PREDICTIVE ECOSYSTEM MAPPING (PEM) OF TIMBER SUPPLY
AREA (TSA) 40
PROGRESS REPORT (2009-2010)
Prepared for:
Canadian Forest Products Ltd.
RR#1, Site 13, Compartment 2
Fort St. John, BC, V1J 4M6
Attention: Darrell Regimbald and Carole Savage
Prepared by:
Timberline Natural Resources Group Ltd.
Suite 219, 1884 Spall Road
Kelowna, B.C. V1Y 4R1
March 2010
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................... 1
1.1 OVERVIEW OF TSA 40 PEM STUDY AREA ......................................................................................................1
1.2 OVERVIEW OF PEM METHODOLOGY FOR TSA 40 ...........................................................................................2
1.3 PROJECT COMPONENTS FOR 2009-2010 ...........................................................................................................3
1.4 SUMMARY OF RELEVANT RISC STANDARDS ...................................................................................................3
2.0 PEM PROGRESS IN 2009-2010 .................................................................................................. 5
2.1 DATA ASSEMBLY, ASSESSMENT, AND PREPARATION.......................................................................................5
2.2 MAPPING OF ECOLOGICAL EXCEPTION ..........................................................................................................18
3.0 REFERENCES............................................................................................................................. 22
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1. Map Entity for Predictive Ecosystem Mapping of TSA 40 ........................................................................7
Table 2. Map Entity for Mapping Ecologically Unique Features and Exceptions..................................................19
TABLE 3. AREA SUMMARY OF MAPPED ECOLOGICAL FEATURES AND EXCEPTIONS..............................................119
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1.0 INTRODUCTION
In February 2010, Canadian Forest Products Ltd. issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to complete Predictive Ecosystem Mapping (PEM) for Timber Supply Area (TSA) 40. Timberline Natural Resource Group Ltd. was selected to complete the PEM within a two-year period, contingent on funding availability through the Forest Investment Account (FIA). The purpose of this document is to report on progress during year 1 of the PEM project implementation.
The primary objective of PEM is to acquire thematically accurate and spatially explicit ecosystem mapping products that can be used for a wide range of purposes related to land and resource management. PEM is used, for example, in sustainable forest management plan development, ecosystem representation analysis, forest operation schedule analysis, species and ecosystem at risk management, mountain pine beetle management, oil and gas exploration and development, and wildlife and biodiversity assessment. The ecosystem data may also be used for site productivity estimates for future timber supply analyses.
Over the years, Canadian Forest Products Ltd. has implemented several landbase inventory projects such as integrated Vegetation Resource Inventory (VRI) / terrain mapping, and ecosystem field data collection. The completed VRI / terrain mapping implemented a polygon delineation process that was ecologically oriented. The VRI polygons will form the basis for the proposed PEM base polygons. As the VRI and ecosystem maps are the two most frequently used landbase inventories, the same base polygons for the two inventories would be advantageous for any future applications of the maps in forest management planning and interpretations. It is Canfor’s desire that the TSA 40 PEM will use the ecologically oriented VRI polygons as base polygons.
1.1 Overview of TSA 40 PEM Study Area
The Fort St. John TSA is located in the northeastern interior of British Columbia and is administered by the Peace Forest District. The TSA covers about 4.7 million hectares and is bounded by the Peace River and TFL 48 to the south, the Alberta border to the east, the Fort Nelson TSA to the north, and the Rocky Mountains to the west.
The eastern portion of the TSA is dominated by a plateau (primarily the Alberta Plateau Ecoregion), while the western portion consists of the Rocky Mountains and foothills. Four major Biogeoclimatic (BGC) zones occur in the TSA: Boreal White and Black Spruce zone (BWBS) on the plateaus and lower elevations, the Engelmann Spruce-subalpine Fir (ESSF) and Spruce-Willow-Birch zone (SWB) at medium to high elevations in the mountains and foothills; and the Alpine Tundra zone (BAFA) at higher elevations. The following is a BGC list of subzone / variants and approximate areas (ha) in the TSA:
• BWBSmw: 1,596,739 ha (previously BWBSmw1)
• BWBSmk: 2,019,991 ha (previously BWBSmw2)
• BWBSwk2: 315,812 ha
• BWBSwk3: 4,479 ha
• ESSFmv4: 236,131 ha
• ESSFmvp: 31,717 ha
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• SWBmk: 253,914 ha
• SWBmks: 95,138 ha
• BAFAun: 122,717 ha (previously AT)
White spruce, lodgepole pine, aspen, and black spruce are the dominant tree species in the TSA.
About 48 percent of the Fort St. John TSA (about 2.243 million hectares) is considered productive forest land managed by the Crown. Currently about 47 percent of this area is considered available for timber harvesting under current forest management practices. The current timber harvesting landbase is about 1,058,540 ha, consisting of 733,221 ha dominated by coniferous species and 325,318 ha dominated by deciduous species.
1.2 Overview of PEM Methodology for TSA 40
Timberline has proposed a soil moisture modeling focused method to complete the TSA40 PEM. Refer to project work plan (Timberline 2010) for detailed information about the methodology to be implemented. The following is a brief summary of the main steps in the process:
1) DEM preparation: DEM is enhanced by interpolating to a higher resolution (i.e., from original 75-100 m to 25-50 m resolution). The creation of a ‘pitless’ DEM, removal of artifacts, and compiling water feature layers, for example, are integral parts of the DEM preparation process;
2) The PEM model is raster based (i.e., pixel size of 25 x 25m as the basic unit for analysis), however, the final product will be converted to vector polygons, i.e., ecologically oriented VRI polygons;
3) Site characteristics of a given pixel including landscape position (macro and meso), landscape shape, slope gradients and orientation, and solar radiation are modeled from DEM analysis using a variety of tools;
4) Experiential soil properties are assumed for a given area with exceptions. Depending on the specific mapping areas, deep and medium textured soil may be assumed for some areas while deep and fine textured soils are assumed for other areas depending on their geomorphological origins;
5) Exceptions include ecological characteristics (wetter than expected, drier than expected, surface seepage, cold air basins / valleys, extreme wet climates, wetlands, and grasslands) and materials (coarse and fine if medium is assumed, soil compaction, very shallow to bedrock, and avalanche tracks) are captured through image interpretation and remote sensing;
6) Soil moisture is modeled through hydrological flow models; 7) Field sampling is not a component of the TSA 40 PEM. However, existing field data are to be
investigated and assembled from a variety of sources. The data sources will be used for knowledge base development and quality assurance of modeling results; and
8) PEM results and key PEM inputs are viewed and conceptually analyzed during every step of the PEM process. This is accomplished through the use of 3-dimension visualization tools.
Timberline uses a suite of new PEM software to implement the PEM process of the TSA 40. The new soil moisture modeling focused PEM process was developed in 2005 and has been implemented in several TSA wide operational PEMs. All PEMs completed using the new process have achieved good results in terms of thematic map accuracy.
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1.3 Project Components for 2009-2010
Due to funding constraints for 2009-2010 and the late start of the PEM project, the following process components are to be completed within the fiscal year 2009-2010.
• Data assembly, assessment, and preparation; and
• Mapping of ecologically unique features and exceptions.
The following interim products are to be delivered to Canfor, Fort St. John by March 29, 2010:
• Map entity list for PEM (.PDF format).
• All data assembled and prepared including TRIM and DEM, VRI/terrain, field data, BGC, soil mapping, and any other additional data Timberline has collated;
• Finalized TSA 40 PEM work plan;
• Ecologically unique features and exceptions of the TSA 40 PEM area (.e00); and
• Map legend for mapping ecological unique features and exceptions (.PDF).
1.4 Summary of Relevant RISC Standards
The B.C. Government has been consistently encouraging innovations in PEM. This is also evident in provincial PEM standards (RIC 1999) in which a minimum standard was established for digital data capture, metadata documentation and reporting. Specific requirements for a non-standard inventory that is derived or completed to support PEM were also established. However, there was no specific PEM method assigned or preferred in the standards. Over the past decade, numerous PEM methods have been tested across B.C. and a soil moisture modeling focused PEM method returned the best results. The following list of relevant RISC standards applies to the soil moisture based PEM method as currently applied in BC:
• Draft Quality Assurance Guidelines for PEM and TEM: B.C. Min of Environment (2003)
• Investment Account Data Management Standard - Data Exchange/Submission of Resource Inventories, FIA, PWC;
• Resources Inventory Committee. 1998. Standard for Terrestrial Ecosystem Mapping in British Columbia. Terrestrial Ecosystems Task Force, Ecosystems Working Group. Victoria, BC;
• Resources Inventory Committee (RIC). 1999. Standards for Predictive Ecosystem Mapping, Inventory Standard, Version 1.0. Prepared by the Terrestrial Ecosystem Mapping Alternatives Task Force, Victoria, B.C.;
• Resources Inventory Committee (RIC). 2000. Standards for Predictive Ecosystem Mapping (PEM) - Digital Data Capture Predictive Ecosystem Technical Standards and Database Manual. April 2000, Version 1.0. Prepared by the PEM Data Committee for the TEM Alternatives Task Force, Resources Inventory Committee, Victoria, B.C.;
• Resources Information Standards Committee (RISC). 2003 (revised). Standards for Predictive Ecosystem Mapping (PEM) - Digital Data Capture in British Columbia, Version 1.0 (2000), Errata No. 1.0. Prepared by the MSRM for the Resources Information Standards Committee, Victoria, B.C.;
• Quality Assurance Guideline for Predictive Ecosystem Mapping (PEM)-Draft. 2003
(version 1.0). B.C. Min. of Environment;
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• Provincial Site Series Map Codes List and Typical Environmental Conditions. 2003. B.C. Min. of Environment;
• Provincial Site Series and Map Codes List. 2006. B.C. Min. of Environment;
• Meidinger, D. 2003. Protocol for Accuracy Assessment of Ecosystem Maps. Research Res. Br., B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C. Tech. Rep. 011; and
• Moon, D., D. Dunlop, K. Iles, and N. Phillips. 2005. A protocol for assessing thematic map accuracy using small-area sampling. B.C. Min. For. Res. Br., Victoria, B.C. Tech. Rep. 023. Land Based Investment Program Forest.
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2.0 PEM PROGRESS IN 2009-2010
2.1 Data Assembly, Assessment, and Preparation
As a prerequisite for PEM, all pertinent data including spatial coverage and aspatial databases were investigated and assembled for the project during February and March 2010. Data quality and compatibility were assessed and remedial actions were taken when issues were discovered. Spatial accuracy of the existing data is of special concern in PEM and was closely scrutinized for the purpose of PEM.
The following data sources were investigated and assembled as a result of this step:
• TRIM II DEM of entire project area;
• Orthophotography of entire project area;
• Existing ecosystem field plots from a variety of sources; and
• Vegetation resources inventory.
The following data sources were investigated but have yet to be assembled. Since the data sources are not essential for the completion of year 1 PEM components, Timberline is in the process of compiling the data:
• Terrain and/or soil mapping: there are bioterrain mapping which covers majority of the TSA 40 TSA. The data will be made available by Ms. Deepa Filatow (MoE, currently on vacation leave) in April; and
• Silvicultural prescriptions through Canfor’s operations in TSA 40. The data will be made available by Andrew Tyrrell (Canfor) during the first half of 2010; and
• Purview images: only partial cover of purview images are required for the photo interpretation of random data locations which will be used for the purpose of the PEM quality assurance and internal map accuracy assessment. Since the size of the image files is huge, Timberline will table a list of required images and related files after the final selection of random locations for photo interpretation during next phase of the PEM.
During the data investigation, Timberline has discovered that the Ministry of Forests and Range (MoFR) is in the process of revising ecosystem field guides for the Peace Region. The map entity list for the year-1 deliverables reflects the new site series concepts, definition, and new map codes. The new field guides are currently still in an early draft stage in terms of text and publishing but site units of the respective BGC subzone/variants are considered to be final (Craig DeLong, 2010).
There are also major changes in Biogeoclimatic (BGC) unit classification within TSA 40. Specifically, BWBSmw2, one of the largest BGC units in the TSA, is now classified as BWBSmk. BWBSmw1 is newly classified as BWBSmw. Other changes include the classification of BWBSdk2 to BWBSmk, and BWBSdk1 to BWBSdk. There are also minor changes in BGC boundaries, specifically for BWBSmk and BWBSdk (Craig DeLong, personal comm. March, 2010).
Timberline is committed to work closely with the MoFR Regional Ecologist during the course of the PEM project in order to use the latest information on the BGC boundary changes and site unit revision.
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Deliverables from the completion of this phase include:
• Finalized TSA 40 PEM work plan;
• Prepared and ready to use DEM;
• Map entity list for PEM (.PDF format); and
• All data assembled and prepared including TRIM and DEM, VRI, ecosystem field data, BGC, TEM, ortho phtotos.
Table 1 presents the map entities to be recognized in the TSA 40 PEM. As mentioned, the map entities reflect the new ecosystem field guide developed for the Peace Region.
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Table 1. Map Entities for Predictive Ecosystem Mapping of TSA 40
BGC Unit Site
Series Site Series Name Site Series Description
Soil Moisture
Regime
BWBSmk Ro Rock Outcrops
occurs in the forested zones where there is little soil, abundant cover of rock or bedrock, and generally low cover of vascular plants very xeric
BWBSmk Gb Shrub Land
dry and rocky sites; dominated by drought tolerant woody shrubs of moderate stature (Saskatoon, rose, soopolallie, stunted At etc.) very xeric-xeric
BWBSmk Gg Grass Land
deep and productive soils that are excessively dry; graminoid-dominated and shrubs <10%; locally common in Peace River breaks, Grand Canyon, and the Atlin area. very xeric-xeric
BWBSmk 101 Sw-Lingonberry-Stepmoss
common on upland rolling terrain and uncommon in lowland where wetland common; L, M, or FG, tall bluebells and/or trailing raspberry generally present mesic
BWBSmk 102 Pl-Kinnikinnick-Lingonberry
uncommon, small and localized; FGr, FGt, Aeolian; canopy dominated by Pl; Kinnikinnick present and usually >5%; reindeer lichen common Xeric- subxeric
BWBSmk 103 SwPl-Soopolallie-Wildrye
common, FG plain; steeper warm slopes, sparse to open canopy; mixed canopy by Sb absent or <10%; Labrador tea occasionally present; Kinnikinnick absent; wildrye >5%; submesc-mesic
BWBSmk 104 Sb-Labrador tea-Step moss
common where areas with extensive wetlands, small but widespread often as a band of upland to wetland transition; Sb always present and > 20%
submesic-subhygric
BWBSmk 110 Sw-Currant-Horsetail
common in areas of extensive wetland; level site usually not adjacent to water courses; lower to toe slopes; a strip alone small watercourse; horsetail present but red-osier dogwood and mountain alder generally absent
subhygric-hygric
BWBSmk 111 Sw-Mountain alder-Horsetail
common on sites that are subject to flooding along major waterways; upper benches receiving seepage; horsetail and/or red-osier dogwood and/or mountain alder >5%
subhygric-hygric
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BGC Unit Site
Series Site Series Name Site Series Description
Soil Moisture
Regime
BWBSmk 112 Fm02; AcbSw-Mountain alder-Dogwood mid bench fluvial sites; Acb leading
hygric-subhydric
BWBSmk Wb Bog wetland swamp wetland hygric-subhydric
BWBSmk Ws Swamp wetland fen wetland subhydric
BWBSmk Wf Fen wetland marsh wetland subhydric
BWBSmk Wm Marsh wetland marsh wetland Subhydric-hygric
BWBSmk 101$ At-Green alder-Highbush cranberry
very common on upland sites; mostly on level or gentle sites (<10%); variable textures; fuzzy-spiked wildrye absent; false sarsaparilla >5% mesic
BWBSmk 102$ At-Soopolallie-Kinnikinnick Upper to crest slope on warmer aspect; Kinnikinnick >5%; coarse FG deposit xeric-subxeric
BWBSmk 103$ At-Rose-Fuzzy-spiked wildrye
common on west portion of BWBSmk; almost exclusively on warm slope; occasionally on gentle coarse soil; fuzzy-spiked wildrye generally >5% submesic
BWBSmk 104$ At-Labrador tea-Lingonberry common on rolling terrain associated with wetland; level or cool slope; Sb often present; Labrador tea >1%
submesic-subhygric
BWBSmk 110$ At-horsetail-Step moss
uncommon; generally restricted to sites of cultural disturbance; mid to lower or level; At dominated forests; Sb and Labrador tea generally absent; horsetail >1% subhygric
BWBSmk 112$ AcbSw-Mountain Alder-Dogwood
common on mid bench fluvial; Acb dominated canopy; restricted to flood plains along major water courses; horsetail generally present
subhygric-hygric
BWBSmw RO Rock Outcrops
occurs in the forested zones where there is little soil, abundant cover of rock or bedrock, and generally low cover of vascular plants very xeric
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BGC Unit Site
Series Site Series Name Site Series Description
Soil Moisture
Regime
BWBSmw Gb Shrub Land
dry and rocky sites; dominated by drought tolerant woody shrubs of moderate stature (Saskatoon, rose, soopolallie, stunted At etc.) very xeric-xeric
BWBSmw Gg Grass Land
deep and productive soil that are excessively dry; graminoid-dominated and shrubs <10%; locally common in Peace River breaks, Grand Canyon, and the Atlin area. very xeric-xeric
BWBSmw 101 Sw-Trailing-Step moss
common; variable texture; canopy often a mixture of Sw and Pl or Sw and At; generally on mid to upper slope; oak fern absent; red swamp currant and horsetail usually not both present
submesic-subhygric
BWBSmw 102 Pl_Kinnikinnick-Lingonberry rare; coarse FGt; canopy dominated by Pl; sparse shrub layer; Kinnikinnick present and usually greater than 10% xeric-subxeric
BWBSmw 103 SwPl-Soopolallie-Wildrye
common; most common on FG materials and warm slope; canopy dominated by Pl or Sw; often on warm slopes; fuzzy-spiked wildrye always present and often greater than 10%. Kinnikinick generally absent submesic
BWBSmw 104 Sb-Labrador tea-Step moss common and widespread, on gentle to steep cool aspects; Labrador tea or Sb present and often greater than 10%
submesic - mesic
BWBSmw 110 Sw-Oak fern-Sarsaparilla
uncommon; limited distribution, restricted to foothill area; site generally sloping and on cool aspect; western mountain ash usually present; oak fern greater than 10%
mesic - subhygric
BWBSmw 111 Sw-Currant-Horsetail
common but small in area; level sites adjacent to smaller water courses; or on gentle lower to toe slopes; or on cool lower slopes; horsetail always present and often greater than 10%; red swamp currant common
mesic - subhygric
BWBSmw 112 AcbSw-Mountain alder-dogwood fluvial mid bench sites adjacent to water courses (Fm02) hygric
BWBSmw Wb Bog wetland bog wetland hygric-subhydric
BWBSmw Ws Swamp wetland swamp wetland hygric-subhydric
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BGC Unit Site
Series Site Series Name Site Series Description
Soil Moisture
Regime
BWBSmw Wf Fen wetland fen wetland subhydric
BWBSmw Wm Marsh wetland marsh wetland subhydric
BWBSmw 101$ At-Rose-Creamy pea vine
very common, dominates upland sites; level or gently sloping; if slope > 10% then often on neutral or cool aspect; balsam poplar <10% if present
subxeric - submesic
BWBSmw 102$ At-Soopolallie-Kinnikinnick
uncommon; localized and small; steep upper slope with warm aspect; common juniper present; and kinnikinnick generally greater than 10%; soil coarse with greater than 35% CF
subxeric - submesic
BWBSmw 103$ At-Rose-Fuzzy-spiked wildrye
common, especially on hilly areas; generally level or on steeper (>10% slope) mid to upper warm slopes; fuzzy-spiked wildrye generally <4% cover submesic
BWBSmw 104$ At-Labrador tea-Lingonberry
uncommon and localized where cultural disturbance has occurred; level or on gentle lower to mid slopes; Labrador tea and/or dwarf blue >2%; fuzzy-spiked wildrye <10% and absent showy aster
submesic-subhygric
BWBSmw 110$ At-Highbush-cranberry-Oak fern
uncommon, small-patch forest; restricted to areas of past cultural disturbance; generally on cool slope; oak fern>1%; lady fern or spiny wood fern present; Soopollalie and Labrador tea absent
subhygric-mesic
BWBSmw 111$ Acb-Dogwood-Highbush-cranberry
common, small-patch forest; occurs along small water courses; level or lower to toe (<10% slope); balsam poplar and/or red-osier dogwood generally > 10%; mountain alder absent; cow parsnip and meadow rue <10% hygric
BWBSmw 112$ AcbSw-Mountain alder-Dogwood restricted to mid fluvial benches along major water courses; canopy dominated by Balsam poplar
subhygric-hygric
BWBSwk2 Ro Rock Outcrops
occurs in the forested zones where there is little soil, abundant cover of rock or bedrock, and generally low cover of vascular plants very xeric
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BGC Unit Site
Series Site Series Name Site Series Description
Soil Moisture
Regime
BWBSwk2 Gb Shrub Land
dry and rocky sites; dominated by drought tolerant woody shrubs of moderate stature (Saskatoon, rose, soopolallie, stunted At etc.) very xeric-xeric
BWBSwk2 Gg Grass Land
deep and productive soils that are excessively dry; graminoid-dominated and shrubs <10%; locally common in Peace River breaks, Grand Canyon, and the Atlin area. very xeric-xeric
BWBSwk2 101 SwBl-Huckleberry-Feathermoss common and widespread; mid or cool upper slope; Labrador tea and fuzzy-spiked wildrye not >5% if present mesic
BWBSwk2 102 Pl-Lingonberry-Reindeer lichen
rare, limited extent and localized; coarse textured soil; shallow soils; reindeer and other cladonia/cladina lichen > 1%; herb layer mostly < 20 cm in height xeric - subxeric
BWBSwk2 103 SwPl-Soopolallie-Wildrye
mid to upper slopes on warm aspects; mid to upper slopes on medium and moderately coarse soils; >5% fuzzy-spiked wildrye or Soopolallie; medium to fine texture submesic
BWBSwk2 104 Sb-Huckleberry-Lingonberry
common and extensive stands on level sites, or gentle (<10%) cool aspectslopes; slightly dry to moist sites; Labrador tea and/or Sb and/or lingonberry >5% cover.
submesic-subhygric
BWBSwk2 110 Sw-Currant-Bluebells uncommon but widespread on long slopes; slope generally <20%; common mitrewort often >1%; horsetail<5%;
mesic-subhygric
BWBSwk2 111 Sw-Currant-Horsetail
common but limited extent; flood plains of small watercourses and on longer lower to toe slopes; variable texture but often fluvial
subhygric - hygric
BWBSwk2 Wb Bog wetland bog wetland hygric-subhydric
BWBSwk2 Ws Swamp wetland swamp wetland hygric-subhydric
BWBSwk2 Wf Fen wetland fen wetland subhydric
BWBSwk2 Wm Marsh wetland marsh wetland subhydric
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BGC Unit Site
Series Site Series Name Site Series Description
Soil Moisture
Regime
BWBSwk2 101$ At-Sitka alder-Highbush-cranberry
common but restricted to areas with recent disturbance (<100 years); mid slope or level; fuzzy-spiked wildrye < 10%; Labrador tea absent mesic
BWBSwk2 102$ At-Kinnikinnick-Fuzzy-spiked wildrye
rare; limited extent, localized; crest and upper slopes on warm aspects; coarse textured soil; kinnikinnick >1%; highbush cranberry <1% Xeric-subxeric
BWBSwk2 103$ At-Rose-Fuzzy-spiked wildrye uncommon; limited extent and restricted to warm aspects; crest if not coarse soil; fuzzy-spiked wildrye >10% submesic
BWBSwk2 104$ At-Labrador tea-Lingonberry
uncommon; limited extent; localized to where cultural disturbance has occurred; gentle (<10%) cool slopes, slightly dry to moist; Sb and Labrador tea often present
submesic-subhygric
BWBSwk2 110$ At-Highbush-cranberry-Bluebells
uncommon, limited extent, and generally restricted to areas with a history of repeated fires; mid to toe slope; At dominating canopy, tall bluebells>10% and horsetail <10% subhygric
BWBSwk2 111$ AcbAt-Cow-parsnip uncommon, limited extent l; smaller water courses, lower and toe slope; horsetail>10% hygric
BWBSwk3 Ro Rock Outcrops
occurs in the forested zones where there is little soil, abundant cover of rock or bedrock, and generally low cover of vascular plants very xeric
BWBSwk3 101 SwBl-Huckleberry-Feathermoss
common, widespread and often extensive; mid slope usually on cool aspects; canopy dominated by Sw and Bl; common mitrewort present; medium to moderately fine soil
mesic-submesic
BWBSwk3 102 Pl-Crowberry-Lingonberry
rare, limited extent and localized; ridges, crest, and coarse soils; canopy often dominated by Pl; crowberry >10% and reindeer lichen >2% xeric-subxeric
BWBSwk3 103 Sb-Huckleberry-Lingonberry
common; gentle (<15%) and steeper cool aspect; level to upper slope; Sb or Pl dominated canopy; >3% Labrador tea; medium to moderately coarse textured soil
submesic-subhygric
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BGC Unit Site
Series Site Series Name Site Series Description
Soil Moisture
Regime
BWBSwk3 110 Sw-Swamp Currant-Horsetail
common but limited extent; lower to toe slope position; canopy dominated by Sw or Pl; horsetail > 5% and cow parsnip present; medium to moderately coarse soil suhygric-hygric
BWBSwk3 111 Sb-Horsetail-Stepmoss
common on lower or level and can be extensive; lower to toe slope positions often with fined textured; canopy dominated by Sb; crowberry and peatmoss present hygric
BWBSwk3 Wb Bog wetland bog wetland hygric-subhydric
BWBSwk3 Ws Swamp wetland swamp wetland hygric
BWBSwk3 Wf Fen wetland fen wetland subhydric
BWBSwk3 Wm Marsh wetland marsh wetland subhydric
ESSFmv4 Ro Rock Outcrops occurs in forested zones where there is little soil, abundant rock or bedrock, and generally low cover of vascular plants very xeric
ESSFmv4 Gb Shrub Land dry and rocky sites; dominated by drought tolerant woody shrubs (saskatoon, rose, soopolallie, stunted At etc.) very xeric-xeric
ESSFmv4 Gg Grass Land
deep and productive soil that are excessively dry; graminoid-dominated and shrubs <10%; locally common in Peace River breaks, Grand Canyon, and the Atlin area. very xeric-xeric
ESSFmv4 01 Bl - Rhododendron - Feathermoss very common and extensive; gentle slope; deep, medium- textured soil mesic
ESSFmv4 02 BlPl - Crowberry - Cladina rare and limited extent; gentle slopes and crest positions; deep, medium- textured soil; poor nutrient regime
subxeric - submesic
ESSFmv4 03 BlSb - Labrador tea gentle slope; deep, medium- textured soil; cool sites submesic - subhygric
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BGC Unit Site
Series Site Series Name Site Series Description
Soil Moisture
Regime
ESSFmv4 04 Bl - Rhododendron - Horsetail common; gentle slopes; lower slope, receiving sites; deep, medium - textured soils, imperfect soil drainage subhygric
ESSFmv4 05 Bl - Alder - Horsetail uncommon and limited extent; level to depressional sites; moisture receiving sites; deep, medium- textured soil hygric
ESSFmv4 Wb Bog wetland bog wetland hygric-subhydric
ESSFmv4 Ws Swamp wetland swamp wetland hygric
ESSFmv4 Wf Fen wetland fen wetland subhydric
ESSFmv4 Wm Marsh wetland marsh wetland subhydric
ESSFmvp4 Fr Bl-Rhododendron-Feathermoss gentle slope, deep, medium-textured soils, upper to middle slope positions mesic
ESSFmvp4 LC BlPl-Crowberry-Cladina coarse textured shallow soils, crest and upper slope positions subxeric - xeric
ESSFmvp4 FW Bl - Rhododendron – Fuzzy-spiked wildrye significant slope, warm aspect, deep, medium-textured soils submesic
ESSFmvp4 RH Bl-Rhododendron-Horsetail gentle slopes; lower slope, receiving sites; deep, medium - textured soils, imperfect soil drainage
subhygric-hygric
ESSFmvp4 FL Alpine fescue - Lichen dry meadow gentle slope, shallow, medium-textured soils xeric-subxeric
ESSFmvp4 AW Mountain-avens - Dwarf willow crest, upper slopes, shallow, coarse-textured soils subxeric - submesic
ESSFmvp4 AD Mountain arnica - Subalpine daisy meadow lower to upper gentle slopes, deep, medium textured soils
mesic - subhygric
ESSFmvp4 WA Willow - Mountain arnica meadow lower to upper slopes, gentle slopes, deep, medium textured soils
subhygric - submesic
ESSFmvp4 Sc Subalpine shrub carr cold-air drainage shrub community and subalpine dry sites; deciduous shrubs dominate
subhygric-hygric
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BGC Unit Site
Series Site Series Name Site Series Description
Soil Moisture
Regime
ESSFmvp4 Sk Krummholz conifer shrub dominated (<5m) sites sumesic-mesic
ESSFmvp4 Ss Subalpine shrub seepage and draws cold-air drainage and subalpine moist draws; deciduous shrubs often with a forb rich understory
subhygric-hygric
SWBmk Ro Rock Outcrops
occurs in the forested zones where there is little soil, abundant cover of rock or bedrock, and generally low cover of vascular plants very xeric
SWBmk Gb Shrub Land
dry and rocky sites; dominated by drought tolerant woody shrubs of moderate stature (Saskatoon, rose, soopolallie, stunted At etc.) very xeric-xeric
SWBmk Gg Grass Land
deep and productive soil that are excessively dry; graminoid-dominated and shrubs <10%; locally common in Peace River breaks, Grand Canyon, and the Atlin area. very xeric-xeric
SWBmk 01 Sw - Grey-leaved willow - Scrub birch common and well distributed; gentle slope; deep, medium-textured soils mesic
SWBmk 02 Sw - Scrub birch - Cladina significant slope, warm aspect, shallow soils over bedrock, coarse textured soil xeric - subxeric
SWBmk 03 Sw - Juniper – Fuzzy-spiked Wildrye common on warm aspect and colluvium soil; significant slope usually greater than 40% xeric - subxeric
SWBmk 04 Sw - Arctic lupine - Step moss common on warm aspects; usually less than 45% slope; deep medium-textured soils
submesic - mesic
SWBmk 05 Sw - Willow - Crowberry significant slope (20-70%), cool aspect; deep medium-textured soils, Sb or Pl dominated;
submesic - subhygric
SWBmk 06 Sw - Willow - Step moss very common; gentle slope (10-20%); warm or neutral; deep medium-textured soils subhygric
SWBmk 07 Sw - Scrub birch - Bluejoint common; significant slope, cool aspect; deep medium-textured soils
subhygric-hygric
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BGC Unit Site
Series Site Series Name Site Series Description
Soil Moisture
Regime
SWBmk 08 Sw - Shrubby cinquefoil - Horsetail common on fluvial benches; gentle slope, deep, coarse-textured soils (fluvial)
hygric - subhygric
SWBmk 09 Sw - Horsetail - Sphagnum common in depression and cool gentle toe slope, gentle slope or depression, forested wetland
hygric - subhygric
SWBmk Wb Bog wetland bog wetland hygric-subhydric
SWBmk Ws Swamp wetland swamp wetland hygric
SWBmk Wf Fen wetland fen wetland subhydric
SWBmk Wm Marsh wetland marsh wetland subhydric
SWBmks FV Bl - Sitka Valerian significant slope, cool aspect; deep, coarse-textured soils mesic - subhygric
SWBmks SW Sw - Arctic lupine - Step moss gentle slopes, deep, medium-textured soils submesic - mesic
SWBmks SL Sw - Willow - Crowberry significant slope, cool aspect, deep, medium-textured soils submesic - subhygric
SWBmks SH Sw - Horsetail gentle slope; deep, coarse-textured soils subhygric - hygric
SWBmks SK Sw - Juniper - Wildrye significant slope, warm aspect, deep, medium-textured soils subhygric - hygric
SWBmks SS Sw - Willow - Step moss gentle slopes, deep, medium-textured soils subhygric
SWBmks MA Entire-leaved white mountain-avens - Arctic lupine
significant slope, warm aspect; shallow soils over bedrock, coarse-textured soils; herb dominated community
suxeric-sumesic
SWBmks AS Entire-leaved white mountain avens - Sedges
crest slope; shallow soil over bedrock, coarse-textured; dry sites, sparsely vegetated in wind swept positions
subxeric-submesic
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BGC Unit Site
Series Site Series Name Site Series Description
Soil Moisture
Regime
SWBmks AD Mountain arnica - Subalpine daisy meadow lower to upper gentle slopes, deep, medium textured soils mesic-suhygric
SWBmks PA Cow-parsnip - Arrow-leaved groundsel, wet meadow moist herb meadow; gentle slope; deep, coarse-textured soils hygric
SWBmks Sc Subalpine shrub carr cold-air drainage shrub community and subalpine dry sites; deciduous shrubs dominate
subhygric-hygric
SWBmks Sk Krummholz conifer shrub dominated (<5m) sites submesic-mesic
SWBmks Ss Subalpine shrub seepage and draws cold-air drainage and subalpine moist draws; deciduous shrubs often with a forb rich understory
subhygric-hygric
BAFAun At Alpine tundra cold, circum-mesic sites with moderate cover vegetation of mixed composition
submesic-mesic
BAFAun Ae Wind exposed Windscoured sites with low but significant vascular cover, cryptogam/rock xeric-submesic
BAFAun Ag Alpine grassland high cover of grasslands; cold and dry condition xeric-subxeric
BAFAun Ah Alpine heath moderate snowbed areas with prominent mountain heather submesic-mesic
BAFAun Am Alpine meadow moist and seepage sites, relatively lush and productive mesic-subhygric
BAFAun Ar Alpine rock and fell field rocky areas with little or no vascular cover very xeric
BAFAun As Nivation and late snow nivation hollows and areas affected by prolonged snow cover
subhygric-hygric
BAFAun Aw Alpine wetland seeps and marsh-like flats subhydric
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2.2 Mapping of Ecological Exceptions
For a given landscape of sufficient size, such as the TSA 40, a majority of the landscape (approximately 70% to 90%) may be considered predictable within accepted accuracy standards using a well tested PEM approach. This portion of the landscape generally follows documented ecological rules or principles. The remaining portion of the landscape (10% to 30%) does not normally follow the rules or principles and is usually considered an ecological exception or exclusion. The exceptions are usually caused by either climate extremes or variations such as high precipitation, cold air accumulation, wetland, shrub carr, and/or by geomorphological extremes such as very coarse or very fine materials, shallow to bedrock areas, groundwater seepage, soil compaction, fluvial processes, or special bedrock types. Within the portions of a predictable landscape, default conditions are assumed (e.g., moderate and deep soils with medium or fine texture) and a well tested PEM approach usually provides a high degree of consistency while achieving a good level of accuracy.
For portions of the landscape that are considered ‘unpredictable’ based on current technology, information and knowledge availability, it is recommended that qualified professionals manually generate input data by using a customized approach (e.g., focused bioterrain, exceptional ecology/material mapping) based on PEM needs. This customized approach has been implemented in many large PEM projects across B.C. including the recently completed PEMs in the Bulkley TSA, Lakes and Morice TSAs by Timberline (2007, 2009). The approach is functionally a TEM process, that is to say, aerial photo or image based interpretation focused on ‘non-predictable’ portions of the land base. The ‘non-predictive’ portion of a given mapping landscape is usually considered to have a wide range of values such as sensitive/rare ecosystems, critical habitat, and other special sites.
A customized map legend for mapping the ecologically unique features and exceptions was developed for this PEM project (Table 2). There are a total of 41 classes in the map legend, encompassing almost all of the ecologically significant features and exceptions in the project area. The mapping was conducted in a digital environment, using ArcGIS to view the spatial data. Mapping was conducted by viewing digital orthophoto images on-screen in 2-D format using ArcGIS version 9.1™. Data layers such as VRI, soil, partial coverage of TEM, and BGC were projected in an ArcGIS environment to assist the mappers in identifying the unique features and exceptions.
Exception mapping polygons were initially derived from the VRI non-forested and other special site polygons. Based on the exception mapping entity list, the VRI attributes were queried and associated polygons formed the preliminary source of the feature polygons. The mapping ecologists verified and interpreted each of the derived VRI polygons and classified polygon labels using the exception mapping criteria. During the mapping process, some VRI polygons were merged and others were split or completely removed in order to meet the objectives of the exception mapping. All mapped polygons have a simple exception class label (e.g., 100% RO, 32, 43 etc.); some polygons have minor components of other exception classes, but these are not part of the label. There were a total of approximately 1.6 million ha mapped as ecological exceptions in the TSA 40, accounting for approximately one third of the total landbase. Table 3 summarizes areas of each of the mapped exception classes.
Exception mapping efforts were focused mainly on forested BGC units including BWBSmw, BWBSmk, BWBSwk2, BWBSwk3, ESSFmv4, and SWBmk. Less time was spent on the high elevation BGC units including ESSPmvp4, SWBmks, and BAFAun. Based on the ecology of alpine and parkland BGC units,
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substantially more detailed mapping, similar to a large scale TEM, would be required in order to produce reasonably accurate results. This was considered out of the project scope due to project resources and time constraints of the TSA 40 PEM. The next stage PEM process will rely more on existing data such as VRI and terrain mapping for predicting ecosystems of the high elevation BGC units.
Internal quality assurance was completed by organizing internal workshops that were attended by all mapping ecologists. Selected quality reviews were also conducted by lead ecologist and project manager, Shikun Ran. Mapping ecologists engaged in daily discussions regarding issues encountered and mapping approaches to ensure consistency of approach. A quantitative assessment of map accuracy for exception mapping will be conducted in the next phase of the PEM after photo interpretation of random locations is completed. The photo interpretation will be completed by an independent Timberline senior ecologist who was not directly involved in the mapping and who is familiar with the area to be interpreted.
As a result of the mapping, the following is a list of interim deliverables to Canfor, Fort St. John.
• Ecologically unique features and exceptions of the TSA 40 PEM area (.e00); and
• Map legend for mapping ecological unique features and exceptions (.PDF).
Timberline ecologists are continuing our effort in fine turning the mapping of the ecologically unique features and exceptions. If the funding of Phase 2 PEM is not available during the 2010-2011, Timberline will deliver the finalized copy of the mapping to Canfor as well as to MoE data warehouse.
Table 2. Map Entities for Mapping Ecologically Unique Features and Exceptions
Fields Code Description Map
Code
Deep soil (default, >100cm) 99
Shallow to bedrock, frequent bedrock exposure (<50cm) 11 Depth to bedrock
Strong bedrock controlled landform (50-100 cm, infrequent bedrock exposure) 12
Medium & moderately fine texture (default) 99
Coarse texture fluvial/glacial fluvial 21
Very coarse terrace/esker soil 22 Soil Texture
Very fine texture (heavy clay) 23
Forested wetland (Wb, Ws) 30
Non-forested wetland (Wb, Wf, Ws, Wm) 32
Riparian woods associated with wetland 33 Wetland
Known black spruce type (data sources) 34
Non-forested fluvial bench (Fl01; mountain alder-horsetail) 40
Non-forested fluvial bench (Fl03; willow-dogwood-horsetail) 41
Non-forested fluvial bench (Fl06; sandbar willow) 42
Mid-bench flood plain (Fm02; treed deciduous) 43
Flood Plain
High-bench flood plain (treed conifer and/or mixed) 44
Dry brushland (Gb51; saskatoon, prickly rose) 50
Dry grassland (Gg51, slender wheatgrass, pasture sage) 51
Herb disclimax (Xb, forb meadow) 52
Non-forested units
Wet meadow 53
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Fields Code Description Map
Code
Wet shrubland (shrub carr) 54
Avalanche chute 55
Bl-Krummholz 56
Alpine tundra (At; rock with low cover of mixed vegetation) 57
Woodland (meadow dominating with scattered trees 58
Wet seepage (subhygric) 60 Seepage (wetter
than expected) Very wet seepage (hygric) 61
Cutbank CB
Cultivated field and agriculture land CF
Cliff (Rc) CL
Exposed soil ES
Gravel pit GP
Lake LA
Pond PD
Reservoir RE
River RI
Rock outcrop (Ro) RO
Road surface RZ
Snow and ice SI
Talus (Rt) TA
Non-vegetated and
anthropogenic
units
Urban / Suburban UR
Table 3. Area Summary of Mapped Ecological Features and Exceptions
Exception Map Code Code Description Area (ha)
32 Non-forested wetland (Wb, Wf, Ws, Wm) 704,879
42 Non-forested fluvial bench (Fl06; sandbar willow) 42
50 Dry brushland (Gb51; saskatoon, prickly rose) 24,573
51 Dry grassland (Gg51, slender wheatgrass, pasture sage) 18,855
52 Herb disclimax (Xb, forb meadow) 178,478
53 Wet meadow 188,456
54 Wet shrubland (shrub carr) 288,596
56 Bl-Krummholz 1,232
57 Alpine tundra (At; rock with low cover of mixed
vegetation 20,227
58 Woodland (meadow dominating with scattered trees 43,682
ES Exposed soil 15,173
LA Lake 18,067
PD Pond 76
RE Reservoir 6
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RI River 27,947
RO Rock 40,532
SI Snow and Ice 6,567
UR Urban/Suburban 7
Total 1,577,397
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3.0 REFERENCES
DeLong, C.D. 2010. A Field Guide to Ecosystem Identification for the Boreal White and Black Spruce Zone of British Columbia- Draft. 232 pp.
Timberline Natural Resource Group. 2010. Work Plan for Predictive Ecosystem Mapping of Fort St. John Timber Supply Area (TSA). Unpublished report submitted to Canadian Forest Products Ltd. Fort St. John.
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