127 resources found

This technical report investigates the potential of variable retention silvicultural systems to manage forests in British Columbia's Nelson Forest Region, aiming to mitigate anticipated reductions in wood supply due to new environmental regulations. The study specifically evaluates how different variable retention methods impact stand productivity and overall wood flow despite the widespread presence of Armillaria root disease. Using the PROGNOSIS growth model, the authors identify low-risk timber types and develop management guidelines to balance timber harvesting with objectives like biodiversity and visual quality and reccomend a more balanced mixture of clearcutting and variable retention approaches to ensure sustainable forest management.

This technical report presents a review of partial-cutting activities in the Nelson Forest Region. The primary purpose is to evaluate the potential of partial cutting to reduce annual cut levels, specifically focusing on how different partial-cutting silvicultural systems impact timber and non-timber values. It analyzes historical logging data from various districts within the region to understand past practices, identify discrepancies in data, and suggest more effective strategies for forest management and harvest scheduling that could lead to increased flexibility and improved non-timber benefits.

This technical report presents a retrospective investigation of partial cuts within the Golden Forest District. The primary purpose of the study was to explore the relationship between regeneration density and various site factors following partial harvesting. Researchers found that while abundant natural regeneration occurred, its success was not strongly correlated with specific harvest treatments, but rather more significantly influenced by factors like brush potential and site preparation. The report recommends guidelines for residual basal area levels to optimize seed supply and moisture protection in these forest ecosystems.

This document outlines the corporate and operational implementation of VR, including specific targets and zoning strategies, alongside a monitoring framework to ensure intended ecological outcomes are met. The document asserts that VR is crucial for future forest management as it aligns with broader BC initiatives for biodiversity and ecosystem health.

The Sustainable Forest Management certificate is a flexible, career-focused program designed for forestry professionals aiming to advance their skills or pursue Registered Professional Forester designation. Delivered through three stackable micro-credentials, the program covers forest ecology, silviculture systems, harvesting practices, and forest health management. Learners gain practical, applied knowledge to assess forest disturbances and implement sustainable management strategies.

This document serves as a first approximation of guidelines for managing forests in British Columbia. Recognizing the historical influence of First Nations' cultural burning and the current challenges of overstocked stands and wildfire risk, it outlines a strategic shift in silvicultural practices. The report details Best Management Practices (BMPs), structured around key aspects like appropriate silvicultural systems, restoration thinning, regeneration, and resilience to disturbances like fire and pests. The document aims to guide practitioners and inform policy, moving towards healthier, more resilient Douglas-fir ecosystems that balance ecological values, community safety, and sustainable resource use.

The Aleza Lake Research Forest is a 9000 ha university-based outdoor research facility and working forest 60 km east of Prince George, BC. The mandate of the Research Forest is to provide research and education facilities and opportunities to the University of Northern BC and other institutes, universities, government agencies, private sector research, schools and other educational groups with regards to ecosystem and resource management studies within the wet sub-boreal spruce biogeoclimatic zone. The research and education programs are multidisciplinary with an emphasis on: Partial cut harvest systems, Biological Diversity, Climate Change and Environmental Monitoring in Small Forest Tenures. The Aleza Lake Research Forest provides a location for field research and education, and also facilitates the development, implementation and evaluation of research and education programs with the user groups.

The Malcolm Knapp Research Forest mission is to provide a world class environment for research and education in forestry and allied sciences. It is located near Maple Ridge and is close enough to UBC campus for students to visit for field trips or project work. The UBC Malcolm Knapp Research Forest has a thriving research community which includes professional researchers and students from several UBC faculties, from Simon Fraser University, from BC's provincial government, and from the Canadian federal government. Since the establishment of the Research Forest, over 900 research projects have been initiated on the land-base, and more than 100 of these are still active. Many of these active projects are long-term in nature, spanning close to 50 years and including some of the most extensive datasets in western North America. While the majority of the projects focus on different aspects of forestry and forest management, several of the more recent projects touch on other, unrelated fields, such as astronomy and forensic entomology. The last 10 years has seen a shift in the focus of forestry research, from projects looking predominantly at maximizing growth and yield in managed forests, to projects which are more concerned with measuring impacts of different forest practices on the ecology of our forests. Studies of growth and yield continue, however, and these projects include some of the longest datasets the research forest has. For a full list of research projects being pursued at the Research Forest, please check the Research Projects Database found at https://rpd.forestry.ubc.ca/auth

The Alex Fraser Research Forest is located near Williams Lake and showcases sustainable forest management practices in a range of forest ecosystems of the B. C. Interior. It provides long-term site security for research projects, inexpensive researcher accommodation, and an outdoor classroom for both education and demonstration.

This document investigates how partial harvesting strategies, designed to enhance mule deer habitat and allow timber extraction in British Columbia's dry Douglas-fir forests, impact complex interactions with natural disturbances like insect outbreaks and wildfires. The study, spanning 30 years, found that while short-term harvesting altered forest structure and reduced the immediate risk of crown fires and Douglas-fir beetle infestations, many of these structural and susceptibility changes reverted over the long term. The removal of harvesting residuals proved more significant in mitigating long-term disturbance risks, particularly for Douglas-fir beetles and intense surface fires, than the time elapsed since the treatment itself. The authors conclude that sustainable forest management integrating timber extraction and mule deer habitat conservation is achievable if partial harvesting occurs at intervals of 30 years or less and residuals are promptly cleared.

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.

John Prince Research Forest (JPRF) is a unique institution, envisioned, initiated and managed cooperatively between Tl'azt'en First Nation and the University of Northern British Columbia. Developing innovative approaches to natural resource conservation and management that combines First Nations' traditional and western scientific approaches to understanding the natural world, is what makes John Prince Research Forest special. Located in the dry sub-boreal spruce biogeoclimatic zone of the Nechako Plateau, the northernmost subdivision of BC' s Central Interior Plateau. The JPRF falls within the moist interior natural disturbance unit, characterized by large wild fire stand replacement events typically on a 100-200 year cycle. The natural forest types are an uneven-aged mix of Douglas-fir, spruce, pine, subalpine and deciduous types. These highly productive northern forests have distinctive understories of rose, spirea, soopallie, cranberry, thimbleberry, red osier dogwood, black twinberry, devil's club and huckleberry varieties. Explore John Prince Research Forest publications at: https://www.jprf.ca/research

This document addresses the challenge of balancing timber harvesting with the conservation of at-risk plant communities that depend on mature and old forest conditions in British Columbia's Coastal Douglas Fir biogeoclimatic zone. Recognizing the scarcity of these older forests, the document outlines silvicultural practices aimed at maintaining existing structural diversity in high-conservation areas and accelerating the development of old-growth characteristics in younger, more homogenous stands. Ultimately, it seeks to equip forest professionals with strategies to enhance the ecological functions of older forests within provincial forest lands.

The BCCFA mission is to promote and support the practice and expansion of sustainable community forest management in British Columbia. The BC Community Forest Association represents over 100 rural and Indigenous communities across our province. The BCCFA shares a vision of a network of diverse community forest initiatives, where local people practice ecologically responsible forest management in perpetuity, fostering and supporting healthy and vibrant rural communities and economies.

FESBC, in partnership with the Province of British Columbia, is a catalyst that unifies people around helping communities with sustainability, climate action, increasing First Nations participation in the forest economy, jobs for workers, abundant wildlife and healthy forests. The Forest Enhancement Society of BC continues to play a key role in the forests of B. C. , working with our partners to create healthier, more productive forests for the future. Through funding and direction from the government of BC, FESBC is able to support innovative projects throughout the province, delivered by Indigenous groups, communities, and contractors; projects which ensure value is generated from residual forest waste while reducing the risk from wildfires, improving wildlife habitat, and generating economic activity. The purposes of the Forest Enhancement Society of BC are: 1. To advance environmental and resource stewardship of British Columbia's forests by: Preventing and mitigating the impact of wildfires; Improving damaged or low value forests; Improving habitat for wildlife; Supporting the use of fibre from damaged and low value forests; and Treating forests to improve the management of greenhouse gases. 2. To advocate for the environmental and resource stewardship of British Columbia's forests 3. To do all such other things as are incidental and ancillary to the attainment of the foregoing purposes and the exercise of the powers of the Society.

Woodlots BC is the operating name of the Woodlot Product Development Council, which represents woodlot licensees in BC. The Woodlot Product Development Council was established in 1997 following a vote by woodlot licensees in support of forming the Council. All registered holders of a woodlot licence are members of the Woodlot Product Development Council. The Woodlots BC mission is connecting woodlot licensees and giving voice to their tenure.