Climate-Based Seed Transfer
CBST
Changing Climates
Human-induced global warming has increased mean temperatures but decreased annual precipitation in British Columbia. These warmer, drier climates have increased the incidence of drought stress on the landscape causing needle loss and mortality.
In 2018, a record 118,798 hectares in BC was lost to drought mortality, Thompson Okanagan Region being the most affected (56,081 ha). Drought stress also increases the trees’ vulnerability to pest attack, increasing the incidence of pests such as bark beetles in stressed stands.
Provincial climate forecasters predict annual mean temperatures to increase an average of 2°C in the short term. Species historic geographical range is shifting as ecosystems adapt to these warming trends.
Adaptive Reforestation
To adapt to BC’s changing climate, seed use has shifted from utilizing geographical transfer standards to climate-based seed transfer (CBST) using Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification (BEC) variants to determine what material is best suited for deployment on the landscape.
Seed Deployment
The Chief Forester’s Standards for Seed Use outlines how seed or vegetative material is deployed onto the provincial landscape. The shift from using geographic-based Seed Planning Units (SPU), such as Central Plateau (CP), Prince George (PG), etc. to the BEC seed zones, has drastically altered the maps of seed deployment. For example, with CBST the Prince George seed planning unit has shifted north and south of its original area, increasing the area in which seed from this orchard can be deployed.
The table below outlines the seed BEC for each VSOC orchard and SPU with a link to a corresponding map .jpeg depicting the geographical range in BC in which the seed can be used. Maps were generated using the CBST tool using orchards and seedlot numbers. However, foresters will find the ‘I have a Cutblock’ tab useful when looking for seed for a specific area.
Orchard | Seed Zone | Seed BEC | Plantation BEC |
---|---|---|---|
Fdi 231 | CT | SBSdw1 | SBPSmk | ICHmk2 | SBSdh2 | MSxk2 | SBSmc3 | SBSmw | ESSFmv1 | SBSdw2 | SBPSdc | MSdm1 | MSxk1 | ICHdk | SBSmm | SBPSmc | SBSdk | MSdk2 | MSdm3 | SBSdw1 | IDFdk3 | ESSFdc3 | SBSmc1 | ICHmk3 | MSxk2 | MSxk3 | |
Fdi 226/232 | QL | ICHmk3 | SBSmc1 |
SBPSmk |
ICHmk3 |
MSxv |
SBSmm |
SBSdh2 |
ICHmk2 |
ESSFxc1 |
ESSFdc3 |
SBSmc3 |
ICHmk4 |
ICHmc2 |
MSdk2 |
MSdm1 |
MSxk2 |
ESSFmh |
ESSFmv1 |
MSxk3 |
ICHdk |
ESSFdk1 |
ESSFxc2 |
MSdk1 |
MSxk1 |
ESSFdk2 |
MSdm3 |
ESSFdc2 | |
Fdi 225/233 | PG | SBSdh1 | BSdh2 |
SBPSdc |
SBSdw3 |
SBSdw2 |
SBSmc3 |
ESSFdc3 |
MSxk3 |
ICHmc2 |
SBSmc2 |
SBSmc1 |
MSxv |
ICHmk2 |
SBPSmk |
MSdk2 |
MSxk2 |
SBSwk3 |
SBSmm |
MSdm3 |
SBPSmc |
MSdm1 |
ESSFmv1 | |
Sx 211 | PG – Weevil Tolerant | SBSwk1 | BSdh2 |
SBPSdc |
SBSdw3 |
SBSdw2 |
SBSmc3 |
ESSFdc3 |
MSxk3 |
ICHmc2 |
SBSmc2 |
SBSmc1 |
MSxv |
ICHmk2 |
SBPSmk |
MSdk2 |
MSxk2 |
SBSwk3 |
SBSmm |
MSdm3 |
SBPSmc |
MSdm1 |
ESSFmv1 |
ESSFmm2 |
ESSFmm1 |
ICHmm |
ICHmc1 |
SBSwk2 |
ESSFmv1 |
ICHvc |
ESSFxc2 |
BWBSwk1 |
ESSFwk2 |
ESSFdc3 |
ICHwk4 |
ESSFmc |
SBSdh2 |
SBSmc2 |
ESSFwc2 |
ESSFmv3 |
SBSwk3 |
ESSFwc3 |
ESSFmmw |
ESSFmv2 |
ESSFdk2 |
ICHvk2 |
ICHwk3 |
SBSmk1 |
ESSFmv4 |
ICHwc |
SBSmm |
ESSFwk1 |
ESSFmk |
SBSmc1 |
MSun |
ESSFwv |
ESSFwm |
SBSun |
ESSFxv1 |
SBSwk1 |
SBSvk |
|
Sx 239 | PG – High Elevation | SBSmw | SBSmc3 |
SBSmk1 |
MSdm3 |
ICHwk2 |
SBSmc2 |
ESSFdc3 |
ICHdk |
ICHmm |
ESSFmv1 |
BWBSwk1 |
MSdk2 |
ESSFxc2 |
SBSwk3 |
SBSmw |
ESSFmm2 |
SBSwk2 |
SBPSmk |
SBSdw2 |
SBSdw1 |
ICHwk4 |
SBSmc1 |
MSxv |
MSxk3 |
SBSdh1 |
SBSdh2 |
ICHmk3 |
SBSwk1 |
MSdc2 |
SBSmm |
SBSdk |
MSxk2 |
SBPSxc |
SBPSdc |
SBPSmc |
ICHmk2 |
ICHmc1 |
SBSdw3 |
SBSmk2 |
|
Sx 247 | PG – High Gain | SBSmw | SBSmc3 | SBSmk1 | MSdm3 | ICHwk2 | SBSmc2 | ESSFdc3 | ICHdk | ICHmm | ESSFmv1 | BWBSwk1 | MSdk2 | ESSFxc2 | SBSwk3 | SBSmw | ESSFmm2 | SBSwk2 | SBPSmk | SBSdw2 | SBSdw1 | ICHwk4 | SBSmc1 | MSxv | MSxk3 | SBSdh1 | |
Pli 219/245 | BV | SBSdh1 | SBSmc3 |
SBSwk3 |
SBPSdc |
SBSmc1 |
SBSdh2 |
SBSdw3 |
SBSmm |
SBPSmc |
SBSmc2 |
SBPSmk |
SBSmk1 |
SBSdk |
ESSFmv1 |
|
Pli 244 | PG | SBSmw | SBSmc3 |
SBPSmk |
SBSmm |
SBSmk1 |
SBSmc2 |
SBSdh2 |
SBSdw3 |
SBSmw |
SBSwk3 |
SBSmc1 |
SBPSdc |
BWBSwk1 |
ESSFmv1 |
|
Pli 218/246 | CP | SBSdw3 | SBSmc2 |
SBSmk2 |
SBSmc3 |
ESSFmv1 |
SBSwk3 |
|