A Field Guide To Ecosystem Identification For The Boreal White And Black Spruce Zone Of British Columbia

Within the Sub-Boreal Spruce Zone (SBS) of the Prince Rupert Forest region, the forest manager encounters a considerable range of stand types, forest productivities, and stand responses to various kinds of treatment. Such variability arises not only from different stand histories but also from intrinsic differences in the climate, topography, geology, and soils of various forests sites or ecosystems. This Field guide aims to provide a practical, efficient tool to identify decent intrinsically different ecosystem units in the field.

This guide presents site identification and interpretation information for forest ecosystems of the Vancouver Forest Region. Site identification is based on the biogeoclimatic ecosystem classification. The guide was prepared to assist users in describing and identifying forest sites and to provide management interpretations to assist users in preparing stand-level forest management prescriptions. The guide covers procedures for site assessment, a description of the biogeoclimatic units and the site units of the Vancouver Forest Region, management interpretations of tree species selection, slashburning, site productivity, competing vegetation potential, ground-based harvesting, pest risks of major conifer species, and wildlife diversity and habitat relationships. Appendices list indicator species; humus forms; keys to bedrock, hand-texturing soil, relative soil moisture regime, soil nutrient regime, and site sensitivity to slashburning; correlation of old and new biogeoclimatic and site units; and a site assessment form.

"This guide briefly outlines the principles and methods of the classification system, stressing the two primary areas of emphasis within the classification, the biogeoclimatic (zones, subzones) and the ecosystematic (ecosystem association and their phases and variations). It summarizes the environmental characteristics of the Sub-Boreal Spruce Biogeoclimatic Zone (SBS) and three of its subzones, the SBSa or "pine - spruce" subzone, the SBSd or "spruce" subzone, and the SBSe or "subalpine fir" subzone. The classification of the SBSd and e at the ecosystematic level is then presented in detail."

This field guide describes the seral aspen ecosystem units of the Murray River variant (BWBSc1), of the Moist Warm Boreal White and Black Spruce zone in the Prince George Forest Region. It presents aids to the identification of these units, and management interpretations for each unit.

Descriptions, maps, illustrations and tables of British Columbia's biogeoclimatic zones, as well as an overview of how the biogeoclimatic zone system was developed.

"This field guide presents site classification and identification information for ecosystems of the south-central Columbia Mountains in southeast British Columbia. This field guide replaces Land Management Handbook 20 (Braumandl and Curran 1992) and its supplement (Braumandl and Dykstra 2005) and Land Management Handbook 23 (Lloyd et al. 1990) for all geographic areas covered by the new field guide."--Publisher's website.

Guide describing the lowland and montane ecosystems (below 1200 m in the south and 1050 m in the north) in B.C.'s northeastern corner. The units in the guide are described in the biogeoclimatic ecosystem classification system. The guide includes a description of the biogeoclimatic units included and differentiates them, and then describes the site units within each variant, and their management interpretation.