For a seedling being
planted in an area most often
described as “severe” and
“harsh," prospects —- for
survival aren't good. For the
silviculturalist trying to create
a successful regeneration plan
for seedling, inadequate
information on environmental
and sile conditions can render
the task next to impossible.

The area in question is the

Engelmann Spruce-Subapline
Fir (ESSF). biogeoclimatic
zone, which includes most of
the high elevation forests
within the interior of B.C, In
north-central British

‘Columbia, ESSF zones: are

associated with the Hazelton,
Skeena, Omineca, Rocky and
Columbia Mountain Ranges,
as well as some higher
elevation portions of the
Interior Plateau, most notably
the Quesnel Highlands.

As the name implics. The
ESSF zone is dominated by
stands of Engelmann spruce
and subalpine fir. The trees
survive in a continental
climate characterized by
long, cold, snowy winters and
short, cool summers. The

snow-free period, particularly

higher elevations and on
north aspects, can be as little
as 110 days. Terrain is
rugged, with steep-sided U-
shaped valleys and jagged
peaks; = a

‘The ESSF zone presents a
challenge as a mountainous
region because its climate
and thermal regimes can vary
dramatically.” Local
variations in site conditions
are also.catsed by slope and
slope position, — elevation,
aspect, soil characteristics
and vegetation ~~ cover.
Environmental, factors
affecting seedling survival
include temperature (soil and
air), frost, vegelative
contributions to. snow. press
and the stabilization of soils
onsicep slopes.

‘Until the  mid-1980s,
logging in subalpine stands in
the Prince George, Prince
Rupert and Cariboo Forest
Regions was sporadic, and no
clear reforestation trends had
been established. As forestry
operations moved into
subalpine regions,
reforestation became more
difficult and often
unsuccessful because site
conditions were different

Steel Toed
Matterhorns...........

Red Strap
Jeans...

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"i

(Guntia

from those al lower
elevations. Although
research on the ESSF zone
had been carried out, there
was no readily accessible
summary for practicing
silviculturalists.

Craig Farnden, forester and

silviculturist for the Canadian

_Forest . Service _ in. : Prince

George, « had ‘been a
consultant for six years at the

time.""When' 1 was preparing ”

preharvest prescriptions (for
subalpine forest areas) there
was so much information that
1 neéded,. but didn't have,"
said Farnden. The missing
data, such as air ‘and - soil
temperatures, impacts of
competing vegetation and
snow. at elevations, was
necessary to answer the
question: What ‘are the
crifical factors 1 should be
considering?

So Farnden reviewed the
available — literature = an
subalpine silviculture practice
and - augmented it . with
observations made during
field tours of the high-
elevations operations of 16
licensees within the Prince
George, “Prince Rupert
Cariboo Forest Regions in the

NORTHWEST FORESTRY DIGEST - JANUARY 1997-— PAGE 19

Reasearchers work to regenerate
B.C.’s northern forests

summer of 1992. He
compiled this information in
Forest Regeneration in the
ESSF Zone of North-Central
British ~“Columbis. © The
report highlights the current
- knowledge of environmental
conditions in. this region,
their effecis on tree survival

and: growth, some of the.

forest practices that can be
used) to modify adverse
conditions, and: the silvical
characteristics of - affected

iree species.
Fach "of these
environmental ~ conditions

interacts. with the  olhers
affects the selection of
culling and reforestation
methods. "The key is to be
aware of the environment
when making a prescription,”
said Farnden. "By doing so,
when you treat for one
environmental factor you can
ensure you won't be creating
an adverse effect on another."
By identifying the
environmental conditions in
subalpine. forests and the
changes in those conditions
when forests are harvested,
practicing _silviculturaiists
will help minimize problems
with regeneration.

- British Columbia forest
firefighters are going to have
a new, electronic. weapon on
their side this fire season. The
Wildfire Ignition Probability
Predictor - (WIPP) is a
computer application
developed by . Canadian
Forest. Service researchers
that enables fire managers to
predict, on an hourly or daily
basis, the ignition probability
of a person-caused, self-
sustaining wildfire in three
kinds of typical B.C. forest.

By simply punching into
WIPP ithe time of day, forest
type and a few figures
obtained from a local’ fire
weather station, a fire
Manager can assess the
wildfire potential in a given

area, position their fire crew
accordingly, and save both

THIS SUMMER, A
FIREFIGHTER’S
MOST HELPFUL
TOO MAY BE A

COMPUTER

lime and money. "There are
ether fire danger rating and
fire. behaviour. predication
models," said Bruce Lawson,
recently. retired CFS head of
the -Victoria-based~. Fire
Management Program, “but
this one is specifically geared
to. predicting — sustained
ignition probability in several
B.C. forest types."

People cause about half of
the forest fires in B.C.,
through careless use of
matches, campfires,
cigarettes, and such industrial
activates as logging, road
construction and ~— land
clearing. “We hope WIPP
will help reduce these losses
by telling us more accurately
when and where the danger
zones will be from day to
day,” Lawson said.

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