RESEARCH BRAIMCH 



The objective of the Research Branch is to provide manage- 

 iment with useful, tested information on fishery, forest and 

 iwildlife resources, and to develop management techniques. 

 'The Branch is divided into' four sections — Fisheries, 

 I Forestry, Wildlife and Mechanical. 



The following is a brief review of Research Branch activity 



during the past fiscal year. 



FISHERIES 



GREAT LAKES PROGRAM 



Lake Ontario: In 1966, studies designed to understand 

 factors limiting the survival of juvenile whitefish were 

 initiated in the laboratory. Lake trout (in co-operation with 

 New York State), walleye and American eel projects were 

 continued. An attempt to establish kokanee — a land-locked 

 variety of sockeye salmon — as a new species for both com- 

 mercial and recreational fishery is being made. 

 Lake Erie: Smelt and yellow perch have become the princi- 

 pal species of importance to commercial fishermen in Lake 

 Erie. Most of the research was on reproduction, distribution 

 and food of these two species. 



Lake Huron: The present emphasis of research in Lake 

 Huron is on whitefish, and the principal concern is the wide 

 variation in the year class success which causes fluctua- 

 tions of abundance from year to year. 



GAME FISH 



The Harkness Laboratory was operated again in 1966 and, 

 in addition to the continued analysis of long-accumulated 

 creel census data, projects included experimental plantings, 

 population dynamics, lake trout biology, and plankton feed- 

 ing versus fish feeding lake trout. 



FORESTRY 

 SILVICULTURE 



Northwestern Ontario: In 1966, the field program was domi- 

 nated by re-examination work on a large number of long- 

 term regeneration and stand development plots accordmg 

 to their five-year re-measurement schedule. Another import- 

 ant development was the establishment of a program of 

 research for black spruce — a species which had not re- 

 ceived sufficient research attention in the past. 



Central Ontario: Since the start of work in this region in 

 1959, concentration has been on laboratory and field studies 

 of problems of tree nutrition, particularly in spruce species, 

 and studies of the productivity, ecology and racial variation 

 of red spruce. 



South-Central Ontario: The forester in charge of research 

 work in the region was occupied almost exclusively in 

 furthering the large-scale planting operations of tubed seed- 

 lings by the Timber Branch. In the late spring and summer 

 of 1966, a number of tubed seedling production sites in the 

 districts were visited with oarticular reference to overcom- 

 ing problems which had arisen in germinating seed and in 

 growing seedlings. 



Southwestern Ontario: Research in this region aims to 

 suggest good forest management practices on stands most 

 of which are in private ownership and have become derelict. 

 Particular attention was given in 1966 to the propagation and 

 cultural treatment of silver maple and eastern Cottonwood, 

 largely to replace the heavy mortality in elm from the Dutch 

 elm disease. 



Southeastern Ontario: Research in this region has been 

 primarily concerned with the ecology of the tolerant hard- 

 wood association, especially the treatment of cutover stands 

 to improve quality. The principal projects are prescribed 

 burning and the silvics of basswood. The objective of the 

 prescribed burning project is to determine the effects of fire 

 in hardwood stands to improve regeneration. 



REFORESTATION 



Nursery and planting: The objective of this program is the 

 procurement of information, through research, for the 

 scientific advancement of the reforestation program of the 

 Department. The work was initiated in 1953, and the chief 

 areas of attention are nursery operations, handling of ship- 

 ping stock, planting methods, frost damage to plantations, 

 and fertilization. 



TREE BREEDING 



The aim of forest tree breeding is to supply seed and plant 

 materials that, from a genetic standpoint, are best suited 

 for the purposes of artificial forest regeneration. These 

 studies were initiated in 1946 and are comprised principally 

 of white pine and poplar projects. 



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