The
Canadian Forest Ecosystem Classification can be thought of
as a "dictionary" of Canadian forest and woodland ecosystems.
It will integrate knowledge of vegetation communities in relation
to environmental gradients, such as regional climate and site-specific
moisture and nutrient regimes. The Canadian Forest Ecosystem
Classification will be effective for a broad range of applications,
from exchanging forest management information across provincial
and territorial boundaries, to identifying ecosystems with high
potential for biodiversity conservation.
![Eastern tolerant hardwood forest](/web/20061102171336im_/http://www.glfc.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/CFEC/images/fall_colours.jpg) |
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Currently,
provincial and territorial forest ecosystem classifications identify
and describe over 4,000 forest and woodland community types in Canada.
However, because each classification is only consistent within its
jurisdictional boundaries, direct comparison of the systems is not
possible. The objective of the Canadian Forest Ecosystem Classification
is to address this situation by correlating the provincial and territorial
classifications into a common national system. Furthermore, the
adoption of internationally standardized definitions will allow
Canadian Forest Ecosystem Classification types to correspond
to associations (plant communities) of the International Classification
of Ecological Communities in Canada and the United States. In
this way, forest and woodland ecosystems across Canada and the United
States will be described in common terms and communication of species-
and community-level ecological information will be facilitated within
Canada and internationally.
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![White birch forest](/web/20061102171336im_/http://www.glfc.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/CFEC/images/birches_sm.jpg) |
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The
Canadian Forest Ecosystem Classification will define and
describe forest and woodland communities using standardized criteria
and terminology. It will provide a consistent framework for applying
ecological knowledge of Canadian forests and woodlands to monitoring,
research, and reporting activities. The Canadian Forest Ecosystem
Classification will thus help to establish Canada as a world
leader in the application of ecosystem classification to sustainable
forest management, including both timber and non-timber values.
Such a classification is essential for extrapolating information
from local to national and global scales. The Canadian Forest
Ecosystem Classification will enhance the interpretive value
of spatial information products (e.g., the National Forest Inventory
and satellite-derived land cover schemes) by linking ground-derived
ecological attributes to them.
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