112 resources found

This webinar highlights the urgent need to shift from aggressive fire suppression in British Columbia to a paradigm that embraces controlled fire and Indigenous fire stewardship. The webinar argues that fire exclusion has created a wildfire deficit disorder, resulting in massive fuel accumulation and increasingly severe, unsuppressable fire events. A core theme is the critical importance of recognizing and integrating the deep expertise of Indigenous practitioners, whose knowledge of cultural burning is often overlooked in favor of expensive and less effective suppression tactics.

This paper provides an ecological and management overview of the old-growth forests in Canada's Montane Cordillera, a region spanning British Columbia and Alberta known for having the nation's most diverse range of old-growth coniferous forests due to its varied climates and natural disturbance regimes. The author emphasizes that a forest's history of climate and disturbance profoundly influences the abundance and structure of old-growth stands, noting that wetter climates support more abundant old forests and old-growth-dependent organisms, such as epiphytic lichens. The text critiques the challenges of defining old-growth, which is often arbitrary and dependent on an ecologist's viewpoint, and highlights the urgent need for a better ecological understanding to make informed land-use decisions for both the wet-belt rainforests and the drier forests, which are heavily impacted by human activities.

This document details a study on the effect of commercial thinning on within-stand microclimate and fine fuel moisture in a mature lodgepole pine forest in southeastern British Columbia. Researchers compared thinned and unthinned stands, observing that thinning led to decreased rainfall interception and increases in solar radiation, wind speed, and near-surface air temperature. While fine fuel moisture content was lower in the thinned stand immediately after rain, these differences became very small under moderate and high fire danger conditions, suggesting minimal practical impact on ignition probability or crowning potential at those times. The study also validated the effectiveness of the Fine Fuel Moisture Code component of the Canadian Fire Weather Index System for predicting fuel moisture in both stand types during critical fire danger periods.

This paper examines ecosystem management strategies for the paludified boreal forests of Canada, emphasizing how to simultaneously enhance wood production, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration. The authors delve into how natural disturbances, particularly fire severity, influence forest dynamics, soil properties, and the diversity of plant and invertebrate communities. They then contrast these natural processes with the impacts of different logging methods on soil, productivity, and understory vegetation, highlighting how traditional clearcutting and careful logging compare to natural fire regimes. Finally, the paper discusses the critical role of these forests in carbon sequestration and proposes management approaches that emulate natural disturbances to maintain old-growth forest characteristics and mitigate climate change.

This core purpose of this document is to present ideas and case studies demonstrating how to integrate ecological restoration into routine forest management practices to enhance biodiversity, reduce risks, and achieve sustainable certification. This document outlines key ecological issues, such as landscape fragmentation and the loss of natural stand structural elements, and details corresponding restoration approaches across eleven distinct case studies, from restoring open forest and open range through commercial thinning to mitigating road impacts and restoring riparian habitat integrity. Finally, the document prioritizes specific forested ecosystems with high priority restoration needs in BC, offering tailored solutions for zones like the Interior Douglas-fir and Coastal Western Hemlock.

This report examines how to define and identify old-growth forests in the Boreal Foothills of British Columbia, emphasizing that age alone is an insufficient measure. It introduces an index of old-growthness, a quantitative scoring system based on multiple structural attributes like tree and snag diameters, coarse woody debris volume, and the presence of specific wildlife habitat features. The study aims to move beyond simple age-based classifications, providing forest managers with a more biologically meaningful tool to assess and conserve these vital ecosystems, acknowledging that structural characteristics, rather than just age, are the true indicators of an old-growth forest's ecological value.

This extension note investigates recent changes in aboveground live-tree carbon within spruce and fir-dominated sub-boreal forests in the interior of British Columbia. The study specifically re-evaluated carbon stocks between 20032004 and 2018 at the Aleza Lake Research Forest to understand how carbon storage is impacted by tree species and size. The authors found that while younger forest stands generally accumulated carbon, older stands with larger trees showed a decline in aboveground live-tree carbon, largely due to increased mortality of these large trees. This highlights a critical concern regarding the role of mature forests in carbon sequestration amidst accelerating climate change and increasing tree mortality rates.

This document outlines a framework for restoring ponderosa pine and dry mixed-conifer forests on Colorado's Front Range, addressing the increased size and severity of recent wildfires. It emphasizes understanding the historical ecological dynamics of these forests, particularly changes in density and fire regimes, to inform modern management. The document details principles and guidelines for restoration and emphasizes the importance of spatial and temporal scale, enhancing desired and rare structural elements like openings and tree groups, and working with natural environmental gradients and disturbance patterns. This document provides a process for planning, implementing, and monitoring restoration projects, highlighting the crucial role of adaptive management and interdisciplinary collaboration to ensure forest resilience and sustained delivery of ecosystem services.

This webinar presents results from a simulation study of north-central New Mexico that investigated the relative effectiveness of a variety of fuel treatment strategies and the tradeoffs of implementing fuels programs with competing management goals.

This paper addresses the severe decline of High Elevation Five-Needle White Pine forests in western North America, primarily due to mountain pine beetle outbreaks, white pine blister rust, and altered fire regimes exacerbated by changing climates. The authors advocate for multi-scaled management interventions to promote resilience to disturbances and genetic resistance to white pine blister rust. The paper details the critical need for long-term programs like inventory, mapping, and research, alongside active restoration treatments such as mechanical cuttings and prescribed fires, and proactive tree-level measures like planting rust-resistant seedlings and protecting high-value trees, all while integrating climate change considerations throughout the planning and implementation process.

This research compiles and analyzes a national database of dead and down woody debris to improve fire behavior and effects modeling in Canadian forests. The study emphasizes that DWD is a major component of surface fuels, significantly impacting fire intensity, consumption, and the transition to crown fires. By examining various forest types and ecozones, the authors identified key predictive variables such as bioclimatic regime, age, and structural components. This work provides crucial tools for a more accurate understanding of DWD distribution across Canada, enhancing the country's ability to forecast and manage wildfires.

This paper explores the complexities and challenges associated with using gap-based silviculture in the mesic northern forests of North America. The authors begin by outlining the theoretical basis of gap management, which assumes that creating canopy openings enhances tree species diversity. However, the paper emphasizes that relying solely on varying gap size often falls short of achieving diversity goals due to a multitude of interacting factors beyond light availability. These crucial factors include site history, seed dispersal, competition from other vegetation, and the impact of herbivores. The authors propose a revised, more integrated concept of gap-based silviculture that incorporates a broader range of ecological considerations and active management of understory conditions to promote structural complexity and enhance tree species diversity in these valuable forest ecosystems.

This extension note focuses on the hydrological equivalent clearcut area as a tool for managing forests in British Columbia that have been affected by natural disturbances like mountain pine beetle infestations. It explores how different stand-level treatments, such as salvaging timber and replanting, can influence ECA over time compared to leaving stands unsalvaged. The author examines the contributions of various stand components-including surviving trees, dead snags, and regeneration-to ECA and compares the cumulative hydrological effects of different management strategies using ECA years. The document provides a decision framework to help forest managers consider hydrological values, especially when detailed assessments aren't possible, while also acknowledging other important ecological and economic factors in rehabilitation decisions.

This document examines the impacts of a changing climate on British Columbia's diverse natural ecosystems and proposes conservation-oriented adaptation actions. It highlights the regional variations in anticipated temperature and precipitation changes across the province and emphasizes the need to consider these specific ecological contexts when developing management strategies. Drawing upon a review of existing literature and initiatives like the Future Forests Ecosystem Initiative, the authors present examples of actions categorized under frameworks such as the 5Rs to help natural resource practitioners support the resilience and adaptation of species and ecosystems to future climate conditions. The document advocates for a proactive approach to natural resource management that integrates climate change considerations to ensure the long-term persistence of British Columbia's natural heritage.

This paper investigates the practicality of current wildfire fuel reduction goals in north-central British Columbia by examining mechanical raking treatments within the Burns Lake Community Forest. The study assessed if these treatments achieved the targeted fuel load of 1-5 tonnes per hectare in areas deemed high risk for wildfire. Their findings suggest that meeting these targets using current methods is challenging and potentially unsustainable, highlighting the need for a standardized fuel measurement methodology and more adaptable fuel load targets that consider ecological and operational factors. The research advocates for a more feasible and scientifically sound approach to wildfire risk reduction in the region, emphasizing the importance of consistent data collection for future comparisons and improved practices.

This guide delves into the fundamental ecological principles underpinning the successful application of the shelterwood silvicultural system in British Columbia. As the second part of a three-part series, this guide emphasizes that effectively using partial cutting methods like shelterwoods requires a strong understanding of stand dynamics, which involves how forest structure changes over time due to factors such as tree regeneration, growth, competition, and disturbance. The guide highlights the crucial role of regeneration ecology, exploring the necessary conditions for new trees to establish and thrive after silvicultural interventions. This resource aims to equip forest managers with the knowledge to manipulate forest stands predictably to achieve specific management objectives by considering the interplay of these ecological processes.

This paper addresses the increasing need for forestry practices to adapt to predicted climate changes. The authors explore assisted migration, defined as the purposeful movement of species to mimic natural range expansion, as a key strategy within forest management to ensure the resilience and productivity of future forests. Recognizing that many tree species cannot naturally migrate quickly enough to keep pace with climate shifts, the paper argues that proactive interventions like assisted migration are essential. The authors discuss different forms of assisted migration, weigh the associated risks and benefits, particularly within the context of British Columbia's forestry, and outline crucial policy and research needs to effectively implement this adaptation approach.

This paper challenges the traditional view that stand-initiating fires are the dominant disturbance regime in British Columbia's wet coastal temperate rainforests. Through a comprehensive literature review and analysis of empirical data, the authors argue that fine-scale gap dynamics, resulting from the death of individual or small groups of trees, is the primary process shaping these forests. They present four lines of evidence supporting this, including the prevalence of old-growth forests dominating the landscape, the infrequency of historical fires, and the biophysical conditions that limit fire spread. The paper emphasizes that a better understanding of these natural disturbance patterns, particularly gap dynamics, is crucial for developing sustainable forest management and conservation strategies in British Columbia.

This paper investigates the factors influencing wildfire burn severity across Canada. Using statistical models applied to environmental data from 1981 to 2020, the authors identify fuel aridity as the most significant driver of how severely forests burn. Their analysis reveals that northern regions and summer months are particularly prone to high-severity fires, and they found a concerning trend of increasingly favorable conditions for severe burning in recent decades, particularly in spring and autumn. The study concludes that changing climates are making Canadian forests more susceptible to intense fires, highlighting the need for improved fire management and preparedness strategies.

This report details a research project in the dry Douglas-fir forests of central British Columbia, initiated in 2001 at Farwell Canyon. The study investigated the effects of partial cutting on forest stand dynamics, specifically examining how different harvesting methods, coupled with pre-commercial thinning and prescribed burning, could achieve objectives like improved wildlife forage, enhanced residual tree growth, and increased fire resilience. The report presents data collected over 10-14 years following these treatments, analyzing changes in stand structure, tree growth, and regeneration patterns to assess the long-term outcomes of these forest management techniques in this specific ecosystem.