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 |