Workshop Date: December 17, 2002.

Meeting Summary

The Research Branch of the BC Ministry of Forests in cooperation with the Department of Forest Resources Management at UBC organized a 1-day workshop on modelling natural regeneration in complex stands.

The purpose of this meeting was to discuss the recent work on the regeneration component of the Prognosis^BC model at the University of British Columbia. A small focus group of selected participants discussed potential future directions of this research. Included in this mandate was the subject of how the regeneration prediction component should and does fit within the functioning of the overall Prognosis^BC model.

Background

The Prognosis^BC model was adapted from the USDA's Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS), Northern Idaho (NI) variant, for use in the southeastern portion of British Columbia. FVS was selected because of its ability to model multi-age, multi species stands, similar to those commonly found in southeastern BC. The regeneration estimation component of the original model has been "turned off" because it was found to be an inadequate predictor of regeneration under BC conditions. Users of PrognosisBC must presently supply their own estimates of regeneration.

Early work on calibration of the regeneration component in the ICH, Nelson Region, resulted in improvements over the preexisting FVS NI version of the model, but because of the small sample size, lacked robustness. Imputation approaches have been tested to examine their ability to predict regeneration. Most similar neighbour techniques have been found to be more effective than tabular imputation approaches. However, the ability to accurately predict regeneration has remained problematic.

Workshop Presentations

Froese, K. (presenter), V. LeMay, P. Marshall and A. Zumrawi. Regeneration prediction for Prognosis^BC, IDFdm2 subzone variant, Invermere Forest District. Presentation to the BC Ministry of Forests.

Hassani, B.T., V. LeMay (presenter), P. Marshall and A. Zumrawi. Regeneration imputation models for interior cedar hemlock stands.

Stage, A.R.(presenter) Modelling regeneration by imputation: some background.

A. Zumrawi (presenter). Prognosis^BC: past and current developments.

Background Papers

Delong, D.L. and G. Butt. Natural Regeneration under Partially Cut Stands in the ICH Zone. Extension Note EN-014, BC Ministry of Forests, Nelson Forest Region.

Froese, K.L, V. LeMay, P. Marshall, and A-A. Zumrawi. 2003. Regeneration imputation models for Prognosis^BC: IDFdm2 subzone variant, Invermere Forest District Report prepared for the Forestry Innovation Investment. Ref. No. R02-07, 67 pp.

Hassani, B.T., V. LeMay, P. Marshall, and A-A. Zumrawi. 2003. Regeneration under partial cutting for Prognosis^BC, MSdk, Cranbrook Forest District. Report prepared for the Forestry Innovation Investment. Ref. No. R02-07, 30 pp.

Hassani, B.T., V. LeMay, P. Marshall, and A-A. Zumrawi. 2002b. Regeneration under partial cutting for Prognosis^BC, MSdk, Cranbrook Forest District: Presentation to the BC Ministry of Forests. [515 KB] Presented at the Cranbrook District Office, BC Ministry of Forests, November 6, 2002. PowerPoint Version [1.11 MB]

Hassani, B.T., P.L. Marshall, V. LeMay, H. Temesgen, and A-A Zumrawi. 2002a. Development of regeneration imputation models for the ICHmw2 in the vicinity of Nelson. Report prepared for Forest Renewal BC. PAR02002, Activity Location 724187, 41 pp plus Appendices

Martin, R.A., B. Hassani, V.LeMay, P.Marshall, H. Temesgen, and C.Lencar. 2002. Development of regeneration imputation models for the IDF dk2, dk2, and dk3 subzone variants of the Kamloops and Cariboo Forest Regions. Report prepared for Forest Renewal BC. PAR02002, Activity Location 724187, 20 pp plus Appendices.

Stage, A.R. and N.L. Crookston. 2002. Measuring Similarity in Nearest Neighbour Imputation: Some New Alternatives. Unpublished Report, USDA Forest Service, Rky. Mtn. Res. Stn. 6pp.