Resource management plan
Site Class, Age Class and Tree Species Profile
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- Species
- Timber Supply Issues
- Quality
- Incremental Silviculture History
Site Class, Age Class and Tree Species ProfileTable 2.04a Site Class
In general, eastern portions of the TSA are dominated by younger, predominantly good and medium site Douglas-Fir stands. Western portions contain predominantly older, poor site, western red cedar and western hemlock stands. Table 2.04b shows age class distribution by percentage. Table 2.04b Age Class Distribution
Table 2.04c Tree Species Profile
As previously mentioned the current AAC of 400,000 m3 is predicted to fall by 30% to 277,000 m3 in 50 years. A number of issues will affect the AAC over the next few decades including more demand for parks and reserve areas as well as: (i) Forest Policy
(ii) Biodiversity and Habitat Supply
(iii) Forest Health
As the conversion to second growth harvesting takes place, timber quality will decline. Premium log content is expected to decline to slightly more than half of todays levels within 50 years.
Incremental silviculture is a general strategy to mitigate constraining factors on timber supply within the Arrowsmith TSA. Currently, spacing of stands over 1600 sph, backlog brushing, and fertilization of poor and medium site index, commercially thinned Douglas-fir stands, are all part of the timber supply review process. Juvenile spacing increases sawlog diameters, therefore making stands reach a merchantable size at an earlier age. It also makes the use of commercial thinning and alternate silvicultural systems a possibility. Commercial thinning, alternate silvicultural systems and the use of Wildlife Tree Patches (WTP’s) will be a necessary part of harvesting, as the move to certification takes place. Pruning is essential to maintaining a premium log content within the timber profile. Pruning will become increasingly critical as the conversion to second growth and smaller diameter sawlogs takes place.
Juvenile spacing and fertilization began, on a large scale, in the 1980’s under FRDA (Forest Resource Development Agreement). It continued into the early 1990’s under FRDA II, when the program began to include pruning. Many stands treated 15-20 years ago have been (or are planned for) commercial thinning under the SBFEP program. Without these treatments, commercial thinning would not be possible. In 1995, FRBC picked up where FRDA left off. As opportunities to space and prune East Coast Douglas Fir stands were used up, the FRBC funded program switched to spacing and pruning on high density western hemlock stands. In 1997 the Ministry Outstanding and Backlog Reforestation Programs where picked up by FRBC. A down turn in FRBC revenues required a reduction in budgets which has resulted in a reduction of incremental treatments from 1109 ha in 1995 to 52 ha in 1999 well below historical levels for the TSA. See figure 4.01. Table 4.01 FRDA II and FRBC Funded Silviculture Activities, Arrowsmith TSA, 1990-1999.
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