Functional Openings & Retention Analysis

=Abstract= More coming soon...

=Work Flow Tasks=

Task Goal
Generate integer raster (50 m cell grain/resolution) for use in SELES or GIS for Step 2 (buffer out openings into cummulative, or "functional" openings). The following values per cell are possible:
 * 9999		logging unknown date
 * 1901-2007	logging known date
 * 1		nsr assume date is 2000
 * 2		satelite 2000-2004 assume date is 2002
 * 3		satelite 2004-2006 assume date is 2006

Datasets
(1) Forest Cover

(2) The RESULTS (Reporting Silviculture Updates and Land status Tracking System) application tracks silviculture information by managing the submission of Openings, Disturbances, Silviculture activities and Obligation declarations as required by the Forest and Range Practices legislation.

Data submitted under the Electronic Submission Framework (ESF) is explicitly linked to associated spatial information, thereby ensuring consistency in the geographic information. Information is accessible at all times to Ministry and forest industry staff either on-line or through various reports. All data (including Spatial data) is replicated to the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands - Integrated Land Management Bureau's Land Resource Data Warehouse (LRDW) and can be viewed in RESULTS using MapView. Information providers may subscribe to the LRDW Distribution Service where users can order data for download from the warehouse.

(3) Landsat Satellite data layer

5. Summarize
=Background Reading=

(1) Forest Stewardship for Mountain Pine Beetle Salvage

http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfp/mountain_pine_beetle/stewardship/

The legislative requirements under the Forest and Range Practices Act and Forest Practices Code transition require that harvested cutblocks larger than the defined maximums must resemble openings caused by natural disturbance. To resemble natural disturbance, increased stand structure in the form of; tree retention, understory vegetation and coarse woody debris, is generally required. Tree retention will therefore be higher than defaults for standard size cutblocks. The increased retention will serve a variety of functions including but not limited to:


 * increased protection for riparian areas
 * maintenance of non-pine species for biodiversity, seed source and future harvest opportunities
 * protection of sensitive soils
 * increased maintenance of stand structure from either live or dead trees - with intact forest floor
 * allowing for cutblock design that more closely mimics natural disturbance.

The guidance documents at this website are provided to help agreement holders plan and implement salvage harvesting - including road building and maintenance.

(2) Retention Strategies to Maintain Habitat Structure and Wildlife Diversity during the Salvage Harvesting of Mountain Pine Beetle Attack Areas in the Southern Interior Forest Region

http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfd/Pubs/RSI/FSP/EN/RSI_EN04.htm

Extension Note - RSI 04

This document was prepared for information purposes and consideration in the development of within-stand retention practices in salvage blocks following attack by mountain pine beetle (MPB, Dendroctonus ponderosae). It outlines some stand-level practices that will help protect and maintain habitat structure and wildlife diversity during large-scale salvage harvesting. Planning for within-stand retention during salvage harvesting will help create conditions that resemble, to a reasonable extent, the spatial, temporal, and structural characteristics of natural disturbances. Some key habitat issues that may need to be considered when planning for include retaining mature forest attributes such as large live trees and snags, connectivity and isolation effects, riparian reserves and management zones, prompt access management, and maintaining heterogeneity.