Kejimkujik’s fire disturbance history and suggested management plan through the lens of dendrochronology

Located in southern Nova Scotia, Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site was subject to extensive logging until it became a National Park. This altered the occurrence and impact of fire disturbances, which are a vital part of the ecosystem. Through the use of a dendrochronological analysis, this thesis examined the different responses of eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), white pine (Pinus strobus) and red spruce (Picea rubens) to determine which species provided the most reliable data on past fire disturbances in the park. Previous research in the area served as a basis for this thesis and helped with the selection of fire sites and control sites that held high numbers of the key species identified. The data collected included tree cores and soil samples to identify and analyse fire disturbances. The analysis process utilized WinDENDRO software and used tree ring width analysis to compare growth rates of the individual species reaction to disturbance. Results showed that red spruce was the most reliable provider of dendrochronological fire data, white pine had a moderate reliability, and eastern hemlock demonstrated the poorest dendrochronological data. Fire and ecosystem management plans are suggested for the park as fire plays a key role in species composition, especially in old-growth forests.