and will allow for a new generation of forest growth to flourish.  As part of natural disturbance patterns of the Acadian Forest, openings in the canopy created by trees blowing over allow for light to reach the forest floor and new seedlings to grow into the canopy. Promoting native species and structural diversity of our forests will enhance the resiliency of these ecosystems to storms in the future and limit damage caused by large scale blow-down events. 

Healthy natural forests have layers of vegetation and abundant coarse woody materials.

Natural events, such as post-tropical storm Fiona, provide important ecological value to the forest. As a result of wind events, downed trees create coarse woody materials which make up an important element of the forest ecosystem. 

Coarse woody materials add nutrients and moisture to forest soils; contribute to the production of forest soil and carbon storage, increase biodiversity by providing a variety of habitat to mammals, birds, amphibians and insects; and help to maintain soil moisture and lower soil temperatures to compensate for loss of canopy cover.

Leaving some larger areas of downed trees and downed woody material will benefit the forest and all the habitats and services that the forest provides and will provide essential nutrients for trees growing in the future.

Published date: 
January 23, 2025