Stand and landscape level applications of a forest ecosystem classification for Northwestern Ontario, Canada

Abstract

Forest site classifications are used for a variety of resource planning and management objectives and as frameworks to address issues of biodiversity and sustainable development. The Northwestern Ontario Forest Ecosystem Classification (NWO FEC) is an ecologically based forest site classification system for northwestern Ontario, Canada. This article provides examples which show how the NWO FEC system has been applied for the purposes of ecological description at both the stand (eg 10 ha size) and landscape (eg 1:20 000 mapping scale) levels. At a stand level, the NWO FEC can be used to examine species autecologies, soil moisture requirements and wildlife habitat preferences. At a landscape level, the NWO FEC system is employed to construct landform toposequences, correlate interpreted climatic features with forest humus forms and develop spatial models of ecosystem processes. In the future, classification systems such as the NWO FEC will be used for advanced simulation modelling problems at various spatial scales. © 1995 Elsevier/INRA.