Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
Climate Change Adaptation Knowledge for B.C. Forest Stewardship
Knowledge
Understanding the science of climate change, how forests are changing and will change in a future climate and how forests can be adapted to a changing climate is necessary to ensure forests are productive and our forest ecosystems are resilient. Utilizing innovative methods and an interdisciplinary approach, our team of economists, research scientists, professional foresters, and climate change policy experts are creating products to support productive and resilient B.C. forests. This work applies to all regions of the Province and actively integrates with work undertaken in government, industry and the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations.
This page links to state-of the art science, modelling, seminars, initiatives, and publications related to adapting forest management to climate change in B.C.
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New! March 2013. Adapting to Climate Change in the San Jose Watershed (July 2012). This UBC-led project investigated potential impacts of climate change on forest resources and hydrology in the San Jose watershed, located in the Central Interior of BC. The project website contains other useful links and documents.
February 2013. FORREX series on Reducing Vulnerabilities and Promoting Resilience of BC’s Natural and Human Systems. This website contains links to a 4-page summary, the 15-page project report and a series of related articles published in the BC Journal of Ecosystems and Management. Contents include:
February 2013. FORREX Decision Support Framework: A mental model for integrating the environmental and human dimensions into decision-making related to changes in natural disturbance events. (15 page discussion paper)
February 2013: Climate Change Adaptation: Potential Contributions of Red Alder in Coastal British Columbia This report assesses the potential of red alder to contribute to both socio-economic objectives and forest resilience in coastal BC.
February 2013. Adapting sustainable forest management to climate change Four new Climate Change reports from the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers provide new knowledge and tools to assess the vulnerabilities, risks, and opportunities associated with climate change. The first four reports within Phase 2 aim to assist in Preparing for the future, Exploring organizational readiness, Assessing vulnerability and mainstreaming adaptation into decision-making, and Using scenarios for vulnerability assessment. (Full reports on main page). Hard copies are available in English and French. Des copies papier sont disponibles en français. Contact/contacter Kathy.Hopkins@gov.bc.ca.
Guidance for Adapting Forest Management in the Kamloops TSA
Overview of Guidance to Adapt Forest Management for Climate Change in the Kamloops TSA (7 pages). This guidance encompasses regeneration, harvesting, silviculture, and other opportunities. Climate modeling was based on one ‘middle-of-the-road’ scenario (conservative compared to our current emissions pathway). The full report (46 p.) provides more detail about recommended adaptation actions and the underlying climate change modeling.
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Management Options for Adaptation
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This table outlines a suite of potential management options that can be considered when planning and undertaking forest management activities. These management options could aid in adapting to climate change and variability by foster resilient forest ecosystems. Potential Management Options to Enhance Forest Resilience
Climate Change Adaptation Seminar Series highlights a series of presentations on recent adaptation projects in B.C.
Future Forest Ecosystem Scientific Council website contains the results of recent research on adaptation that helps B.C.’s forests and range lands remain resilient to climate change, variability and other stressors.
Future Forest Ecosystems Initiative sets out B.C.’s strategy for resilient forests, and foundational scientific papers
MFLNR Climate Science and Modeling provides an overview of the science of climate change, what B.C.’s future climate may look like, and research on the possible impacts to B.C.’s forests.
Coming soon to this website will be a section on incorporating adaptation into forest management.