Abstract
While forest ecosystem classification work in Quebec has traditionally concentrated on inventory and mapping, more effort is now being placed on developing field guides similar to those produced in other Canadian provinces. As part of a project to produce a practical forest ecosystem field guide for the Amos Lowlands Ecological Region in northwestern Quebec, existing sub-regional ecological studies were exploited in order to develop a regional classification of forest ecosystems, or forest stations. Review of four fundamental studies provided a list of 107 ecological phases, each representing a particular combination of forest composition, surface deposit type and moisture regime. A series of silvicultural and environmental interpretations were developed and values for each were attributed to the ecological phases. Cluster analysis was then performed to classify phases into 29 broader units. A large, regional biophysical database which became available later in the project provided a means of validating and effectively modifying the classification. The justifications for using the original approach are discussed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Anonymous: 1994, ‘Une stratégie: aménager pour mieux protéger les forêts’, Gouvernement du Québec, Ministère des Ressources Naturelles, Québec, 197 pp.
Barnes, B.V.: 1986, ‘Varieties of experience in classifying and mapping forestland ecosystems’, In: G.M. Wickware and W.C. Stevens (cochairs), Site Classification in Relation to Forest Management, COJFRC Symp. Proc. No. O-P-14, Can. Forest Service, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, pp. 5–23.
Bastedo, J.D. and Theberge, J.B.: 1983, ‘An appraisal of inter-disciplinary resource surveys (Ecological Land Classification)’, Landscape Planning 10, 317–334.
Beauchesne, P., Ducruc, J.-P. and Gerardin, V.: 1996, ‘Ecological mapping: a framework for delimiting forest management units’, Environ. Monitoring and Assessment 39, 173–186 (this volume).
Béland, M., Bergeron, Y., Harvey, B. and Robert, D.: 1992, ‘Quebec’s ecological framework for forest management: a case study in the boreal forest of Abitibi’, For. Ecol. Manage. 49, 247–266.
Bélanger, L., Bergeron, Y. and Camiré, C.: 1992, ‘Ecological land survey in Quebec’, Forestry Chronicle 68, 42–52.
Berg, S.: 1981, ‘Terrain classification for forestry in the Nordic countries’, In: P. Laban (ed.), Proceedings, IUFRO/ISSS Workshop on Land Evaluation for Forestry, Nov. 4–10, 1980, Wageningen, The Netherlands, pp. 152–166.
Bergeron, Y, Camiré, C., Bouchard, A. and Gangloff, P.: 1982, ‘Analyse et classification des sols pour une étude écologique intégrée d’un secteur de l’Abitibi, Québec’, Géographie Physique et Quaternaire 36, 291–305.
Bergeron, Y., Bouchard, A., Gangloff, P. and Camiré C.: 1983, ‘La classification ecologique des milieux forestiers d’une partie des Cantons d’Hébécourt et de Roquemaure’, Études Écologiques no. 9, Université Laval, Québec, 169 pp.
Bergeron, Y., Bouchard, A. and Massicotte, G.: 1985, ‘Gradient analysis in assessing differences in community pattern of three adjacent sectors within Abitibi, Quebec’, Vegetatio 64, 55–65.
Bergeron, Y. and Dubuc, M.: 1989, ‘Succession in the southern part of the Canadian boreal forest’, Vegetatio 79, 51–63.
Bergeron, J.-F., Saucier, J.-P., Robitaille, A. and Robert, D.: 1992, ‘Québec forest ecological program’, Forestry Chronicle 68, 53–63.
Betters, D.R. and Rubingh, J.L.: 1978, ‘Suitability analysis and wildland classification: an approach’, J. Environ. Manage. 7, 59–72.
Cartier, C., Harvey, B. and Bergeron, Y.: 1996, ‘A forest ecosystem guide for the Amos Lowlands Ecological Region, Northwestern Quebec: a forest management approach’, Environ. Monitoring and Assessment 39, 249–263 (this volume).
Cauboue, M. and Tremblay, J.: 1993, ‘Les stations forestières de la Haute Côte-Nord: guide pratique pour l’identification des stations forestières à maturité’, Centre d enseignement et de recherche en foresterie de Sainte-Foy Inc. (CERFO), Ministère des Forêts, Direction de la recherche, Service du transfert de technologie, Québec, 169 pp.
Delpeche, R., Dumé, G. and Galmiche, P.: 1985, ‘Typologie des stations forestières — vocabulaire’, Ministère de l’Agriculture/Direction des Forêts, Institut pour le Développement Forestier, Paris, France, 243 pp.
Dupont, A., Bélanger, L. and Bousquet, J.: 1991, ‘Relationships between balsam fir vulnerability to spruce budworm and ecological site conditions of fir stands in central Québec’, Can. J. For. Res. 21, 1752–1759.
Fox, T.R. 1991, ‘The role of ecological land classification systems in the silvicultural decision process’, In: D.L. Mengel and D.T. Tew, (eds.), Ecological Land Classification: Applications to Identify the Productive Potential of Southern Forests, Symposium Proceedings, Charlotte, North Carolina, Jan 7–9, 1991, Gen. Tech. Rep. SE-68, US Dep. Agric., For. Serv., Asheville, South Carolina, pp. 96–101.
Gaudreau, L.: 1979, ‘La végétation et les sols des Collines Tanginan Abitibi-Ouest, Québec’, Études Écologiques no. 1, Université Laval, Québec. 391 pp. + annexes.
Gagnon, R.R. and Chabot, M.: 1991, ‘Prévention des pertes de bois attibuables à la tordeuse des bourgeons de l’épinette’, Gouvernement du Québec, Ministère des Forêts, Québec, 51 pp.
Grandtner, M.M. and Vaucamps, F.: 1982, ‘Vegetation sciences and forestry in Canada’, In: G. John (ed.), Handbook of Vegetation Science, Part 12, Dr. W. Junk Publishers, The Hague, Netherlands, pp. 15–45.
Harvey, B.D. and Bergeron, Y.: 1989, ‘Site patterns of natural regeneration following clear-cutting in northwestern Quebec’, Can. J. For. Res. 19, 1458–1469.
Jones, R.K.: 1990, ‘Role of site classification in predicting the consequences of management on forest response’, In: W.J. Dyck and C.A. Mees (eds.), Impact of Intensive Harvesting on Forest Site Productivity, Proceedings, IEA/BE A3 Workshop, South Island, New Zealand, March 1989, IEA/BE T6/A6 Report No. 2, FRI Bulletin No 159, Forest Research Institute, Rotorua, New Zealand, pp. 19–38.
Jurdant, M., Bélair, J.L., Gerardin, V. and Ducruc, J.P.: 1977, ‘L’Inventaire du capital-nature: method de classification et de cartographie écologique du territoire’, Série de la Classification Écologique du Territoire no. 2, Service des études écologiques Régioanle, Environ. Can., Québec, 202 pp.
Lafond, A. and Ladouceur, G.: 1968. ‘Régions forestières et sères physiographiques de l’Abitibi, Province de Québec’, Rapport, Faculté de Foresterie et Géodésie, Université Laval, Québec, 228 pp.
Legendre, L. and Legendre, P.: 1984, Écologie Numérique: La Structure des Données Écologiques, Collection Écologie 12, Volume 2, 2nd edition, Les Presses de l’Université du Québec, Québec, 197 pp.
Legendre, P. and Vaudour, A.: 1991, ‘Le progiciel R — analyse multidimensionnelle, analyse spatiale’, Département sciences biologiques, Université de Montréal, Québec, 144 pp.
Lee, B. and McDonald, C.: 1993, ‘Comparing three classification strategies for use in ecology’, J. Vegetation Science 4, 341–348.
Lessard, G., Bélanger, L., Marchand, S., Beauchesne, P., Pineau, M., Bouliane, P. and Jetté, J.-P.: 1991, ‘Guide des stations forestières de la Forêt Montmorency de l’Université Laval (Version préliminaire)’, Département des sciences forestières, Université Laval, Québec, 137 pp.
Loeffler, H.D.: 1984, ‘Terrain classification in forestry’, In: D.C. Grey, A.P.G. Schönau and C.J. Schutz (eds.), Site and Productivity of Fast-Growing Plantations, IUFRO Symp. Proc., April 30-May 11, 1984, Pretoria and Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, pp. 91–110.
MacLean, D.A. and Porter, K.B.: 1994, ‘Development of a decision support system for spruce budworm and forest management planning in Canada’, In GIS 94 Symposium Proceedings, Vancouver, British Columbia, pp. 863–872.
Massicotte, G.: 1982, ‘Étude écologique de la végétation forestière du Mont Kekeko, Région Rouyn-Noranda, Abitibi- Témiscamingue, Québec’, M.Sc. Thesis, Département des sciences biologiques, Université de Montréal, Québec, 191 pp.
Newnham, R.M.: 1992, ‘Cluster analysis: an application in forest management planning’, Forestry Chronicle 68, 628–633.
Nolet, P.: 1994, ‘Classification des écosystèmes forestiers de la Région Écologique des Basses-Terres d Arnos: étude des mécanismes de succession et comparaison entre les types forestiers et les stations forestières’, Unpubl. report, Service des inventaires forestiers, Ministère des Ressources naturelles, Québec, 62 pp.
Pielou, E.C.: 1984, The Interpretation of Ecological Data, John Wiley and Sons, New York, 263 pp.
Radloff, D.L. and Betters, D.R.: 1978, ‘Multivariate analysis of physical site data for wildland classification’, Forest Science 24, 2–10.
Rastetter, E.B., King, A.W., Cosby, B.J., Hornberger, G.M., O Neill, R.V. and Hobbie, J.E.: 1992, ‘Aggregating fine-scale ecological knowledge to model coarser-scale attributes of ecosystems’, Ecological Applications 2, 55–70.
Robert, D. and Saucier, J.-P.: 1990, ‘Normes de prise de données et de vérification 1988 (Révision 1990)’, Gouvernement du Québec, Ministère de l’énergie et des Ressources, Service de l’Inventaire Forestier, Québec, 180 pp.
Rowe, J.S.: 1972, Forest Regions of Canada, Publ. No. 1300, Can. For. Serv., Ottawa, Ontario.
Rowe, J.S.: 1992, ‘Prologue/Avant-propos’, Forestry Chronicle 68, 22–24.
Rubec, C.D.A.: 1979, ‘Applications of ecological land classification: a user survey’, In: C.D.A. Rubec (ed.), Applications of Ecological (Biophysical) Land Classification in Canada, Proc. Second Meeting, Canada Committee on Ecological Biophysical Classification, 4–7 April 1978, Ecological Land Classification Series No. 7, Lands Directorate, Environ. Can., Ottawa, Ontario, pp. 135–138.
Smalley, G.W.: 1991, ‘No more plots: go with what you know: developing a forest land classification system for the interior uplands’, In: D.L. Mengel and D.T. Tew (eds.), Ecological Land Classification: Applications to Identify the Productive Potential of Southern Forests, Symp. Proc., Jan 7–9, 1991, Gen. Tech. Rep. No. SE-68, US Dep. Agric., For. Serv., Southeastern For. Exp. Sta., Charlotte, North Carolina, pp. 45–58.
Thibault, M. and Hotte, D.: 1985, ‘Les régions écologiques du Québec Méridional’, Map at 1:1 250 000 scale, Service de la Cartographie, Ministère de l’énergie et des Ressources, Québec.
Wickware, G.M., Zoladeski, C.A., Delorme, R., Sims, R.A. and Corns, I.G.W.: 1995, ‘Forest ecosystem classification for Manitoba, a first approximation’, Can. For. Serv., Edmonton, Alberta, 131 pp.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1996 Kluwer Academic Publishers
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Harvey, B.D., Cartier, P., Bergeron, Y., Nolet, P. (1996). Development of a Practical Forest Ecosystem Classification from Existing Biophysical Studies: An Approach Used in Northwestern Quebec. In: Sims, R.A., Corns, I.G.W., Klinka, K. (eds) Global to Local: Ecological Land Classification. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-1653-1_18
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-1653-1_18
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-7239-7
Online ISBN: 978-94-009-1653-1
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive