Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations(MFLNRO) Coast Forest Area Ecosystem Classification Aug 2012 Heather Klassen Asst. Research Ecologist Marty Kranabetter Research Pedologist Andy MacKinnon Research Ecologist Sari Saunders Research Ecologist

We classify ecosystems to… To provide a framework for understanding and studying ecosystems To predict outcomes of management or disturbance To provide a baseline for representation planning and management To understand trends and future conditions Applications  Forest Industry - What are the right trees to plant where? - What is the future timber supply? - Development plan approval - Certification  Mining/Industrial - Development plan approval  Guide-Outfit & Non-timber Forest Products - What/Where is good habitat? - Wildlife habitat suitability, capability (TEM)

Applications (continued)  Setting operational standards e.g., stand-level retention  Setting management priorities  Building regional strategies e.g., Ecosystem-based Management  Conservation, e.g., red and blue listed communities  Landscape planning (representation) e.g., placing Old Growth Management Areas  Resource inventory, e.g., within Terrestrial Ecosystem Mapping  Understanding trends and future e.g., climate change (Future Forests Ecosystems Initiative), seed transfer protocols

Key BEC Concepts Ecosystem Succession and Site potential “Climax” Edatopic grid Ecological equivalence

What is an Ecosystem? Interacting biotic and abiotic features Open systems –Water, energy, and materials move across boundaries Used to develop a “Natural” classification Vegetation Micro -organisms The Biotic Community ECOSYSTEM The Site Relief Climate Animals Parent Materials Above & Below Ground

Succession & Site Potential Shrub-herb (SH) Pole-sapling (PS) Young Forest (YF) Mature forest (MF) Old Forest (OF) $ Fireweed - Red raspberry $ Pl - Thimbleberry $ Pl - Western hemlock CwHw - Oak fern Seral Stage Seral plant association (common name) Plant association

Climax Ecosystems - categories Climatic – basis for the BEC classification –Ecosystems that reflect the development potential due to prevailing regional climate Edaphic –Ecosystems that differ from climatic climax due to extreme soil, substrate effects (e.g., poor drainage) Topographic Fire Zootic

Edatopic Grid Combinations of SMR and SNR demonstrates relationships of plant communities to environmental properties 9 relative SMRs can use indicator plants and soil properties 5 actual SNRs SOIL MOISTURE REGIME SOIL NUTRIENT REGIME A very poor E very rich D rich C medium B poor Very Xeric0 Xeric1 Subxeric2 Submesic3 Mesic4 Hygric6 Subhydric7 Hydric8 Subhygric5 ASMRRSMR

Ecological Equivalence Coarser texture Lower slope/flat Medium texture Mid slope SOIL NUTRIENT REGIME A very poor E very rich D rich C medium B poor = ecological equivalence Fine texture Upper slope SOIL MOISTURE REGIME Very Xeric0 Xeric1 Subxeric2 Submesic3 Mesic4 Hygric6 Subhydric7 Hydric8 Subhygric5 Actual Relative VD MD VD MD SD F M

Biogeoclimatic Zone Classification Climatic

BEC Site Level (site series) Regional & subregional level Climate classification Veg/soil relationships as indicator CMA MHmm CWHvm CMA Local level Site classification climate + edaphic properties CMA Integrating levels levels classifications classifications types of information types of information

Naming Biogeoclimatic Subzones ZONE xyz 1 SUBZONE Precipitation regime x = very dry (xeric) d = dry m = moist w = wet v = very wet Interior Zones Temperature regime h = hot w = warm m = mild k = cool c = cold v = very cold Coastal Zones Continentality h = hypermaritime m = maritime s = submaritime x y z Parkland p = parkland un* = undifferentiated unp* = undifferentiated parkland CWH xm 1 CWH ds 1 IDF ww

Bio(geo)climatic Units Defined Stratifies landscape into “bioclimate” units BGC Zones reflect broader influence of climate (than subzone) defined and characterized primarily by (shade tolerant) climax tree species BGC subzones and variants further defined by understory composition Characteristic plant community on the zonal site Basic Unit is the BGC subzone Similar regional climate Defined by a distinct climax vegetation (the plant association) Determined using zonal sites CWHvm– Hw, Ba (Cw, Yc) MHmm – Hm, Ba (Yc)

Zonal Sites flat to moderate slopes middle slope positions that neither shed nor receive an excess of water and nutrients (inputs balance outputs) medium soil texture (loam) medium nutrient regime moderately well-drained soils no root restricting layers (deep rooting zone)

BGC (Sub) Zones Defined by Old Forest on Zonal Site W. Hemlock/Amabilis Fir - Blueberry = CWHvm1 zonal

Plant association Vegetation Climate (Zonal) Site Biogeoclimatic subzone Climax forests Zonal sites Site association Site series Climax Ecological Equivalence Biogeoclimatic variant “Green” Subzone BEC - Integration of 3 Classifications Green / zonal (01) (05) (02)

BGC Subzones - Definition and Delineation with zonal plant associations Climax forest Mesic/Medium conditions (zonal site) HwBa - Blueberry Subzone??? Climax forest Mesic/Medium conditions (zonal site) Hw - Flatmoss Subzone???

Biogeoclimatic Units of the Southern Mainland (Zones & Subzones) ZONE CDF CMA CWH ESSF IDF IMA MH CDF mm CMA unp CWH dm CWH ds CWH ms CWH vm CWH xm ESSFmw ESSFmwp IDF dk IDF ww IMA un MH mm SUBZONE

CWHdm warm, relatively dry summers mild winters, little snowfall Fd, Cw, Hw salal, red huckleberry step moss, Oregon-beaked moss, lanky moss, flat moss

CWHxm warm, dry summers (growing water deficit on zonal sites) mild winters, little snowfall Fd, Hw (Cw) salal, dull Oregon-grape, red huckleberry step moss, Oregon-beaked moss nationalgeographic.ca goert.ca

Variation across site series CWHxm

Environmental properties used in site assessment physiographic propertiessoil properties elevation*texture*organic matter (soil colour*) slope position*coarse fragments*surface substrate slope*humus form*landform aspect*soil depth*flooding* microtopographywater table*bedrock geology gleying*porosity/aeration A horizon* *properties used in soil moisture/nutrient regime keys

BWBSmw – DeLong Zonal site series, version 1 (currently version 0) 102 Driest/poorest 110 Wetter than zonal This numbering enables one to tell : Zonal site series Site series drier than zonal (0# series) Site series wetter than zonal (1# series) The version of the classification numbering relates to the driest part of the unit New numbering will be applied to : Brand new site series (unpublished); forested site units (100 series) Existing units when additional site series are added to their grid Existing units when they are republished Naming of Site Units – new system

Site Association Definition All sites capable of producing similar near climax vegetation in one or more biogeoclimatic units More variable that site series; therefore less predictable for management application = Site Series Definition All sites capable of producing the same mature or late successional plant communities within a biogeoclimatic subzone or variant Most commonly used category for field use