Biodiversity

Biodiversity is the diversity of plants, animals, and other living organisms in all their forms and levels of organization, and includes the diversity of genes, species, and ecosystems, as well as the evolutionary and functional processes that link them.

The impact of forest management practices and other human development activities on many species is not fully understood. Actions, which benefit one species, can be detrimental to another.

The recommended approach to manage ecosystem diversity is to maintain ecosystem representation and integrity. This approach, commonly referred to as ecosystem management, is designed to provide suitable habitat conditions for all native species over their historical range through time. The Forest Practices Code (FPC) Biodiversity Guidebook (BG) in conjunction with the Regional Biodiversity Conservation Strategy (RBCS) provides guidance on objectives for forest ecosystem diversity. The ecosystem based approach rests on the principle of managing to mimic natural disturbance such as fire, wind, insects, and disease while considering other values. The more that managed forests resemble the forests that were established from natural disturbances, the greater the probability that all native species and ecological processes will be maintained.

The Cariboo Chilcotin Land Use Plan (CCLUP) and the Forest Practices Code (FPC) provide guidance on the conservation of Biological Diversity. A key component of the SC Plan is to integrate the direction provided in the FPC and the CCLUP, to provide decision-makers with recommendations on how this area should be managed. Through the application of the FPC Biodiversity Guidebook and the specific direction in the CCLUP regarding this zone, recommendations have been made. To draft landscape units and biodiversity emphasis options, the District Manager, Williams Lake Forest District has used the Regional Biodiversity Conservation Strategy (RBCS) and direction from the Chief Forester. The SC plan has also used this information for the analytical basis for biodiversity objectives. Based on our analysis there is a shortfall of identified Old Growth Management Areas (OGMA) indicated in the Dash landscape unit. This shortfall will be addressed within the Gaspard Enhanced Resource Development Zone portion of the landscape unit.

The concept of management of overlap is very substantive for biodiversity conservation. For example: many of the aspects of grizzly bear and furbearer management are taken care of through the biodiversity targets with some stand level modification. Areas managed to protect mule deer winter range may contribute to mature forest targets, view shed protection, forest ecosystem networks, timber availability, and recreation opportunities. These areas of overlap have been used to the greatest extent possible without compromising the objectives for any specific resource value.

Issues and Goals:

The goal of the biodiversity objectives listed in the SC Plan is not to maintain all elements of biodiversity on every hectare, but to minimize risk to native organisms by maintaining suitable habitat for all native species, over their historic range, in appropriate size, through time.

A fundamental premise for maintaining biological diversity is to implement strategies at both the landscape and stand level. There is a linkage between how much retention of stand structure is required at the stand level and how much should be retained at the landscape level (Biodiversity Guidebook). Wildlife Tree Patches (WTPs) are the tools for retention of this stand structure. The SC Plan recognizes this need and developed objectives and strategies to ensure this vital component is properly managed.

It is recognized that the percentage of Wildlife Tree Patch requirements will not be fixed either through time or by Landscape Unit. Statutory Decision Makers (SDM) have identified their expectations for this area in terms of WTP percentage retention and these are noted in Appendix VIII. The SC planning group recognized that over the long term these percentages would decrease after Landscape Unit objectives are set. Therefore, for modeling purposes, the percentage of WTP required is less than current direction.

Global warming and climate change is happening and it is a challenge the entire world is facing. History has taught us that mankind is at it best when it’s most needed. This does not mean, however, that we should sit back and wait until everything solves itself. Instead, we should get up, study the problem, think of possible solutions and come up with a well designed plan.

A New Climate for Conservation Nature, Carbon and Climate Change in British Columbia is an example of this kind of initiative. In this study, researchers present key recommendations on how to address climate change and changes in biodiversity. The paper first discusses the importance of British Columbia's biodiversity, the current condition of the climate state, its impact on B.C.'s biological diversity, future ecosystem, species and genetic responses, and finally resilience and ecological adaptation. The study continues with an overview of the natural capital and the ecosystem services, the role of ecosystems in climate change, the changing policy in forest and carbon mitigation in British Columbia, the emerging research into forest and carbon dynamics and the current forest and carbon mitigation pilots.

Based on their study, the researchers have come up with 6 key recommendations. First of all, it is important to make sure that the nature conservation strategies and the climate action strategies will become integrated. The second recommendation that they put forward is that the core protected areas should be broadened into a climate conservation network. Besides covering more ground, it is important that new tools, legislation and incentives will be introduced. Because of it significance, the researchers focus on one specific incentive as a separate recommendation: provide incentives for stewardship in every sector. Basically, this means getting everyone involved in every possible area. The fifth recommendation that the researchers put forward is that British Columbia should take the lead on carbon and biodiversity valuation because British Columbia is well positioned at the institutional, legal, social, ecological and economic levels to take advantage of the emerging economy of natural carbon sequestration. Finally, it is recommended that the principle that humans are part of nature and that our survival is intertwined with nature's survival will be established.

Studying global warming and climate change and the effects they have on biodiversity is important. In order to do this well, all the variables and their connections should be thoroughly investigated. Once this is done, a clear and global plan can be designed to address the challenges we are facing.

Source: A New Climate for Conservation Nature, Carbon and Climate Change in British Columbia

Objectives	Management Direction/Strategy	Measures of Success/Targets	Intent
1. Maintain ecological processes and related biodiversity within the plan area.	1.1 Apply seral representation guidelines and stand level objectives as recommended by the Biodiversity Guidebook, Biodiversity Conservation Strategy, and Integration Report (see Appendix IX)
	1.2 Recommend that Statutory Decision Makers (SDM) consider establishing OGMAs consistent with the impact and assumptions of Scenario 5 final. Recommend that use of the draft OGMA (see map 4, Appendix III) as the basis for discussions and, that OGMAs be established by the SDM as soon as possible.
	1.3 Establish landscape unit boundaries and biodiversity emphasis as recommended by the RBCS and the Integration Report.
	1.4 Where required, establish Forest Ecosystem Networks through landscape unit planning.
	1.5 Ensure that species at risk are identified and provided protection.
	1.6 Establish OGMA to meet old requirement in montane spruce subzone of the Gaspard ERDZ portion within the SC Plan area.
2. To maintain or restore, in managed stands, important structural attributes such as wildlife trees (including standing dead and dying trees), coarse woody debris, tree species diversity, and understorey vegetation.	2.1 Apply the requirement for WTP as directed by the SDM at the individual cutblock or at the cutting permit level.
	2.2 WTP should be composed of trees that represent the size, structure and species found in the mature and/or old component of the stand, and should include the upper 10% of the diameter distribution to over represent the stand’s highest value wildlife trees, as described in the Biodiversity Guidebook.
	2.3 WTP should follow natural boundaries where possible.
	2.4 Design of WTP should incorporate windfirm attributes to avoid unnecessary windthrow within WTP. Straight edges and rectangular shapes should be avoided.
	2.5 Riparian reserves and other suitable reserve areas that are within or immediately adjacent to the cutting boundary should be utilized for WTP.
	2.6 The 500- metre maximum distance between WTP and suitable habitat should be adhered to unless there are overriding resource management concerns. Only WTP greater than 2 hectares are considered sufficient to address the 500-metre maximum guideline.
	2.7 75% of all WTP identified within the area of the SC Plan will be at least 2 hectares in size as modeled in Scenario 5 Final. The minimum width to meet this requirement is 100 metres.
	2.8 Consult other strategies such as Grizzly Bear, Moose, and Visual Management for additional information on WTP placement.
	2.9 WTP should be located outside the right-of-way due to the Workers’ Compensation Board requirement to fall snags adjacent to logging roads.
	2.10 District Habitat Protection staff should be consulted during development of Wildlife Tree Patch proposals, only when the proposal varies from these objectives or where there are identified concerns.