scholarly journals Caribou in British Columbia: A 1996 status report

Rangifer ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas C. Heard ◽  
Kathryn L. Vagt
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Boreal Forests ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
Forest Harvesting ◽  
Status Report ◽  
Population Estimates ◽  
Subalpine Fir ◽  
Engelmann Spruce ◽  
Abundance Estimates ◽  
The Difference

Caribou (Rangifer tarandus) in British Columbia are classified into mountain, northern and boreal ecotypes based on behavioural and ecological characteristics. We recognized 12 mountain caribou herds, 27 northern caribou herds, and an area occupied by low density boreal caribou dispersed in the boreal forests of the northeast portion of the province. Abundance estimates were usually based on attempts at total counts made from the air. Trends were based on repeated population estimates or the difference between recruitment and mortality rates for each herd. In 1996 there were approximately 18 000 caribou in British Columbia; 2300 mountain and 15 600 northern and boreal. These estimates suggest a slight increase in the numbers of both ecotypes over the last 18 years. Fifteen percent of the herds were reportedly increasing, 10% were decreasing, 31% were stable, but for 44% of the herds the trend was unknown. Historically caribou were found throughout 8 of the 14 biogeoclimatic zones in B.C. Caribou are now rarely found in the Sub-Boreal Spruce zone, likely due to increased predation from wolves that increased in response to increasing moose numbers. Ranges of several herds in the Engelmann Spruce — Subalpine Fir and Alpine Tundra zones of south-eastern British Columbia are also reduced relative to historic conditions, probably because of habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, predation and hunting. Forest harvesting represents the greatest threat to caribou habitat and current research focuses on the mitigation of forest harvesting impacts.

The effects of forest harvesting and best management practices on streamflow and suspended sediment concentrations during snowmelt in headwater streams in sub-boreal forests of British Columbia, Canada

2003 ◽  
Vol 33 (8) ◽  
pp. 1397-1407 ◽  
Author(s):  
J S Macdonald ◽  
P G Beaudry ◽  
E A MacIsaac ◽  
H E Herunter
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Suspended Sediment ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Boreal Forests ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Complete Removal ◽  
Sediment Concentration ◽  
Forest Harvesting ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Best Management

This paper examines suspended sediment concentration and stream discharge during freshet in three small sub-boreal forest streams (<1.5 m in width) in the central interior of British Columbia for 1 year prior to (1996) and for 5 years following forest harvesting (1997–2001). Harvesting prescriptions in a 20-m strip beside one stream required complete removal of merchantable timber (>15 cm diameter at breast height (DBH) for pine and >20 cm for spruce), while all stems <30 cm DBH were retained beside a second stream. A third stream remained unharvested as a control. The two riparian treatments were prescribed to test the efficacy of current British Columbia legislation that allows for varying amounts of riparian retention as best management practices for the management of windthrow. Both treated watersheds were clear-cut harvested (approximately 55% removal) in January 1997, and in the following year, temporary access roads were deactivated, including two stream crossings in the low-retention watershed. An increase in peak snowmelt and total freshet discharge was first noted in the second spring following harvest in both treatments and remained above predicted in all subsequent years. Suspended sediment also increased during freshet following harvest but returned to levels at or below preharvest predictions within 3 years or less in the high-retention watershed.

Height growth–elevation relationships in subalpine forests of interior British Columbia

1996 ◽  
Vol 72 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Klinka ◽  
H. Y. H. Chen ◽  
Q. Wang ◽  
R. E. Carter
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Growth Curves ◽  
Analysis Data ◽  
Site Index ◽  
Height Growth ◽  
Picea Engelmannii ◽  
Abies Lasiocarpa ◽  
Subalpine Fir ◽  
Engelmann Spruce ◽  
Study Species

Stem analysis data from even-aged Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm.) and subalpine fir [Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.] stands on zonal sites in the Engelmann Spruce—Subalpine Fir biogeoclimatic zone of British Columbia were used to examine the relationships of site index and height growth and elevation, latitude, and longitude. Elevation and latitude were found to be strongly negatively correlated with site index of both study species. Spruce site index (bh age 50) was predicted to decrease 2.9 m and fir site index 2.5 m with every 100 m and 1° increase in elevation and latitude, respectively; however, (i) site index of both species appeared to decline faster with increasing latitude than elevation, and (ii) decrease appeared to be faster for spruce than for fir. Comparison of height growth curves for stands on zonal and azonal sites with similar site index from different elevations and latitudes suggested that there are probably inconsequential differences between the shape of curves for either species. These findings imply that (i) subalpine fir is better adapted to subalpine boreal climates than Engelmann spruce and (ii) development of polymorphic site index curves for estimating site index of both species may be appropriate. Key words: elevation, latitude, longitude, site index, height growth, Abies lasiocarpa, Picea engelmannii, Engelmann Spruce—Subalpine Fir zone

Pathology of conifer seed and timing of germination in high-elevation subalpine fir and Engelmann spruce forests of the southern interior of British Columbia

1999 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianwen Zhong ◽  
Bart J van der Kamp
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Seed Viability ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Subalpine Fir ◽  
Engelmann Spruce ◽  
Black Mold ◽  
Nurse Logs

Unstratified seed of Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii Parry) and subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.) in nylon mesh bags was placed on various natural and disturbed forest floor seed beds in the Engelmann Spruce - Subalpine Fir Zone in the southern interior of British Columbia in September 1995 and recovered just before snow melt in June 1996. Fifty-two and 86% of the viable spruce and fir seed, respectively, had germinated before snowmelt. Germination under snow may be an adaptation of these high-elevation species to short cool growing seasons. Seed viability at recovery was significantly lower on undisturbed forest floor seed beds (spruce, 13%; fir, 12%) than on exposed mineral soil (spruce, 57%; fir, 42%). Viability of seed placed on nurse logs was 38 and 23% for spruce and fir, respectively. Isolation from ungerminated seed yielded a Rhizoctonia sp., an as yet unidentified black mold at high frequencies, and several other seed pathogens at low frequency. Multiple linear regression of the frequency of isolation of Rhizoctonia and black mold on seed viability was highly significant for both tree species. Seed pathogens appear to cause a major loss of seed and seedlings in these forests, and this may explain both the common occurrence of regeneration on nurse logs and the requirement of mineral soil seed beds for adequate regeneration.

scholarly journals Arboreal forage lichen response to partial cutting of high elevation mountain caribou range in the Quesnel Higland of east-central British Columbia

Rangifer ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michaela J. Waterhouse ◽  
Harold M. Armleder ◽  
Amanda F. Linnell Nemec
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Group Selection ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Partial Cutting ◽  
East Central ◽  
Engelmann Spruce ◽  
Dead Trees ◽  
Alectoria Sarmentosa ◽  
Feeding Zone

Group selection silvicultural systems have been recommended for managing mountain caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) habitat in high elevation Engelmann spruce – subalpine fir forests in east-central British Columbia. We measured the response of arboreal lichen (a key winter forage) to harvesting of 30% of the forested area using three partial cutting treatments, which created small (0.03 ha), medium (0.13 ha), and large (1.0 ha) openings, and a no-harvest treatment. Treatments were replicated on four sites, and monitored over a ten year post-harvest period. The short-term loss of lichen associated with removal of approximately one third of the trees was partially offset by a significant (P=0.01) increase in lichen abundance on trees in the caribou feeding zone (up to 4.5 m) in the three partial cutting treatments relative to trees in the uncut forest. Differences among treatments in the change in lichen composition, as measured by the percentage of Alectoria sarmentosa and Bryoria spp., were marginally significant (P=0.10). The partial cutting treatments showing a greater likelihood of shifting towards more Bryoria spp. than no-harvest treatment (P=0.04). In the year of harvest (1993), larger trees were found to hold more lichen than smaller trees (P=0.04), and live trees supported more lichen than dead trees (P=0.01), but lichen loading was similar among tree species (P=0.51). Tree fall rates were similar among treatments, based on the ten year average (0.6–0.8% of sample trees per year). The results indicate that caribou foraging habitat is maintained in the residual forest when group selection systems that remove only 30% of the trees are applied. Information on the distribution of lichen is useful for developing stand level prescriptions. Providing lichen bearing habitat meets just one of the needs of caribou. A comprehensive approach that considers all factors and their interactions is essential to maintain and recover the threatened mountain caribou.

scholarly journals Holocene Climatic Change and Landscape Response at Cathedral Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada

2006 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Markus L. Heinrichs ◽  
Martin G. Evans ◽  
Richard J. Hebda ◽  
Ian R. Walker ◽  
Samantha L. Palmer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Sediment Yield ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Plant Macrofossils ◽  
Fire Frequency ◽  
Yield Data ◽  
Subalpine Fir ◽  
Engelmann Spruce ◽  
Landscape Response ◽  
Provincial Park

Abstract Environmental sensitivity to temperature change was established by comparing pollen, plant macrofossils, macroscopic charcoal, and sediment yield data from Lake of the Woods, Cathedral Provincial Park in the Cascade Mountains of southern British Columbia, Canada, to an independent record of midge-inferred paleotemperature. Steppe vegetation with some spruce and fir occurred initially, developing into pine forests in the warm early Holocene. These forests burned often, preventing spruce and fir succession. Once established, the forests retained an Engelmann Spruce-Subalpine Fir character. After 8000 cal BP, in warm but wetter conditions, the forest contained less pine and fires burned less frequently. About 4000 cal BP, cooler temperatures resulted in closure of the Engelmann Spruce-Subalpine Fir forests and a further reduction in fire frequency. Sediment yield results suggest a stable environment throughout the Holocene, likely due to sediment trapping in two upstream lakes. Midge-inferred temperatures correspond closely with a consensus reconstruction of temperatures from southern British Columbia, however Cathedral Provincial Park terrestrial ecosystems were not as sensitive to past climate change when compared to other nearby Engelmann Spruce-Subalpine Fir sites.

scholarly journals Post-glacial diatom-inferred aquatic changes in Sicamous Creek Lake, British Columbia, Canada

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 233-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea C. Voit ◽  
Richard J. Hebda ◽  
Julien M.J. Racca ◽  
Reinhard Pienitz ◽  
Ian R. Walker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Open Water ◽  
Late Glacial ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Low Light ◽  
Subalpine Fir ◽  
Engelmann Spruce ◽  
South Central ◽  
Inferred Ph

Diatom analyses of sediments from a high elevation lake situated in an Engelmann Spruce - Subalpine Fir (ESSF) forest of south-central British Columbia, Canada, reveal long-term climate and water chemistry change. During the transition from the late-glacial / Pleistocene to the xerothermic early Holocene, small, benthic Fragilaria diatoms species that grew under low light conditions in Sicamous Creek Lake gave way to planktonic Cyclotella species that require open-water conditions. Warm temperatures in the mesothermic Holocene are indicated by smaller Cyclotella species and large, benthic pennate diatoms. Diatom communities reflected Neoglacial cooling in the late Holocene, with abundant Nitzschia fonticola and Achnanthes minutissima. Small, benthic Fragilaria regained abundance, suggesting cooling and conditions similar to the late-glacial interval. Diatom community composition responded to the deposition of the Mt. Mazama and Mt. St. Helens tephras, though the Mazama eruption caused greater change in relative abundance of various taxa within the assemblage. Correspondence analysis shows distinct communities have occurred since the initiation of sedimentation, likely due to climate controlled landscape and vegetation changes; diatom-inferred pH values using various models and training sets show limited acidification change occurred through the lake’s history.

Is everything all right up there? A long-term interdisciplinary silvicultural systems project in a high elevation fir-spruce forest at Sicamous Creek, B.C.

1999 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
pp. 467-472 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan Vyse
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Wildlife Habitat ◽  
Spruce Forest ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Subalpine Fir ◽  
Engelmann Spruce ◽  
South Central ◽  
Wide Range

The Sicamous Creek Project was established as part of the British Columbia Provincial Silvicultural Systems program in 1990 to investigate the effects of clearcutting and other practices on a high elevation forested ecosystem. The objective is to provide the forestry community with information on the ecology of high elevation forests in the Southern Interior, and the probable responses to a wide range of disturbance. After a period of planning by a team of scientists and foresters from several agencies, a site in subalpine fir-Engelmann spruce forest at 1530 m to 1830 m elevation near the town of Sicamous in the south central interior of British Columbia was logged in the winter of 1994–95. A range of treatments was created by logging one third of the forest in 30 ha experimental units using a range of opening sizes (individual tree selection, 1/10 ha, 1 ha, and 10 ha) and a no-logging control. Within these experimental units, smaller areas (0.08 ha) have been treated to create a range of soil disturbance conditions (no disturbance, burning, complete organic soil removal, mounding). A wide range of studies has been conducted on the site by a team of scientists before and after treatment and those studies are continuing. The project is long-term, (at least 30 years), the main treatments are sufficiently large to have operational significance, and the supported studies are intended to be interdisciplinary in scientific method and scope. Support for the project is strong within the operational forestry community because information on logging costs, safety issues and snags, windthrow, bark beetle management, wildlife habitat and small streams has already been made available to them. Studies of stand structure and wildlife habitat suggest that in future much greater emphasis should be placed on the silviculture of fir than spruce. Key words: silviculture systems, clearcutting, opening size, Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, long term research, interdisciplinary research

scholarly journals Height Growth Models for High-Elevation Subalpine Fir, Engelmann Spruce, and Lodgepole Pine in British Columbia

2000 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 62-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Han Y. H. Chen ◽  
Karel Klinka
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Growth Models ◽  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Site Index ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Logistic Function ◽  
Height Growth ◽  
Potential Productivity ◽  
Subalpine Fir ◽  
Engelmann Spruce

Abstract To estimate potential productivity of the high-elevation Engelmann Spruce and Subalpine Fir (ESSF) zone of British Columbia forests, the height growth models developed from low-elevation forests are currently used to estimate site indices of subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa), Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii), and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta). Whether these models are adequate to describe height growth of high-elevation forests is of concern. We sampled a total of 319 naturally established, even-aged, and undamaged stands with breast height age ≥50 yr (165 for subalpine fir, 87 for Engelmann spruce, and 67 for lodgepole pine) ranging widely in climate and available soil moisture and nutrients. In each sampled stand, three dominant trees were destructively sampled for stem analysis. Height growth models developed from fitting data to a conditioned logistic function explained > 97% variation in height for all three study species. Examined by residual analysis, no models showed lack of fit. These models provided more accurate estimates of site index than the currently used models developed from low-elevation stands or different species. It is recommended that the models developed in this study be applied to estimate site index of the three species in the ESSF zone in British Columbia. West. J. Appl. For. 15(2):62-69.

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