Objectives
The purpose of this project is to create a digital Terrestrial Ecosystem Map (TEM) of TFL 19.
Study Area
The study area is TFL 19, located on northwestern Vancouver Island, west of Strathcona Park. TFL 19 covers 197,936 ha, and comprises portions of the Zeballos, Tahsis, Sucwoa, Conuma, Nesook, Gold River, and Burman River watersheds. The communities of Gold River, Tahsis, and Zeballos are located within the study area.
Biogeoclimatic zones are broad geographic areas influenced by similar regional climates. There are three biogeoclimatic zones in the study area: the Coastal Western Hemlock Zone, the Mountain Hemlock Zone, and the Alpine Tundra Zone .
Lowland and montane areas of TFL 19 lie within the Coastal Western Hemlock (CWH) Zone. Forests comprised of western hemlock, amabilis fir, and western redcedar dominate the CWH Zone.
Subalpine portions of the study area lie within the Mountain Hemlock Zone (MH). The MH zones ranges from forested lower elevations to patchy tree growth at higher elevations, consisting of clumps of stunted conifer trees interspersed with heath, rock outcrops, and talus.
Higher mountain peaks of TFL 19 lie within the Alpine Tundra (AT) Zone. The AT Zone is a mosaic of heath, rock outcrops, talus, and permanent snow. Regional field guides describe the ecosystems of the study area in more detail.
Introduction
An ecosystem is a community of living organisms, together with environment in which they live. Some examples of ecosystems include coniferous forests, sedge fens, forested swamps, shrubby avalanche tracks, alpine heath, and sparsely vegetated rock outcrops.
Ecosystem mapping is the stratification of a landscape into map units, according to a combination of ecological features, including vegetation, climate, topography, soil type, and bedrock geology .
Ecosystem mapping provides:
Ecosystem maps can be used as a tool for:
Background
In 1996, Pacific Forest Products initiated ecosystem mapping in TFL 19. Madrone Consultants Ltd. completed the fieldwork and initial mapping of the Gold River and Conuma River study areas in 1996-97. The mapping was completed in 1999 for Western Forest Products , .
In 1998-99, Western Forest Products and Madrone Consultants Ltd. carried out a study to assess the feasibility of completing the ecosystem mapping of TFL 19 using a Predictive Ecosystem Mapping (PEM) methodology . PEM is an evolving program to use available spatial data and knowledge of ecological-landscape relationships to automate the computer generation of ecosystem maps . For TFL 19, the available spatial data includes bioterrain mapping, forest cover mapping, and topographic mapping.
Preliminary PEM for the Hisnit Inlet area was produced by Western Forest Products and field-checked by Madrone Consultants Ltd. This was followed up by field trips in the Zeballos and Nomash watersheds and the lower Gold River watershed. The study eventually concluded that, while PEM is a promising approach, a modified TEM methodology would provide a more reliable ecosystem inventory for TFL 19.
Methodology
The ecosystem mapping of TFL 19 follows a simplified version of the provincial standard TEM methodology .
The first step in mapping the ecosystems of the study area was to complete the large scale Biogeoclimatic Mapping for the study area. This consisted of mapping Biogeoclimatic Zones and more detailed units that stratify the study area according to climate and typical vegetation .
Ecosystem mapping for TFL 19 follows the "bioterrain approach" , using map polygons from pre-existing bioterrain mapping as the basis for mapping ecosystems. Information in the field is the basis for predicting the distribution of ecosystems. Aerial photograph interpretation is used to map the ecosystems of the study area in detail.
Project Status
The ecosystem mapping for TFL 19 is in progress.
Related Links
Ecosystems of British Columbia
http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfd/pubs/Docs/Srs/SRseries.htm
B.C. Ministry of Forests, Forestry Division Services Branch
Terrestrial Ecosystem Mapping Internet Site
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/ecology/tem/
B.C. Ministry of Environment, Lands, and Parks, Wildlife Inventory
 |
