Transcript Guide_to_Developing_Stocking_Standards

Guide to Developing FDP Stocking Standards
Forest Practices Branch
B.C. Ministry of Forests
December 2002
Objectives
• Describe the process for amending the FDP
to include stocking standards.
• Describe the content requirements for the
stocking standards.
• Describe the link to the site plan.
Requirement for Stocking Standards in the FDP
A person required to prepare the FDP for the
area under a Site Plan must ensure that the
FDP contains the stocking standards
(Operational & Site Planning Reg 18.1(2) &
18.2 ) required for the Site Plan
• The Operational & Site Planning Regulation lists
stocking standard requirements for even-aged ,
uneven-aged and areas without regeneration
objectives
• Amendments to the FDP for stocking standards are
exempt from the notice, review & comments
provisions
Steps in Developing FDP Stocking Standards
• Prior to harvest a site plan is required
unless a silviculture prescription is in effect
for the area
• A Site Plan cannot be prepared until FDP is
amended and to include stocking standards
and those standards are approved
• Submit FDP amendment for stocking
standards on an FS 789 or equivalent
Steps in Developing FDP Stocking Standards
- continued
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A complete set of stocking standards:
is not required at the start
can be built up over time
will be an integral component of the future
Forest Stewardship Plan
In the short term, amendment submissions
may be required to establish approved stocking
standards for specific cutblocks.
Steps in Developing FDP Stocking Standards
(cont’d.)
FDP amendments for stocking standards
may be made for
• individual cutblocks
• groups of cutblocks
• the entire FDP
Steps in Developing FDP Stocking Standards
- continued
• Stocking standards can be developed
that apply to more than 1 licence area.
For example: standards can be developed
collaboratively at the TSA level
•Different standards can be developed for
the same site series. For example: minimum
stocking standards (MSS) or minimum inter-tree
distance (MITD) may be different for a given site series
on colluvial slopes
Back to slide 4
Forest Development Plan Stocking Standards
FS789
• The FS789 is an optional format for stocking
standards
• The FS789 is a Shana electronic form
• This form has some built in functionality to
streamline the approval of stocking standards
• The software to use the form is available free of
charge
• To access the FS789 form and to obtain information
on Shana forms go to the following web address
http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/isb/forms/lib/stubs/fs789info.htm
A FDP will have an applicable set of stocking
standards
FDP standards are developed by RPF .
DM reviews and if approved assigns a unique ID number
Detail of stocking standards
When approving stocking standards the district
manager should choose from the following applicable
set of numbers
District
Stocking Standards ID Numbers
District
Stocking Standards ID Numbers
DAR
DBC
DBO
DCB
DCH
DCK
DCL
DCO
DCR
DDC
DFN
DHO
DIN
DJA
DJO
DKA
DKI
DKL
DKM
DLA
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
11000
12000
13000
14000
15000
16000
17000
18000
19000
20000
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
1999
2999
3999
4999
5999
6999
7999
8999
9999
10999
11999
12999
13999
14999
15999
16999
17999
18999
19999
20999
DLI
DMC
DME
DMH
DMK
DMO
DNC
DPE
DPG
DPM
DQC
DQU
DRV
DSA
DSC
DSI
DSQ
DVA
DVE
DWL
21000
22000
23000
24000
25000
26000
27000
28000
29000
30000
31000
32000
33000
34000
35000
36000
37000
38000
39000
40000
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
21999
22999
23999
24999
25999
26999
27999
28999
29999
30999
31999
32999
33999
34999
35999
36999
37999
38999
39999
40999
Assigning Standards ID Numbers
cont’d.
• The district manager assigns one ID number to each set of
stocking standards
• The district manager may want to allocate a set of numbers to
each licensee. For example: Weyco 30100-30200
• A set of stocking standards may apply to one ecosystem or to
more than one ecosystem
• There may be more than one set of standards for each
ecosystem or group of ecosystems. This can allow for
alternate standards where site conditions require different
management. For example: forest health, visual, etc.
• The preferred and acceptable species may have conditions
attached to their use. For example: not to comprise more than
20% of the well spaced trees within the standards unit SU
SITE PLAN STOCKING
STANDARDS
For each standards unit a
forester assigns the ID
number of the appropriate
stocking standards for the
unit from the FDP
Stocking Standards - Even / Uneven Aged Stands
Stocking standards is a generic term . For areas to be
managed as even or uneven aged stands it includes:
• Stocking requirements as defined in Operational & Site
Planning Regulation sec 18.1
• Regeneration Date
•Earliest Free Growing Assessment Date
•Free Growing Date
Stocking Requirements : Even -Aged Stands
• Preferred & acceptable species
• Minimum height
• Minimum allowable horizontal
distance
• Required height of the
tree relative to competing
vegetation in a 1 metre
radius
• Minimum stocking standard
(MSS) for preferred & acceptable
• MSS for preferred
• Maximum density
• Maximum & minimum density
post spacing
• Other performance
standards
• Minimum leave tree
characteristics including
form, health, vigour
Stocking Requirements : Uneven-Aged Stands
• Leave tree standards for each layer of trees to be retained
• Preferred & acceptable species to be retained
• Minimum basal area & or minimum density
• Minimum leave tree characteristics including form / health
/ vigour
• Applicable regeneration standards
• Other performance standards necessary to produce and
measure achievement of free growing
Stocking Standards for Areas Without
Regeneration Objectives
• Preferred & acceptable species to be retained
• Minimum basal area or minimum density to be retained
•Minimum leave tree characteristics including form, health
and vigour
Selection of Preferred & Acceptable Species
The selection of preferred & acceptable species must be
consistent with :
• any higher level plan for the area
• establishing a healthy ecological stand
• commercially valuable
• consistent with current & future timber supply
In general, preferred and acceptable species are selected
from the primary and secondary species lists. In some
cases, tertiary species also could be preferred
Selection of Preferred & Acceptable Species
- continued
Primary, secondary, and tertiary species were
determined on the basis of a species’ productivity,
reliability, and silvicultural feasibility based on:
• current knowledge of the productive capability of each
site series (updated in 2000 to reflect SIBEC)
•the silvics of the tree species
• the growth and development of existing second
growth forests
Selection of Preferred & Acceptable
- continued
Primary species:
•are ecologically acceptable
•have a high rating for silvicultural feasibility, reliability, and
productivity under the average conditions for a site series.
•can be managed as a major component in a stand if the
restrictions have been adequately addressed.
Primary species are not by default the preferred species. Species from any of the
three categories can be chosen as preferred, if the species meets the identified
management objectives and if restrictions can be dealt with through treatments.
Selection of Preferred & Acceptable
- continued
Secondary species:
• are ecologically acceptable
•rank lower than primary species for one or more of
silvicultural feasibility, reliability, or productivity.
Depending on the nature and extent of these
limitations, secondary species can be managed as
either a major or a minor component in a stand.
Selection of Preferred & Acceptable
- continued
Tertiary species
• are ecologically acceptable
• rank lower than primary or secondary species for one
or more of silvicultural feasibility, reliability, or
productivity.
Depending on the nature of their limitations, on local
conditions, and on management objectives, tertiary
species are normally suitable only as a minor
component within a stand. For example, tertiary
species can be used as a minor component of all
stands within an area.
Selection of Preferred & Acceptable Species cont’d
Preferred Species:
• Management activities
are primarily aimed at
establishing these
species.
• The characteristics of
these species are
consistent with the
desired timber and nontimber objectives for the
site.
Acceptable species:
•
Management activities
are not aimed at
establishment
• There may be a higherthan-acceptable site
limitation, such as pest
risk, or a lower
productivity than the
preferred species.
• Special restrictions or
limitations may apply to
their use
Selection of Preferred & Acceptable Species
- continued
In determining the appropriate preferred and
acceptable species, review the recommended species
options for the site. Consider:
• the desired stand structure
• the timber & non-timber objectives for the area
• the potential for natural regeneration
• the role of advance regeneration
Selection of Preferred & Acceptable Species
- continued
• the hazards, such as pests, likely to affect the stand
throughout the rotation
• the feasibility of the treatments required to establish
the stand under existing management constraints
• the effect of the species or combination of species on
the site
•the maintenance of biodiversity
Species Selection & landscape level objectives
Several methods may be adopted in order to address
landscape level objectives on a site-specific basis.
Selecting a single species only for the minimum
stocking standard preferred (MSSp) or selecting a
minimum stocking standard for a species are both
legitimate strategies in the right context.
Broadleaf Species
Broadleaf species should not be listed as preferred or
acceptable where the objectives for broadleaf
establishment or retention are:
 to provide a nurse crop,
 promote nutrient cycling, or
 for general biodiversity objectives.
It is anticipated that these objectives will be achieved
through the free growing guidelines, which allow for a
broadleaf component, but at a stocking level where the
projected impact on conifer crop tree growth is
acceptable
Broadleaf Species
Broadleaf species should only be listed as preferred or acceptable
if deemed acceptable as a new forest crop as either pure
broadleaf or mixedwood stands on the basis of:
• Broadleaf species are currently or will be included in the
estimation of volume contributing to a management unit’s timber
supply
• Long term management objectives set out in a forest
development plan (or in some instances a land use plan)
• Consistent with an explicit strategy that provides stated
management objectives for broadleaves. These strategies should
incorporate careful analysis of growth and yield implications and
set out viable silviculture regimes that will achieve the
management objectives
Broadleaf Species cont’d.
Broadleaf species should only be listed as preferred or
acceptable if deemed acceptable as a new forest crop as either
pure broadleaf or mixedwood stands on the basis of:
• A short-rotation interim crop to manage for root rot centres. The
use of hardwood cropping for this purpose is currently considered
an operational trial and is not recommended for widespread use at
this time
• Submission of FDP amendments listing broadleaf species as
preferred may be appropriate where operational trials are to be
established to manage for mixedwood or broadleaf stands (e.g.,
for enhanced production of high quality wood such as birch
veneer)
Well Spaced
The provincial stocking standard guidelines were
developed on the assumption of a 2 m minimum intertree spacing.
While a 2 m minimum inter-tree spacing is suitable for
most sites, a reduced inter-tree spacing may be
appropriate for sites where plantable spots are limited
by site characteristics, a site condition, or where
clumpy stem distribution is a normal and desirable
stand characteristic.
Examples of situations where a reduced minimum
inter-tree spacing may be appropriate
• hygric or wetter sites
• very rocky sites
• very harsh sites where
protected microsites are
critical (e.g., shade, snow
creep)
• areas with a high potential
for cattle congregation
• sites with a significant
number of large wildlife trees
(e.g., 50 uniformly distributed
trees/ha)
• riparian areas with a high
residual component
• sites where a stump
avoidance strategy is
employed to manage root rot
• cluster planting (e.g., grizzly
bear habitat)
• partial cut areas with an
abundance of residual
regeneration.