Forest Co-op. op Growth & Yield Science Unit Permanent Growth Plot Program. Ken Lennon September 23, 2009

Transcription

1 Forest Co-op op Growth & Yield Science Unit Permanent Growth Plot Program Ken Lennon September 23,

2 Forest Co-op op Growth & Yield Science Unit 2

3 Brief History of the Forest Co-op GYSU Forest Co-op GYSU originated in 1999 Forest Co-op members created a forum for practitioners and science delivery teams with an interest in growth & yield to collaborate and collectively pool their resources to develop practical, applied ideas and solutions to their knowledge needs Mandate to facilitate and standardize both the collection of data and the development of estimation tools that provide the means to accurately portray the G&Y of commercial forests Promote stable growth and yield science programs, partnerships and knowledge transfer Create a partnership to leverage funds for G&Y work Meet twice a year (spring and fall) to discuss and evaluate on-going programs, to set priorities, and to design and participate in the development of implementation plans 3

4 Partner Organizations Abitibi-Bowater Inc. Buchanan Forest Products Ltd. Confederation College of Applied Arts & Technology Domtar Inc. Forintek Canada Corp. Forest Research Partnership Lake Abitibi Model Forest Natural Resources Canada (CFS & CWFC) Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Tembec Industries Inc. University of Guelph Wagner Ontario Forest Management Ltd. Weyerhaeuser Company Ltd. 4

5 Science Delivery Teams Chris Lyons Collège Boréal Forest Analysis Ltd. Forest Research Partnership Neave Resource Management Spatialworks Sumac Forest Information Services Ltd. Timberline Natural Resource Group Ltd. Timber Craft Consultation Inc. 5

6 Forest Co-op PGP Program Permanent Growth Plot (PGP) program established as the cornerstone of the Forest Co-op GYSU Existing provincial Permanent Sample Plot (PSP) program Large plots, high establishment and re-measurement costs Lack of stable funding resulting in delay of re-measurement GYSU members developed a plot program that would complement the provincial PSP program PGP concept: a plot that could be established or remeasured in one day, yet provided the information that was required to track the growth and yield of commercial stands Forest Co-op Field Manual for the Location & Measurement of Permanent Growth Plots ensures a consistent standard for plot establishment and remeasurement 6

7 Forest Co-op PGP Network Inaugural year PGPs established ~2,700 total plots established since 1999 Broad range of forest conditions across the Boreal and Great Lakes-St. Lawrence forest regions Plot establishment focuses on known gaps in plot matrix (species, age, development stage, productivity, management intensity, etc.) Five year re-measurement cycle ~2,200 plots have been re-measured to date first 80 plots had their third measurement in 2009 In 2009, 360 Boreal and 22 South Central plots re-measured 7

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9 Additional PGPs ~ 1,100 additional plots have been established through related Forest Coop projects, such as: Logging Damage (145 estab, 20 rem) Prescribed Burn (240) Shallow Soils (ES11/12) (96) NEBIE (640) ~ 400 additional plots from various historical plot networks upgraded and re-measured to PGP standards AmCan (15) Beckwith & Roebbelen (64) Kimberly-Clark Historic (108) Mando CFI (27) MNR PSP (192) 3 PGPs per plot ~ 3,700 plots and ~6,300 measures (and growing!) 9

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11 Forest Co-op PGP Program Since 1999, approx. $5,000,000 has been invested into the Forest Co-op PGP program Does not include the value of in-kind contributions from the partners Substantial in-kind contributions from industry partners One-third of the total $ comes from leveraging opportunities through the Forest Co-op GYSU, such as: Living Legacy Trust Forestry Futures Trust Enhanced Forest Productivity Science Program Forest Co-op 10 th Anniversary Fund 11

12 Plot Comparison Provincial Permanent Sample Plot (PSP) circular plot 45.14m mortality plot (0.64 ha) 3 Permanent Growth Plots (PGP) 11.28m circular plot (0.04ha) 3 Vegetation plots 2.82m (25 m 2 ) 27 Stocking plots 1.13m (4 m 2 ) 3 Down Woody Debris lines at 45.14m each 5 days to establish plot; 3 days to re-measure plot Forest Co-op Permanent Growth Plot (PGP) Same as PSP PGP (0.04 ha) 1 Forest Ecosystem Classification (FEC) plot 5.64m (0.01 ha) 1 Regeneration plot (same as Vegetation plot) 2 Down Woody Debris lines at 30.0m each 1 day to establish plot; less than 1 day to re-measure plot 12

13 PGP Layout Note: diagram not to scale 13

14 Data Collection Standardized PGP protocol and manual for plot establishment and data collection Plot information Location Vegetation classification Soils information (auger) Ecosite classification Plot photographs Stand history (natural disturbance, silvicultural treatments) 14

15 Data Collection Tree information Species Origin Status Diameter breast height Crown class, or decay class Tree deformities Heights (sub-sample) Ages (sub-sample not in plot) Stand structure Regeneration Down woody debris 15

16 Data Management All data housed at Forest Co-op office in Thunder Bay Library of original plot tally forms All paper tallies scanned into electronic format (pdf files) and stored electronically All data entered into series of MS Access relational databases using consistent structure and format Data accuracy and integrity ensured by numerous logic checks and business rules incorporated in the data entry tool Data compiler and reporting tool developed to help members extract value from the database Calculate tree, plot and stand level statistics (i.e. species composition, Dbhq, BA, volume, tree & snag density) OMNR provincial G&Y program supplied with updated copy of data annually 16

17 Data Usage PGP Protocol Forest Co-op Shallow Soils Project Forest Co-op Shoreline Forestry Project Forest Co-op Growth & Yield Historic Plot Project Forest Co-op Prescribed Burn Project Lowland Rutting Site Study (Forest Renewal Co-op) Forest Co-op NEBIE Boreal Project Logging Damage, Yellow Birch PCT and Commercial Thinning studies (Forest Research Partnership) Realized gain trials (Forest Genetics Ontario) Forest By-Products Research project (Nipissing University) Intensive Silviculture and Competition Theory project (Lakehead University) 17

18 Data Usage PGP Data Forest Co-op NW Yield Curves Project (MNR) G&Y support for Whitefeather Forest Environmental Assessment (MNR) FVS Ontario Forest Vegetation Simulator for Ontario (MNR) Development of yield curves for Forest Management Plans in NW Ontario Benchmark Yield Curves for NE Ontario (FRP) LiDAR Enhanced Inventory Project (FRP) SSDMM Structural Stand Density Management Models and diameter distribution modeling (CWFC) IVY stand dynamics model (CWFC) Ontario forest carbon budget models (Lakehead U, OFRI) Height-diameter equations for boreal tree species in Ontario (OFRI) Multi-cohort forest management in NE Ontario (U of Toronto) Commercial thinning impacts (CNFER) 18

19 Data Usage PGP Products Forest Co-op Data Entry Tool (Timberline) Forest Co-op Timber Volume Software (Spatialworks) Forest Co-op PGP Compiler and Summary Tool (Timberline) Forest Co-op Resource Plot Viewer (MNR) Forest Co-op MOSSY Modeling Ontario s Stand Succession and Yield (FRP/MNR) Forest Co-op Growth Intercept Model (FRP/Lakehead U) Structural Stand Density Management Model (FRP/CWFC) in development 19

20 Data Requests Data Usage Forest Co-op GYSU members have free access to data Interest of broader research community wanting to use the value added nature of the database External use of data requires submission of a Forest Co-op Data Sharing Application form Project proponent, objectives, description, design & methodology; project deliverables & timelines; use of project results Benefit of project to Forest Co-op & GYSU; knowledge transfer Specific data requirements Application reviewed and approved by Forest Co-op GYSU members New partners are welcome to use our data 20

21 Forest Co-op PGP Program Future Challenges Internal funding less $ available from partners Fewer industry partners + fiscal restraint Fiscal restraint by government partners External funding less $ available for leveraging Fewer research-related funds (no LLT, FFT, EFPSP $) Operational issues access, skilled field technicians Opportunities Research $ available for forest biofibre, climate change, Far North, Species at Risk (i.e. caribou) GYSU 10-year review of PGP program and strategic direction planning in November 21

22 Forest Ecosystem Science Co-operative operative Inc. op.ca/projects.htm Dave Wood, Project Coordinator (807) Forest Co-op op GYSU Meeting September 29, 2009 Forest Co-op op Science Day September 30, 2009 Sault Ste. Marie, ON 22