Fort Nelson Forest District

Forest Practices - Vegetation Resources Inventory (VRI)

Vegetation Resources Inventory

The provincial Vegetation Resources Inventory (VRI) process is basically a three-phase process. The VRI photo-interpretation is often referred to as Phase I.

Phase II is the VRI ground sampling of the photo-interpreted mapsheets, which is then broken down into three parts. The first part is the initial statistically based ground sampling. Secondly, a subset of the ground samples is more intensively sampled, called Net Volume Adjustment Factor (NVAF) [.pdf] cruising (see also NVAF Errata document [.pdf]). This process is used to estimate individual tree volumes. Finally, the trees in the NVAF samples are destructively sampled to determine actual volumes.

Once Phase II is completed, Phase III of the process is the derivation and application of adjustment factors to the Phase I datasets for analysis purposes.

Prior to the initiation of a VRI project, a high level plan, called a VRI Strategic Inventory Plan (VSIP) is prepared. If the project proceeds a VRI Project Implementation Plan (VPIP) is developed to implement the strategic plan, taking into account operational considerations. These two plans must be in place before work can proceed.

VSIP2 - 2006 to 2010

A second inventory to VRI standards was initiated in 2006 by Canfor the major licensee in the Fort Nelson TSA. Photo-interpretation of approximately 266 mapsheets is planned for in the Fort Nelson VSIP 2006. This equates to roughly 32 percent of the Forest District.

VRI ground sampling will follow to statistically determine how much of a given characteristic or attribute is within the same photo-interpreted area. This will bring the total VRI photo-interpreted mapsheets within the district to 539 mapsheets or 65 percent of the total area. The majority of these mapsheets should be available for TSR4.

A new VSIP and VPIP have been developed for this inventory period from 2006 to 2010. Please click on the following links to see the new VSIP and VPIP for this time period:

• Fort Nelson VSIP 2006 and
• Fort Nelson VPIP 2006

2011 Update
Aerial photography was flown in 2006 for VSIP2. Roughly half of the 266 mapsheets had aerial photography completed. This was due to weather and funding constraints. As of late 2010 the maps re-inventoried to VRI standards included four of the seven project areas: Hay River, Kwokullie, Petitot and Maxhamish (refer to the Fort Nelson VPIP 2006). The three project areas remaining (Crow, Hot Springs and Coal River) will be completed at a later date.

This brings the total area in the Fort Nelson TSA inventoried to the VRI standard to 49 percent of the land base.

VSIP1 - 1999 to 2004

VRI ground sampling followed to statistically determine how much of a given characteristic or attribute is within the same photo-interpreted area. For TSR3 only 249 mapsheets were available for use in the ground sampling project.

In 1999 the first VRI Strategic Inventory Plan (VSIP), e.g. the Fort Nelson VSIP, was implemented. This implementation was laid out in the VRI Project Implementation Plan (VPIP) taking into account operational considerations, e.g. the Fort Nelson VPIP.

Vegetation (VRI) Cover Maps

To obtain hardcopy maps please contact CanadaMapStore.com To obtain digital (softcopies) copies please contact Crown Registry and Geographic Base at the Integrated Land Management Bureau

References

• BC Vegetation Resources Inventory (VRI) program
• Fort Nelson VRI 2003 Adjustment documents [MS Word documents]:
  • DRAFT Adjustment
  • FINAL Adjustment Document
• Land-Base Investment Program
• BC Land Cover Classification [.pdf]
• Interpretation of Landforms from Aerial Photographs
• Cloverpoint Cartographics Ltd.
• Customer Support
• Resources Information Standards Committee (RISC)
• Streamlining Forest Information Project
• Forest Practices Links