Forest Technology

This course is an introductory study of water in our environment including its properties, the natural processes which affect it, climate and weather, and practical experience in the collection and analyses of field and laboratory data using standard techniques and equipment.

This course covers the practical use of common survey instruments and techniques used by environmental technicians. As well, the course will introduce the student to various sampling methods used to collect, assess, classify, and evaluate field data. Emphasis is placed on the proper care and use of basic surveying and measurement tools and the skills involved in collecting and interpreting precise and accurate field data.

This course is an introduction to the basics of Botany and Ecosystem Classification. Botany lectures will focus on plant classification, botanical terms, plant morphology, and plant physiology. Topics include: plant cells, tissues, and organ structure and function, photosynthesis and respiration transpiration and translocation. During botany labs, students will learn to identify about 100 native plants commonly found in the West Kootenay Region of BC.

Ecology lectures will focus on ecosystem classification using the Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification System (BEC) of BC. Other key topics include the study of climatic factors and climate change, disturbance and succession, and landscape and stand structure. Ecology labs focus on classifying ecosystems (including soils, site and vegetation) to site series using BEC. Labs are mainly field based.

This course will cover the identification of common rocks and minerals, landforms and soils of British Columbia. Learners will be introduced to the study of physical geology and geomorphology in relation to management of the forest environment and landscape. Learners will gain skills and knowledge in rock and mineral identification, description of the physical and chemical qualities of soils, and identification and classification of landforms and terrain. Skills will also be developed with respect to interpretation of geology, landforms and soils for environmental management.

This course builds on computer skills students have previously acquired. Applied intermediate to advanced computer applications specific to career opportunities in the environment and geomatics sector are covered including file management, word processing for report writing, spreadsheets and an introduction to databases.

This is an applied math course, focusing on the technical math skills required in Renewable Resources work. Topics include: computation, 2-D and 3-D trigonometry, conversion factors, derived and empirical formulas, exponentials and logarithms, and map scales.

Prerequisites:

Principles of Math 11, Principles or Applications of Math 12, Math 80 or equivalent.

A review of basic English skills is undertaken in this course. Also included is an introduction to general principles in written technical communication and its application to renewable resource management. Classroom sessions focus on developing writing skills, academic research and documentation, the organization and interpretation of data, oral presentation skills, and job search techniques.

This course emphasizes the practical application of maps and air photos in resource management. Students become familiar with types of maps and air photos, indexing systems, using maps and air photos in the field, map reading and measuring techniques, photo interpretation and measuring techniques, obtaining data for mapping, stratification of air photos, and remote sensing techniques. This course will also cover web-based remote sensing technologies and applications in environmental management.

This half-semester course is an introduction to geographic information systems (GIS) theory and applications. Participants will become familiar the basic GIS concepts and apply GIS technologies to environmental, renewable resource management, and planning fields. Emphasis will be placed on how geographic data is represented, collected, managed, analyzed, and displayed using GIS tools. Hands-on experience will be developed with the most widely used and comprehensive desktop GIS software, ESRI’s ArcGIS Desktop.

This 1/2 semester course will cover the navigation skills required in the workforce. The focus is on hands-on use of navigation tools in field settings including map, air photo, compass, altimeter, and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) techniques. Pre-trip planning in a navigation context will also be covered including developing access plans and route plans, and estimating travel times. This course will build on skills introduced in ENVR 160 Surveying and Field Measurements and ENVR 154 Applied Mapping and Remote Sensing courses.

Corequisites:

This course builds upon the concepts from ENVR 162 with further studies of local forest ecosystems. Students will identify key forest structural components and study the role that disturbance (such as fire), environmental gradients, and competition play in defining a species’ niche. Participants will also examine the role of primary and secondary growth, nutrient uptake, reproduction, and survival mechanisms for plants. Winter plant identification, ecosystem form and function, and plant adaptations to timberline will also be examined. A practical field based assignment will form a major portion of the term assessment.

This course will cover identification and ecology of vertebrate animals, habitat requirements, and habitat disturbance implications. Learners will gain experience in applying guidelines and management strategies to minimize impact of other resource uses on fish and wildlife habitat and species.

This course covers standard tests and techniques of statistics and the application of these statistical measures in renewable resources management.

Prerequisites:

Successful completion of MATH 160.

An introduction to general principles in written technical communication and oral presentation. Lectures focus upon business correspondence, the informal and formal report, technical style, and graphic illustration. Students practice delivery techniques for oral presentations of technical data in renewable resource management. Collaborative activities and teamwork skills are practiced and encouraged.

Prerequisites:

TWC 150.

This course is made up of ten days of practical field work at the end of the Winter semester. Major projects are planting, silvicultural measurements, juvenile spacing, and field mapping and engineering. This course is scheduled for two weeks (seventy hours) after final exams in late April.

Prerequisites:

Successful completion of all first year courses.

This course prepares the students for immediate employment as a forest technician in British Columbia through instruction in silvicultural theory, the application of silvicultural treatments and the use of sampling to monitor silviculture activities. Ecological, operational, economic, and legislative considerations will be presented. The emphasis of this course is on the silvics of southern interior tree species, silviculture surveys, reforestation (natural and artificial regeneration), site preparation, field assessments and preparation of logical and feasible reforestation prescriptions. Field and office case studies are used throughout.

Prerequisites:

All first year courses.

This course covers the planning and establishment of natural resource road access including total chance access planning, assessing terrain/slope stability and potential environmental impacts of road construction, route corridor reconnaissance, road location techniques, road standards, survey and design, road construction methods, bridges and drainage structures, road management strategies as well as the applicable legislation, permits and methods of estimating construction costs. The course also reviews basic forest hydrology principles and the effects that resource road construction and/or forest harvesting might have on the hydrology of a forested site or small watershed.

Prerequisites:

All first year courses.

A study of the policies and procedures used for timber cruising, log scaling and waste and residue assessment in British Columbia. Using timber valuation as a focal point, emphasis is placed on field data collection techniques, sampling methods, statistics and data compilation. The opportunities associated with forest carbon offset projects and woody biomass utilization will be explored. The roles of the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations and the forest industry are also explored in class and through onsite tours of local forest manufacturers.

Prerequisites:

All first year courses.

This course provides enhanced and new skills related to the successful management of forest ecosystems. The course emphasis is on applied ecological principles, data collection and analysis, and the applied use of relevant legislation and guidebooks. Subject matter includes studies of landscape and stand level ecology, soils and terrain assessment, riparian management areas, vegetation complexes, watersheds, and biodiversity. All subject areas are covered in the classroom and in the field.

This course consists of an extensive field examination of a wide range of prominent forest health agents and conditions. This includes field recognition, biology, ecological role and forest management implications of various forest insects, fungi and abiotic agents. Other topics include the recognition and management of invasive weed species, assessment of forest health agents in conjunction with silviculture surveys and harvesting prescriptions, management of root diseases and assessment of bark beetle occurrences.

The objective of this course is for each student to complete an applied research project that has both a field-based data collection component, and a literature-based research component. Although each student may choose a topic of personal interest within the field forest resource management, the project must be approved by the advising instructor and be relevant within the forest resource industry. Students will receive instruction on how to conduct field research and produce a technical report. Students will select a research topic and faculty advisor, write a research proposal, produce a technical report and give a presentation on their project at the annual SEG conference at the end of the winter semester. The technical report research reopaper must conform to either the prescribed format provided, or a format agreed upon with the supervising instructor. This course spans the fall and winter semesters. Students will receive a "course in progree" (CIP) grade in the fall until the research is completed in the winter semester.

This course introduces students to the Aboriginal peoples of Canada and their role in resource management. Topics will include Aboriginal cultures, languages and governance, history since contact and the Indian Act, Aboriginal rights and associated landmark court cases, BC treaty process and interim agreements, the Heritage Conservation Act, and working effectively with Aboriginal peoples. In addition, from a Traditional Ecological Knowledge perspective, learners will engage in team-lead projects involving ecosystem-based management, sustainable management, and environmental management systems. This course involves a team-based model of learning and active participation in scenarios and round table discussions.

Resource Management in British Columbia has become more complex and so the need for clear presentation of ideas, plans, and strategies is more important than ever before. The content of ENVR 290 will address software used for the assembly, display and presentation of renewable resource information. Preparing submission quality maps using Softree and ArcGIS software will be emphasized.

In the spring of the fourth semester, second year students will participate in a field trip to study away from the Castlegar Campus. The field trip provides an opportunity for students to see, first-hand, current management practices, ecosystems and resource management issues in other regions of the province. Students will be actively involved in trip planning and will be presented with opportunities to develop communication skills, job finding skills and professionalism.

This course is available only to students registered in the second year of the Forestry program.

This course is a continuation of Forestry 250. Treatments studied include seed and cone collection, and stand tending (juvenile spacing, commercial thinning, pruning, brushing and weeding, and fertilization) and selection of appropriate silviculture systems and development of silviculture and stand management prescriptions. All topics are studied in the classroom and in the field.

Prerequisites:

FOR 250 and Fall term second year courses.

This course serves as an introduction to the prominent legislation which directs forest management practices and forest tenures in British Columbia. Topics include: current issues, administration and ownership, access to legislation, introduction to forest tenures, review of main legislation, decision-making and financial analysis, rsource sustainability, and allowable annual cut determination. As well this course explores the Acts and Regulations affecting forest management in BC, the rights to harvest timber, the tenure system, appraisals and value of timber, elements of the Forest and Range Practice Act, private land management, and resource managment ethics.

Prerequisites:

FOR 252.

An in-depth examination of total chance harvest planning; harvest systems including, ground, cable and aerial; layout considerations; log transport; and the environmental impacts of harvesting operations.

Prerequisites:

FOR 260.

This winter semester course expands on materials presented in the Forest Health Management Course.
Emphasis is placed on the biology, ecological role and management strategies for selected insect defoliators,
bark beetles, wood and boring insects, stem and foliage diseases, dwarf mistletoes, stem decays and exotic
species. The class also examines the assessment of danger trees, agents found in the forest nurseries, cone and
seed damage and natural population regulation mechanisms.