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North Planning Region

Biophysical Classification (Landscape Types):

Overview, Methods and Reference Images

T F

DRA

Updated October 20, 2005 Project Team

• John Meikle, Yukon Environment • Marcus Waterreus, Yukon Environment • Shawn Francis, NYPC • Jeff Hamm, YLUPC • Nancy Steffen, GLL • Biophysical working group – initial terrain and bioclimate concepts STUDY AREA

• North Yukon Planning Region (55,000 km2) • Ecozone • 6 : Eagle Plains, Old Crow Flats, Old Crow Basin, North Ogilvie Mountains, Davidson Mountains, Richardson Mountains • Basin, Plateau and Mountain STUDY AREA

Physiographic Basin Units and Ecodistricts Mountain

Basin Plateau

Old Crow

Plateau

Mountain

Mountain MAPPING CONCEPTS

• Mountain landscapes organized by elevation (Bioclimate Zone); Plateau landscapes organized by relative moisture gradient (Ecosite) • Beyond major Basin landscapes, surficial materials not controlling factor (unglaciated) • Mapping has regional applications (1:100K- 1:250K) • Available data sources are major determinant of potential methods DATA INPUTS

• EOSD (25m LANDSAT Extent of 250K Regional Terrain supervised classification) Map (raster) • 90m DEM (raster) • 250K regional terrain map North Yukon Planning Region (vector)

Peel Watershed …..due to importance of Planning Region EOSD and DEM, raster mapping approach was chosen METHODS

• Field reconnaissance; develop concepts • Create regional terrain and Bioclimate Zone map through manual interpretation (refine Ecoregions and Ecodistricts to 250K) • Use DEM to model slope curvature (moisture) • Create EOSD mosaic; update with recent fires • Combine terrain, slope curvature and EOSD • Create biophysical classes • Classify High Elevation, Riparian and separate from Plateau and valley METHODS

Regional Terrain Map

DEM

Soil Moisture Model

Landcover Map

Biophysical Map GIS METHODS – Plateau (Eagle Plains)

STEP 1:

Develop regional terrain interpretations

2.5 km

Regional Terrain Map (1:250K) GIS METHODS – Plateau (Eagle Plains)

STEP 2:

Develop Moisture Model from 90m DEM

2.5 km

DEM (90m) GIS METHODS – Plateau (Eagle Plains)

Slope Form (Curvature) Ecosite

Upper Slopes and Slope Crests MESIC

Lower Slopes and Receiving Sites MOIST

Gentle Slopes (Flat) WET GIS METHODS – Plateau (Eagle Plains)

STEP 2 (cont):

Soil Moisture Model – Classify DEM by slope form (curvature) 2.5 km

Soil Moisture (Slope Curvature) GIS METHODS – Plateau (Eagle Plains)

STEP 2 (cont):

Filter slope curvature map to create simplified soil moisture map 2.5 km

Filtered soil moisture map used for biophysical classification

Soil Moisture (Slope Curvature - filtered) GIS METHODS – Plateau (Eagle Plains)

STEP 3:

2004 Develop Fire satellite image- Update derived landcover map (25m EOSD) 2.5 km

Update EOSD mosaic with recent fire mapping and fill missing data areas

Landcover Map (EOSD - 25m) GIS METHODS – Plateau (Eagle Plains)

STEP 4:

Combine 2004 terrain, soil Fire moisture and Update landcover maps 2.5 km Create bio- physical classes in step-wise manner: Upland Plateau; High Elevation; Riparian; Biophysical Classification (90m) Wetlands RESULTS

• 3 Bioclimate Zones – Taiga Wooded; Taiga Shrub; Alpine • 28 biophysical classes recognized, organized by High Elevation, Low-Middle Elevation, Riparian and Landscape Positions • Low-Middle Elevation organized by Ecosite (relative soil moisture) • Due to use of Ecosite approach, concept of succession is inherent in biophysical map • Raster map has single value, similar to EOSD BIOCLIMATE ZONES

• describes dominant physiognomic vegetation type • separate classification from biophysical map • 250K vector REGIONAL LANDSCAPE TYPES

Plateau (Low Elevation Upland and Riparian Ecosystems) Moist Riparian Coniferous Shrub

Wet Herb Riparian Shrub Moist Coniferous Forest

Mesic Mixedwood Forest REGIONAL LANDSCAPE TYPES

PLATEAU

Old Crow REGIONAL LANDSCAPE TYPES

Basin (Low Elevation and Wetland Ecosystems)

Open Water

Wetland - Herb

Wetland - Shrub REGIONAL LANDSCAPE TYPES

BASIN REGIONAL LANDSCAPE TYPES

Mountain (High Elevation Ecosystems) High Elevation Herb

High Elevation Coniferous Forest

High Elevation Sparsely Vegetated

High Elevation High Elevation Rock/Rubble Shrub REGIONAL LANDSCAPE TYPES

MOUNTAIN NORTH YUKON PLANNING REGION

BIOPHYSICAL CLASSIFICATION (LANDSCAPE TYPE) REFERENCE IMAGES North Yukon Biophysical Landscape Types

Some landscape types are considered relatively stable; some are seral (successional) to a different type

The following legend illustrates meta-stable, early to mid- successional and late-successional landscape types:

Meta-Stable Landscape Type Early – Mid-Successional Landscape Type Late-Successional Vegetation Type

Each landscape type reference image is color-coded to illustrate the assumed successional pathway and residence time HIGH ELEVATION ECOSYSTEMS ALPINE and High-TAIGA SHRUB Bioclimate Zones

Value Landscape Type

100 - Rock/Exposed [High_Rock] 110 - Sparsely Vegetated [High_Sparse]

111 - Herb [High_Herb]

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112 - Shrub [High_Shrub] M 1-150+ years E 113 - Coniferous Forest [High_CFor] 150+ years (100) - High Elevation Rock/Exposed [High_Rock]

REF #1 (110) – High Elevation Sparsely Vegetated [High_Sparse]

REF #2 (111) – High Elevation Herb [High_Herb]

REF #3 (112) – High Elevation Shrub [High_Shrub]

REF #4 (113) – High Elevation Coniferous Forest [High_CFor]

REF #5 LOW - MIDDLE ELEVATION ECOSYSTEMS TAIGA WOODED and Low-TAIGA SHRUB Bioclimate Zones

Value Landscape Type

200 – Exposed/Sparsely Vegetated [Low_Exposed]

Upland – Wet Sites Value Landscape Type

210 – Wet Herb [Herb_wet]

211 – Wet Shrub [Shrub_wet]

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212 – Wet Mixedwood Forest [MFor_wet] M 1-100 years E 213 – Wet Coniferous Forest [CFor_wet] 100+ years

ECOSITE VEGETATION TYPE (200) – Low Elevation Exposed/Sparsely Vegetated [Low_Exposed]

REF #6 LOW - MIDDLE ELEVATION ECOSYSTEMS TAIGA WOODED and Low-TAIGA SHRUB Bioclimate Zones

Upland – Wet Sites

Gentle Slopes – Flat (210) – Wet Herb [Herb_wet]

REF #7 (211) – Wet Shrub [Shrub_wet]

REF #8 (212) – Wet Mixedwood Forest [MFor_wet]

No Reference Picture Available

REF #9 (213) – Wet Coniferous Forest [CFor_wet]

REF #10 LOW - MIDDLE ELEVATION ECOSYSTEMS TAIGA WOODED and Low-TAIGA SHRUB Bioclimate Zones

Upland – Moist Sites LT Description

220 – Moist Herb [Herb_mst] 1-5 years

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221 – Moist Shrub [Shrub_mst] M 6-40 years E 222 – Moist Mixedwood Forest [MFor_mst] 40-80 years 223 – Moist Coniferous Forest [CFor_mst] 81+ years

ECOSITE VEGETATION TYPE LOW - MIDDLE ELEVATION ECOSYSTEMS TAIGA WOODED and Low-TAIGA SHRUB Bioclimate Zones

Upland – Moist Sites

Lower Slopes and Receiving Sites (220) – Moist Herb [Herb_mst]

No Reference Picture Available

REF #11 (221) – Moist Shrub [Shrub_mst]

REF #12 (222) – Moist Mixedwood Forest [MFor_mst]

No Reference Picture Available

REF #13 (223) – Moist Coniferous Forest [CFor_mst]

REF #14 LOW - MIDDLE ELEVATION ECOSYSTEMS TAIGA WOODED and Low-TAIGA SHRUB Bioclimate Zones

Upland – Mesic Sites Value Landscape Type

230 – Mesic Herb 1-5 years

T I

231 – Mesic Shrub M 6-25 years E 232 – Mesic Mixedwood Forest 26-60 years 233 – Mesic Coniferous Forest 61+ years

ECOSITE VEGETATION TYPE LOW - MIDDLE ELEVATION ECOSYSTEMS TAIGA WOODED and Low-TAIGA SHRUB Bioclimate Zones

Upland – Mesic Sites

Upper Slopes and Slope Crests (230) – Mesic Herb [Herb_mes]

REF #15 (231) – Mesic Shrub [Shrub_mes]

REF #16 (232) – Mesic Mixedwood Forest [MFor_mes]

REF #17 (233) – Mesic Coniferous Forest [CFor_mes]

REF #18 RIPARIAN ECOSYSTEMS TAIGA WOODED and Low-TAIGA SHRUB Bioclimate Zones

Value Description

300 – Riparian – Exposed [Rip_Exposed]

310 – Riparian Herb [Rip_Herb]

311 – Riparian Shrub [Rip_Shrub] T 1-40 years

I M

312 – Riparian Mixedwood Forest [Rip_Mfor] E 41-80 years 313 – Riparian Coniferous Forest [Rip_Cfor] 81+ years

320 – Riparian – Wetland [Rip_Wetland] (300) – Riparian – Exposed [Rip_Exposed]

REF #19 (310) – Riparian Herb [Rip_Herb]

REF #20 (311) – Riparian Shrub [Rip_Shrub]

REF #21 (312) – Riparian Mixedwood Forest [Rip_MFor]

REF #22 (313) – Riparian Coniferous Forest [Rip_CFor]

REF #23 (320) – Riparian – Wetland [Rip_Wetland]

REF #24 WETLAND ECOSYSTEMS TAIGA WOODED and Low-TAIGA SHRUB Bioclimate Zones

Value Description

400 – Wetland – Herb [Wetland_Herb] 401 – Wetland – Shrub [Wetland_Shrub] 402 – Wetland – Forested [Wetland_For] (400) – Wetland – Herb [Wetland_Herb]

REF #25 (401) – Wetland – Shrub [Wetland_Shrub]

REF #26 (402) – Wetland – Forested [Wetland_For]

REF #27 AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS TAIGA WOODED and Low-TAIGA SHRUB Bioclimate Zones

Value Description

500 – Open Water [Water] (500) – Open Water [Water]

REF #28