The “emulation of natural disturbance” (END) management approach in Canadian forestry: A critical evaluation

The “emulation of natural disturbance” (END) is an ambiguous forest management approach that embodies an environmental ethic of “following nature” and the values associated with the nature/culture dichotomy. Given climate change projections, the emulation of natural disturbance or any approach that commits itself to reproducing a snapshot of the past history and evolution of forests may not be appropriate over large areas of the forested landscape. The adoption of a naturalistic forest management approach may appear to make sense for biodiversity conservation, but such an approach may not be adaptive in a rapidly changing climate. Rather than aiming to “follow nature,” Canadian forestry should strive to be innovative in its efforts to manage its forests. Key words: emulation of natural disturbance, TRIAD, environmental ethics, naturalistic forest management, climate change, adaptation