Landscape-level Ecological Tree Species Benchmarks Pilot Project

The landscape-level ecological tree species benchmarks pilot project was initiated in 2012 as the next phase of the landscape-level species strategy project (Mah et al. 2012) in support of the Chief Foresters Future Forest Ecosystems Initiative. This pilot project is an exploration in producing landscape-level ecological tree species benchmarks to aid the development of specific landscape- level tree species targets in five Timber Supply Areas (TSAs) in the Central Interior of British Columbia. A co-operative inquiry approach was used in three sessionsWilliams Lake, Prince George, and Smithersthat engaged individuals from multiple disciplines to produce first approximation landscape-level ecological tree species benchmarks for 35 Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification (BEC) subzones/variants. This process was undertaken with limited data sources and within the context of a changing climate.