PRIMARY DATABASES FOR FOREST ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT - EXAMPLES FROM ONTARIO AND POSSIBILITIES FOR CANADA - NATGRID

This paper identifies some scientific impediments to ecosystem managem ent and describes bio-physical databases required to help systematical ly and empirically address the ecological sustainability challenge. Ex amples are drawn from ongoing work in Ontario. This work has implicati ons for efforts in ecological land classification, landscape ecology, more efficient locating of research and monitoring plots, wildlife man agement and ultimately trade-off analyses. We conclude with the recomm endation that the key primary databases, as currently evolving for Ont ario, could and should be developed nationally, thereby creating a ''N atGRID database'', i.e., Nationally Georeferenced Resource Information for Decision-making. NatGRID could be used to help address, in a more quantitative manner, fundamental questions regarding ecological susta inability and trade-offs in forest management.