Pike River | An ecosystem to be created from scratch

How long does it take to transform former agricultural land into a rich and diverse forest ecosystem better adapted to climate change? This is the question that a research team from UQAM is trying to answer, conducting an unusual experiment in Pike River, in Montérégie.

Eric-Pierre Champagne
The Press

On Molleur Road, in Pike River, between corn fields and the Brochets River, there is a container bearing the name of the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM). Right next door, a construction site where a bridge is being erected to ensure the extension of Highway 35 in the south of the province.

It is here that the team of researcher Daniel Kneeshaw, from UQAM, began a research project last year that aims to create an entire forest ecosystem in place of an old cornfield. A project funded by the Ministère des Transports du Québec, which is committed to compensating for the loss of natural environments as part of the extension of Highway 35.

The land of about one hectare was occupied by a corn field two years ago. There are already monarch butterflies, northern leopard frogs, two-tone oaks, silver maples, hickories, milkweed plants, Virginia iris and white trilliums.

“The goal is to recreate a forest ecosystem quickly,” says Natacha Jetha, research officer at UQAM, who hosted The Press in Pike River with his colleagues Mary Bergen and Mathieu Lamarche. To achieve this, the team didn’t just plant saplings and then watch them grow. We are trying to recreate an entire ecosystem, and UQAM has not skimped on the means to achieve this.

Relocated trees

Nearly 50 “big caliber” trees were transplanted, some of which were ten years old. Among them, slippery elms, willows, hawthorns, dogwoods, shagbark hickories and other species have been relocated. A longer, more expensive and riskier operation than simply planting young trees from a nursery. All the trees that were transplanted were harvested from the forest near the site.

“Having large trees accelerates the colonization of the environment by different species,” explains Mathieu Lamarche, one of the project’s research officers. Including young trees, nearly 500 trees have already been planted, including some species at risk, such as butternut, Carolina hornbeam and hackberry. By 2023, 35,000 trees will be planted on two sites totaling an area of ​​25 hectares.

Of the 500 trees planted or relocated, around 30 did not survive, even though the work was carried out in the fall, when the trees go dormant, a more favorable period for such an operation. On the other hand, many plants have colonized the area naturally, at an astonishing speed, reports Natacha Jetha.

“The objective is to recreate a natural habitat of the region, which is adapted to the conditions of the site, therefore species which tolerate wet ground conditions or floods”, explains Daniel Kneeshaw, who specializes in the study of the impacts climate change on forest ecosystems.

The team also placed branches and trunks of dead trees on the ground in order to reproduce a forest ecosystem as faithfully as possible. We also added soil and dead leaves. Already, in less than two years, the old cornfield has been radically transformed.

Carbon capture

Who says forest and climate change also says carbon capture. One of the aspects of the project consists of measuring the quantity of carbon that will be absorbed by the soil over the next few years. Two sensors have been installed to take the necessary measurements and monitor the carbon footprint. Since the research project will run until 2033, the UQAM team will be able to collect valuable data for several years.

Natacha Jetha and her colleagues are also delighted to benefit from more favorable weather this year compared to last year, when the summer was very dry. The team is less called upon to go and water the trees since the rains are more frequent this year. “We had an ultra-dry season last year. Let’s just say it’s not difficult to do better this year,” says Mathieu Lamarche.

The objective of the project is not to find the recipe that would destroy natural environments by saying that we can recreate exactly what existed before, warns Mr. Lamarche, however. “We will never be able to do as well as nature. But if our project can help for other compensation projects…”