Biodiversity of the Prince Rupert Forest Region


Book Description

The Prince Rupert Forest Region occupies somewhat more than one-quarter of the land area of British Columbia and encompasses a broad spectrum of physiographic and climatic units. This project identified the major known components of terrestrial biological diversity and the major information gaps, emphasizing the ecosystem and species diversity in forested areas. To produce an ecosystem synopsis, the wildlife habitat classification was correlated with the biogeoclimatic ecosystem classification to facilitate future cross-referencing. Vascular plant diversity was not specifically examined other than for rare and endangered species. Vertebrates were documented within forested subzones and variants to identify species diversity, determine habitat affinities of species of interest, and develop possible management guilds and management indicator species for forestry management. The taxonomy, abundance, and distribution of both fungi and invertebrates in the region were also investigated. Marine and freshwater species were excluded.




Biological Diversity


Book Description

One of the cornerstones of life's wonders is the vast array of species filling the planet. From plants to animals to humans, there is no shortage of beings to provide 'spice of life' variety is said to be. Periodically, scientists announce the discovery of a 'new' form of life, so it seems as if Earth is capable of producing new species just to keep us on our toes. At times, the immense breadth of living things can even feel overwhelming, as one pauses to ponder how numerically insignificant humans are when compared to the insect population. Given the biological diversity of the planet, it is incumbent upon humans to safeguard the natural beauty of the environment. To that end, conservation takes on special importance, necessitating the balancing of industrial expansion with preserving the flora and fauna surrounding us. This book is an important tool in understanding and researching the many different life forms spanning the globe. Collected here is a substantial and carefully selected listing of relevant literature on biological diversity and its conservation. Following this bibliography are author, title, and subject indexes to allow for further access to this information. The sheer bulk of the works about biological diversity can be so intimidating that a book such as this one becomes useful in sorting through the resources about the importance of life's variety.










Current Abstracts


Book Description




Conservation Biology Principles for Forested Landscapes


Book Description

This book is intended to provide information to those who wish to interact with the landbase in an ecologically sustainable manner. Practitioners charged with the administration of land-based programs in industry and government will find the information presented useful. It should also be a resource for many community groups involved in land-use decision-making. Humans continue to use forests and make decisions about land use without perfect information. Conservation Biology Principles for Forested Landscapes is intended to enable the improvement of planning and decison-making processes by providing ecological information on issues of forest use. Current approaches are not working. Where information exists on new, ecologically sustainable approaches, practitioners should switch. Where the information on a better approach is not yet available, practitioners should replace the current, inappropriate approach with a variety of flexible ones that offer the opportunity to change with new knowledge.




Establishment to Free Growing Guidebook, Prince Rupert Forest Region


Book Description

This guidebook has been prepared to help forest resource managers plan, prescribe, and implement sound forest practices that comply with the British Columbia Forest Practices Code. The information provided is to help users exercise their professional judgment in developing site-specific management strategies and prescriptions to accommodate resource management objectives in the Prince Rupert Forest Region. The first section of the guidebook covers the legislative authority, background, definitions, and procedures for species selection, stocking (including maximum density for conifers), establishment, and free growing. It also includes a listing of the relevant sections of the Code. The second section includes criteria tables for regional forest establishment and information for determination of free growing. The third section contains background and support information, forest health charts, and free growing damage standards.




Ecology and Management of Sitka Spruce


Book Description

Sitka spruce, the largest of the world's spruces, is an important component of British Columbia's coastal forests. Its ecology gives it a special place in the sustainable management of the province's forests. However, in west coast forestry it is poorly known in comparison with its main coniferous companions -- Douglas-fir, western redcedar, and western hemlock. As an important international forestry resource, it is crucial that Sitka spruce -- its ecology and the ecosystems in which it occurs -- be clearly understood by those who are involved with its management.




The Biodiversity Atlas of British Columbia


Book Description

With sixty descriptive maps and accompanying text, The Biodiversity Atlas of British Columbia provides a broad overview of the province?s range of terrestrial and freshwater biological diversity. Bringing together data from numerous sources summarized in map form, the Atlas provides a window to B.C.?s diverse ecosystems, the species that live in them, and the elements of British Columbia?s biodiversity that make it globally significant. The Atlas also presents a visual perspective of a number of human-induced threats, including climate change, affecting biodiversity in B.C. today. The Atlas is designed to serve as a companion document to Taking Nature?s Pulse: The Status of Biodiversity in British Columbia ? a comprehensive scientific assessment of biodiversity in the province. Both the Atlas and Taking Nature?s Pulse are projects of Biodiversity BC, a partnership of conservation groups and government agencies.




Forest Biodiversity Research, Monitoring and Modeling


Book Description

Recent advances in the use of permanent plots for monitorin forest biodiversity in the Old World. The theoretical framework behind plot-based monitoring and a description of how plot-based results have been put to a variety of uses, such as defining the number of trees to be sampled in smaller plots, monitoring climatic change, ground-truthing satellite imagery to map paterns and developing new analytical techniques for assessing patterns of diversity. A final section outlines some of the monitoring programmes and networks currently in place in Europe.