Stand level Biodiversity Overview of Results Stand level Biodiversity
The answer is ….. 53
Trivia 5% of all reserves were floaters 37% were internal (58% on the edge) 20% of blocks had Vets – of those ~ 32 Vets per block 69% of patches <2ha (31% bigger)
BEC #blocks %area retained BWBS 16 15 CDF 1 24 CWH 47 ESSF 14 ICH 6 34 IDF 20 38 MH 3 MS 7 26 SBPS SBS 72 Overall 19% retained but……
Indicator SBS Blck 93M @76% SBS Blck 93G @59% SBS Blck 93A @21% % area 20% 2 12% 3 6 4 Eco anchors 6.7/ha 1 0.5/ha 2 0 4 Vets 0 4 0 4 Patch size 2<2ha&disp 2 1>2ha 1 Disp 3 Dead trees 356/ha 1 113/ha 4 9.4/ha 4 Big dead trees 124/ha 1 2/ha 4 0 4 Big live trees 3/ha 2 CWD Volume (P/D) 126/225 2/1 273/35 1/3 /71 3 CWD Length (P/D) 323/106 1/2 343/40 1/3 /53 3 Invasives No 1 No 1 No 1 Windthrow 3.4% 1 4.3% 1 10% 2 Reserve Location Edge 2 Internal 1 None 4
CWD Sampling Accuracy McCrae et al; (1979) (from Van Wagner – Practical Aspects of the Line Intersect Method) recommended 90 m. CWD line transect per 20 ha. (4.5m/ha.) From 2005 sampling: 21,840 m/6,916 ha gross area ~ 3.2 m/ha
Tree Sampling Accuracy MOFR cruise manual – 15% sampling error, or … 1 plot per ha 2SE ________ mean
rating by tens Total #blocks 1 28 2 39 3 39 4 31 5 12 6 15 7 7 8 10 9 2 10 2 12 2 13 1 15 2
Estimating within plots precision and accuracy of estimating heights and diameters? Review of Q/A data – comparison of measured to estimated heights
Vision enough cutblocks sampled in a landscape unit baseline data for each subzone variant in the LU landscape level biodiversity assessment complete Representation, interior habitat, road density… ..celebrate species work Probably need a couple of years of sampling before this occurs – 30 per district? 10 per landscape unit? Until then should only assess individual cutblocks. To fully assess a unit: need full set of baseline data – (data in each harvested subzone) need assessment of landscape level biodiversity – likely indicators representation by variant in managed and permanently unmanaged state, interior habitat of permanently unmanaged patch and age class distribution road density and distribution species (at risk) states and trends
Continuous Improvement Why does the assessment ask for a Professional Opinion? Indicators used are surrogates. Compared to Baselines. Humans are great integrators and ecological systems are varied. Ultimately your opinion is a check against how the model scores the cutblock.
Continuous Improvement Should we have the assessor answer a series of questions? Does the retention represent the pre harvest stand? Yes No If no what is different? Does the retention capture rare elements? Yes No If no what elements are missing? Has the retention been distributed through the cutblock in a way that will benefit wildlife? Yes No explain?
Continuous Improvement
Continuous Improvement What are Innovative Forest Practices? Innovation – Something newly introduced, a new method, device.
Continuous Improvement Has the licensee used a practice not normally seen in the district that may be beneficial to biodiversity? Yes No If yes describe…. Could create a list… but Is stubbing innovative? Used quite widely in areas of the interior… but might be an innovation on the coast. Fungal inoculation… Innovation… Yes… but unless you have the prescription or the block has a sign up will be difficult to know. Cavity creation…. Has been tried but not implemented widely… would fit the innovative practice.
Continuous Improvement Volume Calculation – Evaluation – focused on structural attributes that we believe are reasonable indicators of “Biodiversity” Premise – If you maintain the range of structural attributes you will lifeboat species through the next rotation. Emphasis not on volume but quality of structures… legacies… number of large tall dead trees etc.
Continuous Improvement
Ecological anchors What are they? Plot based assessment of rare elements (you don’t find them) statistically viable way to assess rare elements (i.e. cluster sampling)
Time on block versus accuracy Dispersed retention and importance of stratification . Small patches - how many 0.1 ha patches do we need to sample anyway? Should we keep track of time and manpower spent on block?
Proposal for card changes
SLBD data Continuous Improvement Map with plot numbers noted Patches on map – no form B Edge patch on map – not in gross
Reserve summary covers complete block Separate reserve summaries – no lumping
Unique (simple) reserve ID for each area Commercial thinning – DT No more DU (DO will do) If any RRZ/RMZ call it PR or DR
Missing heights (but only 4%) Creative tree species (not too bad) Missing header info (where does this plot belong?)
Please list trees on stand table (rather than comments) Try to avoid the multi-card stand tables
Check your logic – a WT class 1, 50 cm dbh pine – 5 metres tall? There was one mirage plot! (OK – no more)