Within the Sub-Boreal Spruce Zone (SBS) of the Prince Rupert Forest region, the forest manager encounters a considerable range of stand types, forest productivities, and stand responses to various kinds of treatment. Such variability arises not only from different stand histories but also from intrinsic differences in the climate, topography, geology, and soils of various forests sites or ecosystems. This Field guide aims to provide a practical, efficient tool to identify decent intrinsically different ecosystem units in the field.

This field guide describes forest ecosystems and silvicultural interpretations for the Engelmann Spruce-Subalpine Fir Zone (ESSF) in the Prince Rupert Forest Region. The guide concentrates on three forested subzones: the ESSFi (Subcontinental Northern) subzone, the ESSFk (Continental Northern) subzone, and the ESSFI (Subcontinental Central) subzone."

This field guide presents a summary of ecological and management informationfor the Interior Cedar - hemlock Zone, Northwestern Transitional Suybzone(ICHg) in the Prince Rupert Forest Region. This guide includes brief explanations of the biogeoclimatic variants, ecosytem unitws, andsilvicultural prescriptions. Ecological information and identification keysare provided to assist the user in determining the ecological units andmaking silvicultural interpretations.

This guide has two main goals: to assist users in classifying sample forest ecosystem sites in the field in the south-east Prince George Forest Region; and to provide interpretations for these site units that will assist in preparing management prescriptions. Following the introduction is a brief discussion of the biogeoclimatic classification system. Chapter 3 contains procedures for site description, identification, mapping, & interpretation. Chapters 4 to 11 present information about the biogeoclimatic units in the Region, tools for identification of biogeoclimatic & site units, descriptions of the site units, and direct management interpretations for the identified site units. Chapter 12 provides indirect interpretations for silvicultural systems and site preparation options, as well as some basic information on ecosystem management.