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The stratification of forested landscapes for intensive management : development and application

University of British Columbia

The development and application of the Aqua-Terra Classification System (A.T.C.S.) is proposed for the stratification of forested landscapes in an attempt to integrate the land and aquatic systems in their classification, inventory and interpretation for intensive forest management. The drainage basins and their different orders are proposed as levels of integration of the environment. The landform concept is applied in conjunction with the subdivision method of classification leading to the identification of management units, which express the state of development of the different slopes pertaining to each drainage basin order. Landscape units are identified and described by the association method of classification. The stream ordering system developed by Strahler (1957) is used to quantitatively characterize the stream network on a regional basis, based- on the laws of drainage composition. The A.T.C.S. drainage basin ordering system, which is a modification of the Strahler's system, was found more useful for a more intensive or local analysis because the different drainage basin orders have a unique mosaic of landscape units. Also, the biophysical characteristics of the respective landscape units are very similar from one drainage basin order to the other. The major difference between the different drainage basin orders is in the distribution of the landscape units which is exclusive to each drainage basin order. Each landscape unit is described in terms of selected biophysical characteristics and forest stand productivity. The A.T.C.S. classification system is proposed as a framework for intensive forest management allowing interpretations to be made at the landscape unit and drainage basin order levels.

Text

2010-03-11

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/21778

Forestry

University of British Columbia

Graduate