Forest inventory and monitoring information to support diverse management needs in the Lake Simcoe watershed

Analysis using the Vegetation Sampling Protocol (VSP) pilot data collected in the Lake Simcoe watershed (2011) was done to assess the protocol's effectiveness in supporting natural heritage monitoring for the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan (LSPP). The VSP data was analyzed and assessed in the context of information needs for forest management and conservation. Specific information needs to support forest management are used as a criterion for stand analysis. While a variety of inventory approaches and methods are used in the Lake Simcoe watershed, most are done for specific purposes or lack necessary stand-level, compositional and structural information to inform biodiversity reporting, monitoring, and other management objectives of the LSPP. The study has shown that VSP plot data can be used to meet the requirements of the LSPP and further support the requisite information for active forest management. Stand analyses provide insight into the varying conditions of the Lake Simcoe watershed forests and can steer future analysis and comparisons.