Evelyne Thiffault

Initial responses of rove and ground beetles (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Carabidae) to removal of logging residues following clearcut harvesting in the boreal forest of Quebec, Canada

Abstract Increased interest in biomass harvesting for bioenergetic applications has raised questions regarding the potential ecological consequences on forest biodiversity. Here we evaluate the initial changes in the abundance, species richness and community composition of rove (Staphylinidae) and ground beetles (Carabidae), immediately following 1) stem-only harvesting (SOH), in which logging debris (i.e., tree tops and branches) are retained on site, and 2) whole-tree harvesting (WTH), in which stems, tops and branches are removed in mature balsam fir stands in Quebec, Canada. Beetles were collected throughout the summer of 2011, one year following harvesting, using pitfall traps. Overall catch rates were greater in uncut forest (Control) than either stem-only or whole-tree harvested sites. Catch rates in WTH were greater than SOH sites. Uncut stands were characterized primarily by five species: Atheta capsularis, Atheta klagesi, Atheta strigosula, Tachinus fumipennis/frigidus complex (Staphylinidae) and to a lesser extent to Pterostichus punctatissimus (Carabidae). Increased catch rates in WTH sites, where post-harvest biomass was less, were attributable to increased catches of rove beetles Pseudopsis subulata, Quedius labradorensis and to a lesser extent Gabrius brevipennis. We were able to characterize differences in beetle assemblages between harvested and non-harvested plots as well as differences between whole tree (WTH) and stem only (SOH) harvested sites where logging residues had been removed or left following harvest. However, the overall assemblage response was largely a recapitulation of the responses of several abundant species.

Development of Bioenergy Trade in Four Different Settings – The Role of Potential and Policies

The provision, use and trade of bioenergy differ significantly between countries. This chapter provides an overview of bioenergy trade worldwide and presents case studies of four national biomass markets – Brazil, Canada, Finland and Germany – showing diverging degrees of biomass use for energy provision and biomass potentials. Since energy policy is considered to be a main driver for the use of biomass for energy generation, an overview of bioenergy policy making in different countries and the resulting impact on trade is given.

Determination of exchangeable hydrogen ions in boreal shield soils of Quebec

An unbuffered BaCl2 extraction for determining effective cation exchange capacity (ECEC) and exchangeable cations is often used for acidic forest soils. However, the contribution of exchangeable H+ to ECEC cannot be assessed using this method as H+ in the extract may be produced/consumed in reactions with free Al3+ and Al-OH complexes, or H+ may be added to the extract via non-exchangeable sources. Fundamentally, any valid measure of ECEC must include some estimate of exchangeable H+ concentration or a demonstration that it is negligible. Unfortunately, this procedure is often neglected in forest soil studies. In this paper, we assessed the significance of the contribution of exchangeable H+ to ECEC for upper soil horizons of three sites of Quebec’s Boreal Shield subject to various disturbance types (i.e., recent harvest, fire and mature forest). We also investigated whether the linear relationships between exchangeable H+ concentrations and soil pH are robust enough to develop regression models capable o...

The Role of Sustainability Requirements in International Bioenergy Markets

As the main driver for bioenergy is to enable society to transform to more sustainable fuel and energy production systems, it is important to safeguard that bioenergy deployment happens within certain sustainability constraints. There is currently a high number of initiatives, including binding regulations and several voluntary sustainability standards for biomass, bioenergy and/or biofuels. Within IEA Bioenergy studies were performed to monitor the actual implementation process of sustainability regulations and certification, evaluate how stakeholders are affected and envisage the anticipated impact on worldwide markets and trade. On the basis of these studies, recommendations were made on how sustainability requirements could actually support further bioenergy deployment. Markets would gain from more harmonization and cross-compliance. A common language is needed as ‘sustainability’ of biomass involves different policy arenas and legal settings. Policy pathways should be clear and predictable, and future revisions of sustainability requirements should be open and transparent. Sustainability assurance systems (both through binding regulations and voluntary certification) should take into account how markets work, in relation to different biomass applications (avoiding discrimination among end-uses and users). It should also take into account the way investment decisions are taken, administrative requirements for smallholders, and the position of developing countries.