47 resources found

This paper discusses long-term silviculture experiments in British Columbia aimed at informing science-based forest management on public lands. It highlights two key projects, MASS and Sicamous Creek, which compare different harvesting methods, including variations of clearcutting and retention forestry, and their impacts on ecological values like regeneration, nutrient cycling, and biodiversity. The authors explore how the findings from these experiments can contribute to decisions about balancing timber harvesting with environmental considerations, noting the varying degrees of influence these projects have had on actual forestry practices due to differing socio-economic contexts. The paper emphasizes the complexity of applying ecological research to forest management and the importance of considering both ecological understanding and societal pressures.

This case study investigates the economic and operational feasibility of implementing variable retention harvesting in coastal British Columbia. It details a specific trial on northern Vancouver Island, comparing a clearcut and a dispersed retention compartment within the same cutblock, analyzing the productivity and costs associated with different harvesting systems and equipment. The study aims to provide information on the practical challenges of adopting new forest management principles focused on sustaining ecological values alongside economic viability, ultimately contributing to the refinement of these techniques through adaptive management.

This case study investigates the economic and operational feasibility of implementing variable retention harvesting in coastal British Columbia. It details a specific trial on northern Vancouver Island, comparing a clearcut and a dispersed retention compartment within the same cutblock, analyzing the productivity and costs associated with different harvesting systems and equipment. The study aims to provide information on the practical challenges of adopting new forest management principles focused on sustaining ecological values alongside economic viability, ultimately contributing to the refinement of these techniques through adaptive management.

This case study investigates the practical application and economic implications of ecosystem-based management in coastal British Columbia. It details a specific harvesting operation undertaken with Canadian Forest Products Ltd. , examining the productivity and costs associated with different harvesting methods when implementing principles that emulate natural forest disturbances and conserve biodiversity. The study aims to provide empirical knowledge to foresters by analyzing a real-world example of this relatively new forest management paradigm, considering factors like retention levels of trees, operational feasibility, and potential impacts on the residual stand and soil.

This document explores alternatives to clearcutting in British Columbia. It details the environmental context of the Central Coast, including its physical environment, diverse biota, and natural and human-caused disturbances, emphasizing the unique characteristics of its three ecological subunits: the Hecate Lowland, the Outer Coast Mountains, and the Inner Coast Mountains. The document explores silvicultural systems, contrasting traditional methods with more ecologically sensitive approaches like variable retention, and analyzes the operational and economic implications of implementing partial cutting in this distinctive operating environment, ultimately providing strategic recommendations for sustainable forest management tailored to British Columbia's Central Coast's ecological and socioeconomic realities.

This paper details the establishment and early findings of the Montane Alternative Silvicultural Systems partnership, formed to investigate alternatives to clearcutting in the high-elevation old-growth forests of Vancouver Island. The study compares the operational costs and biological impacts of Uniform Shelterwood, Green Tree Retention, and Patch Cuttings to traditional clearcutting and an old-growth control. Initial results highlight differences in harvesting expenses, windthrow, site disturbance, nutrient cycling, understory vegetation response, and coniferous regeneration, emphasizing the complexity of balancing timber harvesting with ecological sustainability in these montane ecosystems.

This case study details the adoption and implementation of variable retention, a new forestry approach by Weyerhaeuser's British Columbia Coastal Group. Recognizing the ecological importance of residual structures after natural disturbances, VR aims to sustain old-growth forest characteristics within harvested areas by leaving behind live and dead trees. The paper outlines the origins of VR, the establishment of different landscape zoning strategies, and the practical considerations for its application, including harvesting techniques, economic impacts, and silvicultural adjustments for regeneration, emphasizing a commitment to biodiversity conservation alongside timber production.