Ecosystem Recovery Following Disturbance

ObjectivesEcosystem Recovery Following Disturbance

  • Quantify selected second growth (30 to 200 yr old stands) forest ecosystem attributes in order to provide a field-based assessment of ecosystem recovery following natural and human-caused disturbance.
  • Compare stand attribute data with analogous data collected from old-growth stands of similar BEC units.
  • Use this information to guide site-and landscape-level ecosystem-based management (EBM) and Ecosystem Resilience Management (ERM).
  • Expand this work into other coastal and interior sub zones.
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Background and Rationale

  • LRMP tables and EBM initiatives use predicted ecosystem recovery rates and the distribution and abundance of second growth vs. old-growth forests as a basis for environmental risk assessment.
  • Without quantitative second growth ecosystem recovery data, the modelling results are questionable and they provide only minimal guidance to SFM and EBM planning.
  • Ecosystem attributes to be assessed will include tree species composition, growth and yield, understory composition, epiphytic composition, soil properties (including soil fauna), and stand structure.
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Schedule

  • Initial CWHvh data collection completed June, 2006
  • Analysis and interpretation during winter 2006-2007
  • CWHvh Extension Note by March 2007; journal paper by Dec., 2007
  • Northern Interior ICH sampling summer, 2006
  • CWHvm and CWHws sampling summer, 2007
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