About the Greater Fundy Ecosystem Project

One of the major roles of Canada's National Parks is to maintain ecological integrity. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that this cannot be achieved without considering human influences on a regional basis. Atmospheric pollution, urbanization, forestry and other extractive industries may all negatively affect ecological integrity of a park, even though these activities occur beyond park boundaries.

Managing on a "greater ecosystem" basis requires the integration of protected areas into their surrounding regions. In 1991 the Greater Fundy Ecosystem (GFE) project was established as a research and monitoring effort to provide the science support necessary to manage an ecologically sustainable landscape. The project's goals are to:

1. Quantify species-habitat relationships for select priority species (i.e. keystone species, consumptive species) in the GFE, and provide information essential for management decisions.
2. Identify strategies to maintain viable populations of native species within the GFE by focusing on species whose population levels are perceived to be at risk. Examples of such species include animals that require temporal characters, unique habitats, and spatial characters.
3. Identify operational landscape management options that will ensure the long-term sustainability of the GFE.
4. Examine environmental stresses in the GFE and how they affect valued resources in the area.
5. Develop monitoring protocols that are ecologically and cost effective.

Since 1991 much of the original research agenda has been integrated into the Fundy Model Forest, resulting in over 30 research projects. These projects were summarized in the key publication State of the Greater Fundy Ecosystem (Woodley et al. 1998) which examined the social and natural history of the area in and around Fundy National Park, surveyed ecological stresses in the GFE, and provided a synopses of recent research on the impacts of forestry practices on biodiversity. A second key document produced by the GFERG is the Forest Management Guidelines to Protect Native Biodiversity in the Fundy Model Forest (Woodley and Forbes 1997). This document provided a wide range of recommendations for forest management for biodiversity. 'Coarse-filter' guidelines included recommendations relating to patch size, connectivity, stream side buffers, mature-overmature forest classes, plantations, and protected areas. 'Fine-filter' guidelines included recommendations on coarse woody debris, snags and cavity trees, special tree status, and road density.

The completion of these guidelines and research activities mark a significant accomplishment for the GFERG. While much has been accomplished, the issues associated with transboundary ecological stress on national parks are no less salient than when the GFE was established nine years ago. The first step in the process of defining future directions has been the creation of a comprehensive list of publications which relate to the Greater Fundy Ecosystem Research Group . A second step has been to survey landowners in the GFE on the question of the feasibility of the GFE Forest Management Guidelines. This has provided information on (i) whether landowners have begun to implement the Guidelines, (ii) practical or conceptual problems that exist with the Guidelines, and (iii) GFE research needs.

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