48 resources found

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 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 investigates how well lodgepole pine forests naturally regrow after partial harvesting in important winter habitats for northern caribou in west-central British Columbia. The study compares the density and growth of new pine seedlings in small harvested openings across two different subzones and under three different partial harvesting methods over a seven-year period. A key focus is understanding if these methods can successfully regenerate the forest without harming the lichens that the caribou rely on for food, ultimately aiming to inform forest management practices that balance timber harvesting and wildlife conservation.

The Foundations of Advanced Silviculture micro-certificate is designed to provide a comprehensive education in modern forest management. It consists of four two-week courses covering topics such as silviculture fundamentals, forest ecology with Indigenous perspectives, current practices in stand development, and monitoring systems for continuous improvement. Upon successful completion, learners receive both individual course certificates and a final micro-certificate.

The UBC Climate Vulnerability and Adaptation micro-certificate is an 8 week online program designed for natural resources professionals. It provides training on climate science, vulnerability assessments, and adaptation development, focusing on applying these concepts to management and business case adaptation within a forestry context.

This paper explores strategies to mitigate timber supply shortages in British Columbia (BC), a problem exacerbated by climate change and past natural disturbances like the mountain pine beetle outbreak. The authors investigate two primary forest management approaches: commercial thinning and diverse plantings, including assisted species migration. By simulating the long-term effects of these interventions in a case study area, the study concludes that combining commercial thinning with species diversification offers the most promising solution to sustain future timber supply in BC, emphasizing the importance of adaptive forest management in the face of environmental challenges.

This paper investigates the differential ecological impacts of an extreme 2017 wildfire versus ongoing prescribed burns in Waterton Lakes National Park, AB. The core objective is to understand how reintroducing historical land-use processes, particularly through Traditional Ecological Knowledge, can enhance ecosystem resilience against modern stressors like climate change and invasive species. The study focuses on the Kenow wildfire's high-severity effects on a native-grass prairie compared to lower-severity prescribed burns, suggesting that while prescribed burning is beneficial, incorporating the full historical eco-cultural context, including the role of free-ranging bison and late-season Indigenous burning practices, is crucial for effective ecological restoration. The authors conclude that extreme disturbance is not necessarily catastrophic and that combining TEK with adaptive co-management can create landscapes more resilient to pervasive change.

This extension note presents a case study on using partial cutting to reduce the susceptibility of mature Lodgepole Pine stands to Mountain Pine Beetle attacks, a process termed Beetle Proofing. The document details the objectives and criteria for this forestry practice, emphasizing proper layout, experienced logging contractors, and a commitment to overall parties. It outlines the harvesting and silviculture systems involved, explaining how selective removal of trees aims to create a stand structure that is less vulnerable to beetle infestations, rather than a clear-cut approach. This document serves as a guide for forest management, outlining management objectives and planning for sustainable timber production and biodiversity while mitigating the impact of MPB in the British Columbia interior.

This document summarizes key findings from two long-term silvicultural research initiatives: the Montane Alternative Silvicultural Systems study and the Variable Retention Adaptive Management experiments. The MASS study, spanning 25 years, compared clearcutting to various alternative methods, revealing that tree growth was best in clearcuts, though other methods offered biodiversity benefits and paved the way for variable retention. The VRAM research explored different retention strategies, identifying windthrow as a significant challenge and demonstrating that retention provides crucial life-boating habitat for various species, with the amount, aggregation, and size of retained areas being critical factors. The research highlights that while increased canopy retention and dispersion can impact tree growth, these alternative systems offer important ecological advantages, particularly for understory vegetation and diverse species.

The Forest Management Planning micro-certificate will equip participants with foundational knowledge and tools to develop and evaluate forest management plans. Participants will learn to assess forest ecosystem services, balance competing objectives, and apply planning concepts across multiple scales. The program integrates case studies from British Columbia and emphasizes sustainable forest management practices. By the end, participants will be able to critically analyze management options and create effective, goal-oriented forest plans.

The Communication Strategies for Resource Practitioners micro-certificate is designed to help professionals in natural resource sectors develop impactful communication skills. Through four focused courses, participants will learn written, oral, multimedia, and social change strategies tailored to environmental contexts. The program emphasizes audience engagement, stakeholder collaboration, and reputation-building for the forestry industry. Learners will gain hands-on experience through case studies and campaign development, preparing them to communicate complex ideas effectively and persuasively.

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 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