2004 Northwest Territories Forest Ecosystem Classification Pilot Project
Final Report
Prepared by: EcoDynamics Consulting Group International Inc., Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
Prepared for: Government of the Northwest Territories, Department of Resources, Wildlife, and Economic Development
November, 2004
NWT FEC Pilot Project Final Report November 2004
Table of Contents
Section Page
1.0 INTRODUCTION...... 1 1.1 Project Background and Scope ...... 1 1.2 Study Area Locations and Description ...... 2
2.0 PILOT PROJECT METHODOLOGY ...... 4 2.1 Field Sampling Approach ...... 4 2.2 Field Data Collection ...... 4
3.0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ...... 6 3.1 Provisional Ecosite Calls ...... 6 3.2 Apparent Environmental Gradients ...... 8 3.3 Utility of the Manual and Field Forms ...... 10
4.0 FUTURE SAMPLING AND ANALYSIS CONSIDERATIONS ...... 11 4.1 Introduction...... 11 4.2 Overview of Ecosystem Sampling and Classification Approaches...... 11 4.3 Environmental Gradients and Sampling Specifics ...... 12 4.3.1 Gradient-Based Sampling Approaches...... 12 4.3.2 Additional Sampling Considerations ...... 14 4.4 Use of Existing Plot Data...... 16
5.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS...... 17 5.1 Conclusions...... 17 5.2 Recommendations...... 18
LITERATURE CITED ...... 21
APPENDIX A - PHOTO PLATE SUMMARIES...... 24
APPENDIX B - TAXONOMY RECOMMENDATIONS...... 24
APPENDIX C - MANUAL AND FORM CHANGES...... 30
APPENDIX D - LIST OF OBSERVED SPECIES...... 35
i NWT FEC Pilot Project Final Report November 2004
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The EcoDynamics study team would like to extend special thanks to Bob Decker and Bas Oosenbrug of the Government of the Northwest Territories, Department of Resources, Wildlife, and Economic Development, for their continued support throughout the project. We would like to also thank Dr. Rob Wright, Forest Service, Saskatchewan Environment for sharing his insights and experiences with the Saskatchewan Forest Ecosystem Classification System.
ii NWT FEC Pilot Project Final Report November 2004
STUDY TEAM
Jason Nelson, B.Sc. Manager, Biophysical Division and Senior Pedologist
Randy Olson, B.Sc. Botanist/Plant Ecologist
Miodrag Tkalec, B.Sc. (Forest Engineering) Project Forester
iii NWT FEC Pilot Project Final Report November 2004
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Project Background and Scope
The Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development (RWED), of the Government of the Northwest Territories, has recently embarked on the development of a Forest Ecosystem Classification (FEC) system and field guide for use in sustainable forest management and environmental assessment. The FEC system will be based on the analysis of site, soil, and vegetation data from detailed ecological plots distributed across the Taiga Plain Ecozone of the Northwest Territories, together with existing data from ecologically equivalent areas in neighboring jurisdictions (i.e., British Columbia, Alberta, Yukon and Saskatchewan).
The purpose of FEC is to: