Bulkley Valley Research Centre - Science in the Public Interest

Interdisciplinary Assessment of the Implications of Climate Change on the Province's Forest and Range Ecosystems and their Stewardship

Project Reference Number: 2009-17

Project Status: Complete

Led by: Don Morgan, Research Branch, Ministry of Forests and Range, Smithers

Funder: Future Forest Ecosystems Scientific Council

The purpose of this project is to build on the 2008/2009 FFEI provincial vulnerability assessment work and interpret the climate change impacts on BCs forest and range resources from a vulnerability perspective. Where vulnerability is a product of a systems's exposure and sensitivity to climate change, and its adaptive capacity (Johnson and Williamson 2007). This interpretation of vulnerability considers biophysical vulnerablity, such as hydrological and forest and range ecological vulnerablity , and socio-economic vulnerablity through BCs forest and range management framework. Encompassing the social and ecological, two specific objectives will be pursued:

1. An interpretation of impacts from the perspective of confidence in potential change, exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity (vulnerablity), and
2. An assessment of Forest and Range policy from a vulnerability perspective.

These objectives can then be used to help identify risks and help with the development of appropriate forest and range adaptation policy.

For more information on the outcomes of this project, please visit the Integrated Systems Reserach Program website.

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