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Inter-disciplinary Forest Ecosystem Research (InFER)
Making A Difference
The Canadian Forest Service - Atlantic Forestry Centre, including
partners from Germany and Finland, are investigating effects of
forest harvesting and prescribed burning to determine ecological
indicators of forest ecosystem sustainability. 
The focus of forest management throughout North America has changed
from the traditional fiber approach to an integrated ecosystem approach
that addresses ecological, societal, cultural, and economic concerns,
as well as the issue of resource sustainability. More holistic management
requires forest managers to have a greater understanding of forest
ecosystems. To meet the needs of forest ecosystem managers, and
develop ecological indicators that can be used to assess or measure
sustainability, requires team research that includes partnering,
collaborating, and sharing of resources. 
Dr. E. Doyle Wells, research scientist, CFS-Atlantic Forestry Centre,
initiatiated the InFER (Interdisciplinary Forest Ecosystem Research)
project in 1993 to determine 1) the ecological effects of harvesting
and silvicultural practices on boreal forest ecosystems, and 2)
criteria and indicators that will contribute to the development
of sound forest ecosystem management practices that will enhance
our efforts in realizing the goal of forest ecosystem sustainability
in Canada.
Partners include the Newfoundland Forest Service (Department of
Forestry and Agrifoods), Corner Brook Pulp and Paper, Nippissing
University, University of Helsinki (Finland), Finnish Forest Research
Institute (Finland), and Technische Universität Dresden (Germany).
Since 1993, InFER has investigated relationships between forest
disturbances and growth, biomass, gas exchange, nutrient cycling,
soil arthropods, soil mycorrhizae, small mammals, and site micro-climate.
International collaborative agreements have been formally established
with Germany to investigate the effects of disturbances on soil
carbon and nitrogen dynamics, and with Finland to determine relationships
between disturbance, ground vegetation and nutrient cycling. 
InFER offers potential for addressing regional, national, and global
issues such as carbon budgets, climate change, biodiversity, ecosystem
processes and fire ecology. The inter-disciplinary nature of the
project promotes sharing of resources and knowledge that are essential
for the development of sound forest ecosystem practices and, ultimately,
forest ecosystem sustainability.
For more information, contact Dr. Doyle Wells at (709) 637-4927,
or dwells@nrcan.gc.ca
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