Moore T FEMC2007

Modeling Biodiversity, Water, and Carbon Using Patchworks

Tom Moore, Spatial Planning System, Box 1389, Deep River, ON, K0J 1P0, Canada, tmoore@spatial.ca
Margaret Donnelly, Donnelly Ecological Consulting Services, Box 146, Weymouth, NS, B0W 3T0, Canada, margdonn@ns.sympatico.ca
Donna Grassia, Steven Hills, Paul LeBlanc, LP Canada Ltd., Swan Valley - Forest Resources Division, 439 Westwood Road, Swan River, MB, R0L 1Z0, Canada, Donna.Grassia@LPCorp.com, Steven.Hills@LPCorp.com, Paul.Leblanc@lpcorp.com
Rob Rempel, Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research, 955 Oliver Rd., Thunder Bay, ON, P7B 5E1, Canada, rob.rempel@mnr.gov.on.ca
Arnold Rudy, Laird Van Damme, KBM Forestry Consultants, 349 Mooney Ave, Thunder Bay, ON, P7B 5L5, Canada, arudy@kbm.on.ca, vandamme@kbm.on.ca

A 20-Year Sustainable Forest Management Plan in Manitoba successfully incorporated biodiversity, water yield, patch size, and carbon indicators into both the Current Forest Conditions, and Future Forest Conditions (FFCs) over a 200 year horizon. The fully spatial PATCHWORKS model (Spatial Planning Systems) was utilized by LP Canada Ltd., in west-central Manitoba in the Duck Mountain Provincial Forest (376,000 ha).

A recent ecological inventory of uplands and wetlands was utilized as the 2002 current forest condition. PWs generated the FFCs conditions of the modeling landbase. Coarse and fine-filter biodiversity metrics, water yield and carbon indicators were either generated directly inside PWs, or generated indirectly outside PWs by utilizing the FFCs of the modeling landbase. The graphical indicator output and maps from PWs were used to refine scenarios and assess trade-offs between competing resource demands, through stakeholder and government participation in three scenario planning workshops.

Ecologically Representative Areas (ERAs - rare ecosites or ‘biodiversity hotspots’) were identified and given a lower harvest activity. Bird species habitat occupancy probabilities were spatially assessed using an external model (Spatial Landscape Assessment Model) to derive and summarize common bird habitat from Patchworks FFCs outputs. Percent watershed disturbance-level method (area %) was used to indicate disturbance classes, and resulted in limiting the potential effects of disturbance in watersheds and sub-basins over time. Harvest and disturbance patch size distribution - allowed a wider range of disturbance sizes, resulting in better emulation of natural disturbance, which in turn reduces fragmentation and increases some coarse-filter biodiversity metrics. Carbon curves by strata were developed and describe stem (solid wood), non-stem (branches and leaves) and soil (roots) biomass, and carbon sequestered in processed wood products after harvest.

Simultaneous evaluation of biodiversity, water yield, patch size, carbon, operational budgets, road networks, and timber indicators were used to refine scenarios and assess the trade-offs that occurred between mutually exclusive objectives. Some resource demands thought to be competing were actually complementary. PWs is an excellent tool for integrating research projects into sustainability modeling efforts, which helped the plan reflect the best current knowledge. PWs also provided us with the ability to evaluate strategic direction (e.g. appropriate patch size distribution to emulate natural patterns) along with tactical-level decisions (e.g. minimize road building) provided us with a truly powerful framework to evaluate ecological, economic, and social trade-offs.