Study Area and Project Design

• Main Authors: J. S. Fisheries, Oceans Canada
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Omineca Mountains; Sockeye; Burbot
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.546.7553; http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfd/library/ffip/Macdonald_JS1998a.pdf

While coastal-based fisheries/foresiry interaction research has been conducted since the early 1960s, the relationship between forest harvesting and the productive capabilities of aquatic habitats in the interior of B.C. are poorly understood. In order to assist with the development of interior fish, forestry, and wildlife guidelines, and to test the efficacy of B.C.'s new Forest Practices Code, a new research project was initiated in 1990 on five tributaries of the Stuart-Takla watershed. The watershed basins are in the Hogem Range of the Omineca Mountains at the northern end of the Sub-boreal Spruce biogeoclimatic zone (Engelmann Spruce-Subalpine Fir zone at high elevations). The Stuart-Takla watershed supports both early and late run sockeye salmon, a distinct race of kokanee, and many other species of salmonids (e.g., rainbow and bull trout) and non-salmonids (burbot, squawfish, and shiners). This is a long-term multidisciplinary project that is spatially (five creeks) and temporally (before and after a variety of forestry treatments) controlled. Forestry activities will begin in two of the watersheds during the winter of 1996. Project components are designed to develop an under-standing of the ecosystem processes that effect stream production and forest outputs. Participants from a number of agencies are involved including the B.C. Ministry of