Energy, Mines and Resources
Forestry
Inventory and Analysis
Forest inventory and analysis provides vegetation resources inventory, resource analysis and decision support for a wide variety of clients and projects.
Examples:
- Mapping Yukon’s forest resources
- Conducting forest analysis to support forest management planning decisions
- Providing essential data in the development of timber harvest plans
- Providing essential data for the analysis of forest health concerns
- Providing analysis on forest use decisions
- Providing information and data for various forest stewardship concerns
3 Functions of Yukon's Inventory Program:
The Yukon Vegetation Inventory are a series maps that describe the forest in recognizable units based on well defined criteria. The Yukon Vegetation Maps exist for the southern 2/3rds of Yukon and 16 mapsheets along the Porcupine river around Old Crow (Map). In the Yukon, aerial photo interpretation for vegetation mapping utilizes 1:40,000 scale black and white aerial photography. The aerial photography is interpreted according to the guidelines in the Yukon Vegetation Inventory Manual. Vegetation maps are produced at a scale of 1:50,000.
Growth and yield is the field of describing and measuring how forest stands grow over time from establishment (seedlings) to death. In 1988, Permanent Sample Plots were established to collect data on the growth and development of forests in the Yukon. There are approximately 250 plots in southern Yukon (Map pdf link). This data is important because permanent plots are the most reliable way of monitoring long term forest development. Local information on forest development is required to calibrate forest growth models to Yukon conditions. The growth models are being used to predict future growth rates of Yukon forests to evaluate sustainability of timber harvest levels.
Forest analysis supports a variety of forestry and land management decisions. Forest analysis often involves analyzing and assessing economic, environmental and social factors to support decisions with regards to forestry and land management activities. It may include:
- Timber supply analysis
- Forest health analysis
- Bioenergy analysis
- Carbon credits
- Delivered wood cost
One of the most recognizable forest analysis performed is timber supply analysis. Timber supply analysis is a process that explores the effects on timber supply and other forest values of existing or possible forest management strategies. Timber supply analysis takes into account various economic, environmental and social factors to determine a rate of harvest of forest resources. Timber supply analyses are one of the most important reports to support Annual Allowable Cut determination. It is can be used in land-use planning and forest management planning.
