iExecutive Summary

Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classifi cation (BEC) and Biogeoclimatic (BGC) mapping form the cornerstone to sound ecologically-based resource management in British Columbia. It is used a large number of public, industrial, private and NGO resource practitioners to manage the landbase. The most comprehensive BEC classifi cation for the former Nelson Forest Region (NFR) was completed in 1992. This was followed by publication of a fi eld guide characterizing the site series for 18 subzones and variants of the NFR. A preliminary assessment indicates there are major defi ciencies in the BEC classifi cation which have signifi cant consequences for those using the system as a basis for planning and implementing resource management activities. These defi ciencies include failure to recognize and describe all non-forested ecosystems and many very dry and very wet forested ecosystems. In summary, 57 % of the subzones lack a site series classifi cation and 33 % of the described site series are based on an inadequate number of replicate samples. The long-term goal of this project is to revise the BEC classifi cation and produce a new fi eld guide for the NFR. For the 2003/04 fi scal year, our short-term objectives are to locate and acquire additional BEC sample data for the NFR, complete a comprehensive sampling gap analysis for potential BEC types in the NFR, classifi cation system, integrate plot data for BGC subzones shared by the Kamloops and Nelson Forest Regions and produce a revised BEC classifi cation and fi eld guide materials for some of these share