| It is widely accepted that timber harvesting has lead to changes in the forests of sub-boreal British Columbia, Canada, but these changes are difficult to quantify and characterize. If ecological restoration of these forests is a management objective, then developing historical reference conditions to compare with contemporary conditions is a prerequisite. To characterize historical forest condition, oral and written records were used to describe land use patterns in and around the John Prince Research Forest (JPRF). Aerial photography and forest inventory data were compared to quantify changes in landscape structure between 1947 and 1999, and to define landscape level reference conditions. Written historic records and data from remnant stands were integrated to define stand level reference conditions for mature Douglas-fir stands. The study demonstrates a need for ecological restoration on the JPRF, but further analysis into the natural range of variation for the forest is needed before restoration can begin. |
