Stand Level Effects Of The Mountain Pine Beetle Outbreak In The Central British Columbia Interior

This study is part of a series of research papers that explore the biological, social, and economic aspects of British Columbia's mountain pine beetle epidemic. The purpose of this report is to examine document changes in stand characteristics of pine dominated stands following mountain pine beetle (MPB) attack and to assess the potential of stand development after MPB attack without management intervention.--Includes text from Government of Canada publications site and from document.

"This report outlines the objectives, study design, methods of data collection, and other details relevant to the establishment of Experimental Project (EP) 1369: A Framework for Documenting the Effects of the Mountain Pine Beetle in Sub-boreal Forests of Northern British Columbia. In 1995 through 1997, 48 plots were established in mature pine leading stands affected by mountain pine beetle (MPB) (38 plots) and MPB followed by wildfire (10 plots). All plots will remain unharvested, and are designed to examine ecological changes subsequent to these disturbances. The information from these plots will inform science on what ecological changes result from these disturbances in the sub-boreal forest landscape, and will provide critical information (such as growth rate of live understorey) to land managers."--Document.

"This report assesses the threat of the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) to Canada's boreal and eastern pine forests. It is based on available evidence and expert advice provided by researchers and forest managers at two workshops held in Edmonton, Alberta and Victoria, British Columbia during August and September of 2007."--Document.

"This book presents a synthesis of published information on mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins [Coleoptera: Scolytidae]) biology and management with an emphasis on lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud. var. latifolia Engelm.) forests of western Canada. Intended as a reference for researchers as well as forest managers, the book covers three main subject areas: mountain pine beetle biology, management, and socioeconomic concerns. The chapters on biology cover taxonomy, life history and habits, distribution, insect-host tree interactions, development and survival, epidemiology, and outbreak history. The management section covers management strategy, survey and detection, proactive and preventive management, and decision support tools. The chapters on socioeconomic aspects include an economic examination of management programs and the utilization of post-beetle salvage timber in solid wood, panelboard, pulp and paper products."--Publisher's description.

This report highlights past delivery of the land-based programs and progress of mountain pine beetle research during 2003 & 2004 by the Mountain Pine Beetle Initiative, a six-year program established to address the mountain pine beetle epidemic in western Canada and to reduce the risk of future such epidemics. After an introduction on the epidemic and the Initiative, the report summarizes the accomplishments of the Private Forestlands Rehabilitation Program, the Federal Forestlands Rehabilitation Program (First Nations, National Parks, and Other Federal Forestlands components), and the research & development program (including research on ecology, forest economics, socio-economic processes & risk reduction). Finally, the next steps in the land-based and research & development programs are discussed.

The CCPA would like to thank the following organizations for their financial contributions to this work: The BC Federation of Labour, The BC Government and Service Employees' Union, The Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union, The Endswell Foundation, The Pulp, Paper and Woodworkers of Canada and The United Steelworkers of America District 3. Cover beetle image courtesy of The Canadian Fores [...] While a significant portion of the trees attacked will be profitably logged, an even greater portion will not, leading to a looming gap in available timber that will result in the loss of one quarter of existing income in many Interior communities.1 Given the severity of the outbreak and its implications for the wellbeing of forests and communities, the BC government's action plan speaks comparati [...] The area includes 30-plus communities ranging from 100 Mile House in the southern portion of the Cariboo Forest Region through Prince George and west to Smithers in the Prince Rupert Forest Region.20 The full extent of the beetle What the authors of that report could not have known was that in the attack remains poorly ensuing three years the very definition of "susceptible" has changed along quan [...] Two central questions before British Columbians are whether the province is responding adequately to the challenges posed by the beetles, in particular in the area of reforestation, and whether we are getting a fair return from logging companies in the midst of an unprecedented, government-mandated, logging increase in response to the beetles. [...] It also heavily influenced the thinking of government-appointed bodies such as the Forest Resources Commission, By the Ministry of Forests which made many recommendations to the province in 1991 on the need own estimate, we are on the for permanent and secured investment pools for reforestation efforts.