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Montane Alternative Silvicultural Systems (MASS) 25 Year Growth of Planted and Natural Regeneration
The Montane Alternative Silvicultural Systems project is a 25-year study designed to evaluate how different harvesting methods impact regeneration, wildlife habitat, and aesthetics at high elevations on Vancouver Island. This research compared stand...The Montane Alternative Silvicultural Systems project is a 25-year study designed to evaluate how different harvesting methods impact regeneration, wildlife habitat, and aesthetics at high elevations on Vancouver Island. This research compared standard clearcutting with three alternative silvicultural systems including patch cut, green tree, and shelterwood, while tracking the growth and survival of five conifer species. The findings revealed that planted Douglas-fir was the fastest growing species across all treatments, despite experiencing the highest rate of mortality. The research also confirmed that post-planting efforts such as vegetation control significantly improved the volume and growth of species like western hemlock and amabilis fir over the long term. -
Growth Check in Amabilis Fir at the Montane Alternative Silvicultural Systems (MASS) Study Site
This study, conducted at the Montane Alternative Silvicultural Systems site, investigated the phenomenon of growth check in young amabilis fir trees, characterized by a sharp decline in annual height increment approximately ten years after planting....This study, conducted at the Montane Alternative Silvicultural Systems site, investigated the phenomenon of growth check in young amabilis fir trees, characterized by a sharp decline in annual height increment approximately ten years after planting. Researchers hypothesized that this severe growth limitation was linked to aggressive competition from ericaceous shrubs, such as Vaccinium species, resulting in limited nutrient availability, particularly nitrogen deficiency. By comparing different harvest treatments and the use of early herbicide treatment, the study concluded that vegetation control was the most significant factor in maintaining growth - trees without herbicide were often severely stunted and exhibited greater Vaccinium cover. The findings establish that high shrub competition coupled with low foliar nitrogen are reliable indicators for diagnosing and predicting this critical growth failure on coastal montane sites. -
Technical Guidance for Standardized Silvicultural Prescriptions for Managing Old-Growth Forests
This guidance document establishes a Standard Silvicultural Prescription Process for the conservation and stewardship of old-growth forests on National Forest System lands. Its fundamental objective is to provide detailed direction for maintaining or...This guidance document establishes a Standard Silvicultural Prescription Process for the conservation and stewardship of old-growth forests on National Forest System lands. Its fundamental objective is to provide detailed direction for maintaining or restoring the ecological integrity and resilience of these valuable ecosystems against threats like wildfire, insects, and climate change, emphasizing that treatments should not be driven by economic reasons. The structured approach involves five key phases, starting with a rigorous stand examination and diagnosis to determine treatment needs, which prioritize less intensive methods such as prescribed fire and thinning. This guidance ensures that management activities are monitored and evaluated to enhance the durability, resilience, and resistance of existing old-growth forest conditions. -
Stand Density Management Diagrams for Lodgepole Pine White Spruce and Interior Douglas-fir
This document introduces specialized Stand Density Management Diagrams to assist forest managers in British Columbia with planning the optimal growth and yield of even-aged stands of lodgepole pine, white spruce, and interior Douglas-fir. These grap...This document introduces specialized Stand Density Management Diagrams to assist forest managers in British Columbia with planning the optimal growth and yield of even-aged stands of lodgepole pine, white spruce, and interior Douglas-fir. These graphical tools function by depicting the temporal relationships among forest metrics, including stand density, top height, and mean tree volume, derived from the TASS growth simulation model. Silviculturists can use the SDMDs to visualize various growth paths, determine the optimal timing and intensity of thinnings, and make preliminary yield estimations for different management objectives. The diagrams map out the Zone of Imminent Competition Mortality and the density range for maximizing Current Annual Increment, providing essential information for maximizing timber production while minimizing losses. -
Chief Forester Forest Management Options for Reducing Slash Pile Burning Best Management Practices
This document outlines best management practices developed by the Chief Forester to reduce the harmful effects of slash pile burning in British Columbia forest management. The core purpose is to minimize waste, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and max...This document outlines best management practices developed by the Chief Forester to reduce the harmful effects of slash pile burning in British Columbia forest management. The core purpose is to minimize waste, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and maximize fibre utilization through integrated planning, silviculture, and harvesting techniques. Rather than offering prescriptive solutions, the document presents a range of options, such as promoting partial cutting and scattering woody debris, which must be evaluated based on site-specific factors like fire risk, biodiversity, and economics. This document seeks to treat forest management as a versatile tool to achieve diverse environmental and resource values. -
Managing Slash to Minimize Colonization of Residual Trees by Ips and Other Bark Beetle Species Following Thinning in Southwestern Ponderosa Pine
This document provides a comprehensive guide for managing logging slash produced by thinning operations in ponderosa pine forests, with the critical goal of minimizing colonization and subsequent infestation of residual trees by bark beetles. Thinnin...This document provides a comprehensive guide for managing logging slash produced by thinning operations in ponderosa pine forests, with the critical goal of minimizing colonization and subsequent infestation of residual trees by bark beetles. Thinning creates substantial amounts of woody debris which serves as an ideal habitat for beetles, and as such, managers must employ various techniques to mitigate risk. The document explores factors influencing beetle attacks, such as timing of slash creation, stand density, and log size, while detailing practical management strategies including direct removal, solarization, and the complicated trade-offs of using techniques like chipping and green chaining. The purpose of this document is to equip land managers with diverse, site-specific treatment options to balance forest health objectives with the urgent need to reduce bark beetle risks. -
Stock Type Selection and Ordering Guidelines
This document assists silviculturists in British Columbia with the process of stock type selection for reforestation efforts. The document details the characteristics and definitions of both container-grown and field-grown stock, emphasizing that the...This document assists silviculturists in British Columbia with the process of stock type selection for reforestation efforts. The document details the characteristics and definitions of both container-grown and field-grown stock, emphasizing that the correct choice significantly impacts a plantation's survival and early growth. Key sections are dedicated to factors influencing selection, such as species, site limiting factors, and logistics related to ordering and tracking stock types, as well as proper receiving and handling stock upon delivery. This document serves as a comprehensive reference to match specific seedling characteristics with site-specific conditions and cost considerations. -
Tree Wounding and Partial Cut Harvesting
This document is a literature review for British Columbia focusing on the relationship between tree wounding and partial-cut harvesting practices. The primary purpose is to provide a consolidated reference on tree damage, wood-decaying fungi, and the...This document is a literature review for British Columbia focusing on the relationship between tree wounding and partial-cut harvesting practices. The primary purpose is to provide a consolidated reference on tree damage, wood-decaying fungi, and the resulting losses. The document details the physical response of trees to injury, introducing concepts like compartmentalization of decay in trees, which explains how trees attempt to wall off damage. The document explores how harvesting activities, particularly logging injuries to residual trees, create entry points for various wound parasites and true heartrots, with the severity of decay being strongly influenced by factors like wound size and age, and the location of the injury. -
Douglas-fir Management Guidelines for the Prince George Forest Region
These guidelines serve as a critical framework for managing and conserving the Interior Douglas-fir resource for the Prince George forest region until formal Landscape Unit objectives are implemented. The document outlines guiding principles that emp...These guidelines serve as a critical framework for managing and conserving the Interior Douglas-fir resource for the Prince George forest region until formal Landscape Unit objectives are implemented. The document outlines guiding principles that emphasize the tree's importance for biodiversity and structural diversity, particularly recognizing its role in a wildfire-dominated natural disturbance regime. A key objective is ensuring No Net Loss of Douglas-fir Forest Types by requiring that harvested Douglas-fir stands are regenerated with the same or greater composition of the species. The guidelines demand the retention of a post-harvest range of Douglas-fir stand structure and age classes, including large old trees, and include a detailed rating system to assess sites for their regeneration and retention potential. -
Integrating Ecosystem Restoration into Forest Management Practical Examples for Foresters
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 ...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. -
Adaptation to Climate Change in Forest Management
This paper outlines how the forestry community can integrate a climate change focus into sustainable forest management practices to address expected environmental shifts over the next century. The core argument is that while forests will autonomously...This paper outlines how the forestry community can integrate a climate change focus into sustainable forest management practices to address expected environmental shifts over the next century. The core argument is that while forests will autonomously adapt, active planned adaptation is necessary to reduce vulnerability and influence the timing and direction of changes in commercially valuable areas. To facilitate this crucial response, the authors present a framework for evaluating long-term impacts, developing cost-effective adaptive actions now and in the future, and managing disturbances while preserving genetic diversity and resilience. This paper views climate change adaptation as a necessary risk management component of forest planning, offering a comprehensive summary of potential actions across areas like gene management, forest protection, and silviculture. -
Understory Responses to Mechanical Restoration and Drought Within Montane Forests of British Columbia
This document investigates the effects of forest restoration thinning on the plant life beneath the tree canopy in two dry forest types. The initial findings consistently showed that the abundance of understorey shrubs and herbs was positively linked...This document investigates the effects of forest restoration thinning on the plant life beneath the tree canopy in two dry forest types. The initial findings consistently showed that the abundance of understorey shrubs and herbs was positively linked to light intensity and inversely related to the density of trees, emphasizing the negative impact of conifer ingrowth. However, immediately following mechanical thinning, the study observed an unexpected short-term reduction in understorey species richness, diversity, and cover, particularly when compounded by drought conditions. These results suggest that while thinning aims to mitigate the long-term negative impacts of increased tree density, the immediate mechanical disturbance requires careful management, especially concerning factors like the timing of treatment and post-treatment grazing. -
Vegetation Complex Stand Establishment Decision Aid
This document presents tools designed to assist silvicultural practitioners in making informed decisions about managing competing vegetation and forest health. This document provides crucial information on biological features and site-limiting factor...This document presents tools designed to assist silvicultural practitioners in making informed decisions about managing competing vegetation and forest health. This document provides crucial information on biological features and site-limiting factors for new and less experienced professionals, without making the decisions for them. The document presents three vegetation complexes in the Cariboo Forest Region including Dry Shrub, Fireweed, and Mixed Hardwood-Shrub, each detailing common species, treatment necessity based on site series, silvicultural considerations, and autecological characteristics, ultimately aiding in effective forest management strategies. The docuement also highlight other valuess such as the importance for First Nations, wildlife, and ecosystem protection. -
Cariboo Forest Region Forest Health Stand Establishment Decision Aid
This document introduces crucial tools for silvicultural practitioners in the Cariboo Forest Region. This document synthesizes research and local knowledge to provide guidance on managing factors like competing vegetation and forest health, rather th...This document introduces crucial tools for silvicultural practitioners in the Cariboo Forest Region. This document synthesizes research and local knowledge to provide guidance on managing factors like competing vegetation and forest health, rather than dictating decisions. Specifically, the document details stand establishment for various issues affecting lodgepole pine, including Comandra and Stalactiform Blister Rust, Lodgepole Pine Dwarf Mistletoe, Lodgepole Pine Terminal Weevil, Pine Needlecast, and Western Gall Rust. For each issue, hazard ratings are offered based on biogeoclimatic zones and subzones and outline silvicultural considerations for establishment, regeneration, and plantation maintenance, empowering practitioners to make informed management strategies. -
Developing Stand Density Management Regimes
This document outlines a structured decision-making process for stand density management in forestry, emphasizing biological, economic, and forest-level considerations. It delves into the biological responses of timber production to various density m...This document outlines a structured decision-making process for stand density management in forestry, emphasizing biological, economic, and forest-level considerations. It delves into the biological responses of timber production to various density management practices like pre-commercial and commercial thinning, explaining how these treatments impact factors such as yield, timber quality, and tree size. The document also details the economic principles necessary for evaluating the financial viability of such interventions, including cost analysis and future value predictions. Finally, it stresses the importance of aligning stand-level decisions with broader forest-level objectives and introduces various decision support tools and analytical techniques, like sensitivity analysis, to aid in complex forestry planning. -
Factors Influencing the Density of Natural Regeneration in Uniform Shelterwoods Dominated by Douglas-fir in the Sub-Boreal Spruce Zone
This study investigates the factors influencing natural regeneration in uniform shelterwood systems, specifically focusing on Douglas-fir in the Sub-Boreal Spruce Zone. The study details methods for assessing seedfall density, seed predation, seedbed...This study investigates the factors influencing natural regeneration in uniform shelterwood systems, specifically focusing on Douglas-fir in the Sub-Boreal Spruce Zone. The study details methods for assessing seedfall density, seed predation, seedbed distribution, and the germination and survival rates of seedlings under various harvesting treatments. The core purpose is to understand how these elements interact to determine successful conifer regeneration, particularly noting that rotting wood and mineral soil are superior seedbeds compared to forest floor and moss, and that while harvesting can increase mineral soil exposure, it is often insufficient to maximize regeneration without additional scarification. The findings suggest that while all tested shelterwood methods promote adequate regeneration and frost protection, lower residual basal areas combined with significant forest floor disturbance are most favorable for Douglas-fir seedling growth and survival. -
Harvesting and Silviculture Systems to Protect Immature White Spruce and Enhance Deciduous Regeneration in Boreal Mixedwoods
This paper investigates innovative harvesting and silvicultural systems designed to sustainably manage western Canada's boreal mixedwood forests, specifically focusing on the protection of immature white spruce while simultaneously enhancing deciduou...This paper investigates innovative harvesting and silvicultural systems designed to sustainably manage western Canada's boreal mixedwood forests, specifically focusing on the protection of immature white spruce while simultaneously enhancing deciduous regeneration. The studies were conducted in central and northern Alberta with the aim to develop cost-effective and operational methods for balancing the needs of conifer and deciduous users to maintain biodiversity and ecosystem sustainability. Key findings include the demonstration that specific equipment and techniques can significantly reduce damage to spruce during harvest, with particular emphasis on feller-buncher operations, carefully planned machine corridors, and wind buffers to mitigate blowdown. -
Silvicultural Systems for Managing Deciduous and Mixedwood Stands with White Spruce Understorey
This technical report explores silvicultural systems for managing deciduous and mixedwood stands that contain a white spruce understory in southwestern Alberta. The primary purpose of the document is to explain different management options and harves...This technical report explores silvicultural systems for managing deciduous and mixedwood stands that contain a white spruce understory in southwestern Alberta. The primary purpose of the document is to explain different management options and harvesting techniques that protect this understory, particularly focusing on a two-stage harvesting model for sustainable production of both conifer and hardwood. It emphasizes evaluating stand suitability, site conditions, and wind damage risk to ensure successful regeneration and growth of spruce and aspen and addresses the complexities of balancing timber yield with ecosystem health and biodiversity. -
Challenges Facing Gap-Based Silviculture and Possible Solutions for Mesic Northern Forests in North America
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 canop...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. -
Tomentosus Root Rot Forest Health Stand Establishment Decision Aid
This document serves as a stand establishment decision aid for forest managers in British Columbia dealing with tomentosus root rot, a fungal disease prevalent in spruce and pine forests. It outlines the characteristics and spread of the disease, emp...This document serves as a stand establishment decision aid for forest managers in British Columbia dealing with tomentosus root rot, a fungal disease prevalent in spruce and pine forests. It outlines the characteristics and spread of the disease, emphasizing its impact on forest health and productivity through mortality, growth reduction, and windthrow. The guide details how to identify susceptible stands based on species composition and site conditions, discusses methods for assessing disease presence after harvesting, and presents silvicultural considerations like inoculum reduction and the planting of less susceptible tree species to mitigate future issues. The purpose of this document is to inform forest management practices in areas where tomentosus poses a significant risk to ensure healthy and productive future forests.
