Fraser Headwaters Proposed Conservation Plan Jeanine Rhemtulla, Sara Howard Marshall, and Herb Hammond Silva Forest Foundation September 2001 P.O. Box 9 • Slocan Park, British Columbia, Canada • V0G 2E0 phone: (250) 226-7222 • fax: (250) 226-7446 www.silvafor.org Fraser Headwaters Proposed Conservation Plan CONTENTS List of Tables ...................................................................................................................iv List of Figures..................................................................................................................v List of Maps .....................................................................................................................vii Acknowledgements..........................................................................................................viii 1. Introduction.............................................................................................................1 1.1 Project Overview...................................................................................................1 1.2 Ecosystem-Based Planning at Multiple Spatial Scales .........................................2 1.3 Project Objectives and Report Outline..................................................................8 2. The Fraser Headwaters Study Area......................................................................10 2.1 Study Area Location and Rationale.......................................................................10 2.2 The Physical Environment ....................................................................................15 2.2.1 Geology.........................................................................................................15 2.2.2 Climate ..........................................................................................................17 2.3 The Biological Environment .................................................................................18 2.3.1 Major Vegetation Types................................................................................18 2.3.2 Disturbance Regimes.....................................................................................26 2.4 Wildlife..................................................................................................................31 2.5 Human History......................................................................................................33 2.5.1 Indigenous Peoples........................................................................................34 2.5.2 European Settlers...........................................................................................34 2.6 Summary................................................................................................................35 3. Methods ....................................................................................................................37 3.1 Acquisition of Data................................................................................................37 3.2 Field Sampling.......................................................................................................37 3.2.1 Sampling Plan Development .........................................................................37 3.2.2 Field Work.....................................................................................................38 3.2.3 Data Analysis.................................................................................................39 3.3 Map Design............................................................................................................39 3.3.1 Map 1: The Fraser Headwaters......................................................................40 3.3.2 Map 2: Landscape Diversity..........................................................................40 _______________________________________________________________________________________ Silva Forest Foundation September 2001 Fraser Headwaters Proposed Conservation Plan Page iii _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3.3.3 Map 3: Ecological Risk.................................................................................41 3.3.4 Map 4: Antique and Old Growth Forests......................................................43 3.3.5 Map 5: Human Disturbance...........................................................................44 3.3.6 Map 6: Proposed Protected Areas Network ..................................................45 4. Analytical Maps .......................................................................................................47 4.1 Map 2: Landscape Diversity..................................................................................47 4.1.1 Results and Interpretations............................................................................51 4.2 Map 3: Ecological Risk.........................................................................................53 4.2.1 Results and Interpretations............................................................................64 4.3 Map 4: Antique and Old Growth Forests..............................................................66 4.3.1 Results and Interpretations............................................................................71 4.4 Map 5: Human Disturbance...................................................................................75 4.4.1 Results and Interpretations............................................................................79 5. Proposed Protected Areas Network.......................................................................84 5.1 Results and Interpretations....................................................................................86 5.2 Components of the PAN........................................................................................90 5.2.1 Existing Protected Areas ...............................................................................90 5.2.2 Proposed Full Protection...............................................................................93 5.2.3 Proposed Conservation Emphasis .................................................................99 5.3 Ecosystem-based Management .............................................................................102 6. Conclusions and Recommendations ......................................................................103 7. References................................................................................................................105 Appendix I: Data Sources...............................................................................................108 Appendix II: Field Sampling Plan.................................................................................109 Appendix III: Field Work Summary.............................................................................122 _______________________________________________________________________________________ Silva Forest Foundation September 2001 Fraser Headwaters Proposed Conservation Plan Page iv ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ List of Tables Table 1: Biogeoclimatic Zones in the Fraser Headwaters Study Area...........................21 Table 2: Natural Disturbance Types in the Fraser Headwaters Study Area...................28 Table 3: Ecological Risk Categories...............................................................................42 Table 4: Summary Statistics - Landscape Diversity.......................................................50 Table 5: Summary Statistics - Ecological Risk. .............................................................65 Table 6: Summary Statistics – Antique and Old Growth Forests...................................71 Table 7: Summary Statistics - Priority Candidate Stands for Antique Status ................72 Table 8: Disturbance in Candidate Antique Forests.......................................................73 Table 9: Effects of Logging on Coarse Woody Debris..................................................74 Table 10: Summary Statistics - Human Disturbance........................................................79 Table 11: Summary Statistics: Proposed Protected Areas Network (PAN).....................88 Table 12: Biogeoclimatic (BEC) Composition of Protected Areas Inside Study Area....91 Table 13: Summary of the Biogeoclimatic (BEC) Composition of Protected Areas.......92 Table 14: Biogeoclimatic (BEC) Composition of Protected Areas Outside Study Area.92 _______________________________________________________________________________________ Silva Forest Foundation September 2001 Fraser Headwaters Proposed Conservation Plan Page v ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ List of Figures Figure 1: The Fraser River............................................................................................... 1 Figure 2: An ecosystem-based approach to planning...................................................... 3 Figure 3: Ecosystem-based planning at multiple spatial scales....................................... 5 Figure 4: Location of the Fraser River drainage basin.................................................. 12 Figure 5: Ministry of Forests forest districts ................................................................