24 resources found

This paper details a study examining how different forestry practices, specifically partial cutting methods like group selection and irregular group shelterwood, impact the survival and growth of planted lodgepole pine and interior spruce seedlings. The research compared these outcomes to those in clearcut areas, with the overarching goal of identifying silvicultural systems that can maintain suitable habitat for northern caribou, which rely on terrestrial and arboreal lichens found in these forests. By analyzing seedling survival and growth over five years in relation to different harvesting techniques, the study aimed to determine if partial cutting could effectively regenerate desired tree species while minimizing negative effects on critical caribou forage. The findings provide insights into balancing timber harvesting with the ecological needs of threatened caribou populations in this region.

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.

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.

This document investigates the long-term effects of thinning on a 53-year-old lodgepole pine stand. The core purpose is to understand how different thinning intensities impact tree growth, stand health, and resistance to pests over nearly five decades. A key finding suggests that heavy thinning may help "beetle-proof" stands against the destructive mountain pine beetle, contributing to greater net volume increments despite initial mortality from other factors like snow. While acknowledging some study limitations due to initial variability, the report provides valuable insights into sustainable forest management practices for older lodgepole pine.

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 docuemnt details a case study on harvesting options in a highly constrained forest stand within the Rocky Mountain Trench, focusing on an experimental forest management pilot project. The primary goal was to evaluate different harvesting methods such as conventional, single tree, and group selection on soil disturbance and armillaria root disease. The study describes the site's characteristics, experimental design, and the specific silvicultural prescriptions implemented to achieve objectives like maintaining water levels and reducing disease susceptibility. It further outlines the harvesting operations conducted and presents preliminary results regarding the impact of each method on stand health and soil integrity.

This technical report explores the viability of commercial thinning as a forest management strategy within the Arrow and Cranbrook Timber Supply Areas of British Columbia. The primary goal was to investigate if commercial thinning could help offset projected wood supply reductions resulting from new forest policies and land-use plans. The study involved a multi-stage methodology: identifying potential forest stands using Geographic Information Systems theming, conducting field inventories and reconnaissance surveys to assess suitability, and modeling the impact of thinning on wood flow. While the project successfully identified potential thinning volumes, it also highlighted significant challenges such as limited road access, unsuitable stand structures, and the need to balance timber extraction with other resource management objectives.

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 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.

This document introduces revised estimates for snow recovery in pine-dominated forests of British Columbia's interior, a critical factor for watershed management. Snow recovery refers to the restoration of snow accumulation and melt patterns in regrowing forests after clearcutting, compared to mature forests and clearcut areas. The authors highlight how changes in forest cover significantly impact spring streamflow peaks, making accurate recovery estimates essential for assessing potential hydrologic changes. The study presents new recovery curves based on long-term data from the Thompson-Okanagan region, demonstrating that previous estimates likely overstated the rate of snow recovery, suggesting a more gradual return to pre-harvest conditions as young forests grow taller.

This research models the impact of forest harvesting on peak streamflows in a small, snow-dominated watershed in British Columbia. Using a sophisticated hydrological model, the study simulated various clearcutting scenarios to understand how the removal of forest cover influences the magnitude and frequency of high flow events. The findings indicate that forest harvesting consistently increases peak flows, with larger, less frequent events showing a more significant response, though the predicted increases were less than 50% even with complete forest removal. The study highlights the importance of watershed characteristics like topography and size in determining the extent of these changes and emphasizes the ongoing need for research to improve water resource management in forested areas.

This report outlines a management strategy for mule deer winter ranges in the Cariboo-Chilcotin region of British Columbia, specifically focusing on transition and deep snowpack zones. Developed through years of research and aligned with existing land use plans, the document provides management objectives and strategies for forest harvesting to maintain and restore suitable habitat. Key areas addressed include access planning, stand age structure, tree species composition, opening sizes for harvests, and the spatial layout of openings. It also includes appendices detailing snowpack zones, biodiversity considerations, forest health management, and a history of related research and planning efforts, aiming to guide forest managers and monitor habitat preservation.

This document outlines how participating forestry companies and BC Timber Sales intend to manage forests sustainably, aiming to balance ecological, economic, and social values. The plan incorporates a Canadian Standards Association certification process and emphasizes a landscape-level approach to forest management, considering natural disturbance patterns. Key components include establishing values, objectives, indicators, and targets developed with public and Indigenous input, along with specific strategies for timber harvesting, reforestation, road access, wildlife habitat, and engagement with First Nations and the public. The SFMP serves as a guiding document for operational planning and continuous improvement in forest management practices within the defined area.

This document outlines guidelines for managing mixedwood forests within the Fort St. John Pilot Project in British Columbia, aiming to meet the objectives of their Sustainable Forest Management Plan. A central theme is the classification and tracking of different forest types across the landscape using a ledger system to ensure long-term balance. The guidelines also describe various proposed reforestation methods, ranging from creating mosaics of single-species stands to fostering intimate mixtures of conifer and deciduous trees, with the overall purpose of achieving desired future forest conditions at a landscape level while incorporating new scientific understanding.

This document details a research project in the Cariboo Region of British Columbia focused on revising free-growing guidelines to better account for the interactions between young conifer plantations and broadleaf trees, particularly trembling aspen. The central theme is understanding the competitive relationships between aspen and various conifer species across different biogeoclimatic zones. Through long-term experimental studies and field verification, the researchers gathered data on tree growth, health, and density to propose scientifically supported adjustments to the regulations that determine when a reforested area is considered successfully established. The goal of this study was to create more ecologically informed and practically applicable guidelines that recognize the potential benefits of broadleaf presence while ensuring successful conifer regeneration for timber production.

This extension note details a study on windthrow in partially cut lodgepole pine forests in west-central British Columbia. The research was motivated by concerns that partial harvesting, a strategy used to manage habitat for the blue-listed northern caribou, might increase windthrow to levels that negatively impact caribou habitat, timber supply, and forest health. The study compared windthrow rates in different partial cutting methods to uncut control areas over a 5. 3-year post-harvest period to assess the risk of increased windthrow associated with these silvicultural systems.

This paper investigates how diversifying managed forests in British Columbia could enhance their ability to recover from disturbances, specifically a recent mountain pine beetle epidemic linked to climate change. The authors used computer simulations to compare different forest management strategies over an 80-year period, assessing their impact on ecological resilience, timber supply, and economic outcomes. Their findings suggest that a strategy focused on proactively harvesting dominant, susceptible tree species and promoting a greater variety of planted and naturally regenerating trees leads to improved forest health, higher long-term harvest rates, and more stable economic returns without compromising economic viability. The study advocates for incorporating diversification as a key approach to increasing the resilience of managed forests in the face of future environmental challenges.

This paper explores the future of carbon storage within these vital ecosystems of British Columbia. Using a computer model, the researchers investigated how interactions between tree species, fire, forest management, and a changing climate might affect the ability of these forests to absorb and store carbon until 2050. A key aspect of their work was the introduction of a new metric, net sector productivity, which offers a more comprehensive way to account for carbon by including not only forest ecosystems but also harvested wood products. The study aimed to provide a better understanding for developing effective climate change mitigation and adaptive management strategies in these forests.

This paper investigates how different forest management strategies impact the resilience of forests facing climate change, specifically a mountain pine beetle outbreak in British Columbia. The authors use a retrospective simulation approach from 1980 to 2060 to compare business as usual practices with two alternative strategies: one focused on increasing the diversity of replanted trees, and another that combined early harvesting of susceptible pine with diversified reforestation. The study assesses resilience by examining ecological factors like growing stock and tree species diversity, alongside socio-economic indicators such as timber flow stability and net revenue, concluding that proactive management enhancing diversity and reducing high-risk species leads to greater overall forest resilience in the face of climate-related disturbances.

This study investigates the impact of partial cutting logging practices on lichen diversity within lodgepole pine forests of British Columbia's Chilcotin Plateau, an important habitat for northern caribou that rely on lichens for winter forage. The study compares different partial cutting methods, including variations in removal intensity and harvesting techniques, against unlogged control sites. Through pre- and post-logging measurements of lichen richness, diversity, and abundance, the authors aim to determine how these forestry practices affect the lichen communities and, consequently, the caribou's food source, with a focus on the influence of solar radiation and logging slash. This study aims to inform silvicultural systems that can balance timber harvesting with the maintenance of crucial caribou habitat.