Monitoring forest restoration effectiveness on Galiano Island, British Columbia: conventional and new methods
I compared forest structural parameters of treated and untreated plots on a forest restoration site on Galiano Island, British Columbia. The site was replanted with Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (mirb.) Franco) after being intensively logged in the 1970s and then thinned in the early 2000s. I u...
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| Format: | Others |
| Language: | English en |
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2018
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| Online Access: | https://dspace.library.uvic.ca//handle/1828/10133 |
| Summary: | I compared forest structural parameters of treated and untreated plots on a forest restoration site on Galiano Island, British Columbia. The site was replanted with Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (mirb.) Franco) after being intensively logged in the 1970s and then thinned in the early 2000s. I used existing baseline data from 8 permanent plots (5 treated, 3 control) and compared it with forest assessment data collected in the field in the summer of 2017. Additionally, I used 16 temporary plots (8 treated, 8 control). I assessed vegetation percentage cover by plot, coarse woody debris by plot, tree diameter, species and status (n = 846), height (n = 48) and diameter growth (n = 271). I found that treated plots showed improved measures of structural diversity like diameter growth, crown ratios and plant diversity, but I was unable to relate the increased diameter growth to the restoration treatments. My findings suggest that to create a lasting impact, restoration thinning will have to be more frequent or create larger gaps.
I then reviewed the current studies with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in ecological restoration. I evaluated potential use of hobbyist UAVs for small organizations and not-for-profits and found that if applied correctly, UAVs can increase the amount of available data before, during and after restoration. Reproducible and reliable results require trained personnel and calibrated sensors. UAVs can increase access to remote areas and decrease disturbance of sensitive ecosystems. Regulations, limited flight time and processing time remain important restrictions on UAV use and hobbyist UAVs have a limit availability of sensors and flight performance.
Finally, I used images taken from a hobbyist UAV to assess forest structure of the restoration site on Galiano Island and compared my results with the ground measurements. I found a canopy height model (CHM) from UAV images underestimated mean tree height values for the study site on average by 10.2 metres, while also severely underestimating mean stem densities. Using a 2 metre threshold, I delineated canopy gaps which accounted for 6 % of the canopy. UAV images and the resulting CHM represent a new visualization of the study site’s structure and can be a helpful tool in the communication of restoration outcomes to a wider audience. They are not, however, sufficient for monitoring or scientific applications. === Graduate |
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