The Tree and Stand Simulator (TASS) has been used for over 20 years in British Columbia to generate yield tables for managed stands. In order to explore the impacts of weed control on site productivity we chose two vegetation management research trials where 10-to 15-year post-treatment data were available (Boston Bar and Mica research sites). Tree survival and height growth results were used to adjust the TASS input parameters to simulate the various brushing treatments. At the Boston Bar site, all vegetation reduction treatments shortened the Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca [Beissn.] Franco) physical rotation age by up to 10 years and culmination mean annual increment (cMAI) was increased 8% to 11% relative to the untreated control. At the Mica site, the glyphosate and all repeated manual cutting treatments resulted in a shortening of the Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii Parry) rotation age by seven years and increased cMAI by approximately 11% to12%.
The 6th IUFRO Workshop on Connection between Forest Resources and Wood Quality: Modelling Approaches and Simulation Software.
Futures thinking is an increasingly popular approach to solving complex environmental problems because it offers a framework to consider potential and desirable futures. It is also possible to create highly participatory future planning processes that incorporate the perspectives, beliefs, and values of resource users. In 2019, a group of fisheries stakeholders in Nunatsiavut, an Inuit land claim region in northern Labrador, began a target seeking scenario planning process to help them create a vision for the future of commercial fisheries in the region. Through this process, the group hoped to not only create a vision of Inuit-led fisheries but also to advance communication, collaboration, and learning for the group. In this paper, we reflect on the process we underwent over the past few years, including the research design, data collection and analysis, and the results of the project to broadly consider the strengths and weaknesses of participatory scenario planning for Indigenous governance. Reflecting on the process that we undertook provides important, experience-based knowledge for future projects. The elevation of Inuit voices makes this vision specific to the region and reframes fisheries as a tool for cultural and political rejuvenation in the region.
Many caribou populations are declining across the Circumpolar North, presenting challenges for many Indigenous Peoples who have deep and enduring relationships with this animal. In Labrador, Canada, caribou herds have recently experienced population declines, including the George River herd, which has dropped by 99% from its peak, leading to the enactment of a total hunting ban in 2013 issued by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. The decline and subsequent hunting ban have affected various aspects of Inuit well-being. Using Inuit-led multi-media methods, this project heard voices of Inuit across the Nunatsiavut and NunatuKavut regions in Labrador, Canada, which (1) described the importance of caribou for Inuit social connections, (2) explored the ways in which the changes in caribou populations and management strategies are influencing these social connections, and (3) discussed the meaning and value of these social connections for Inuit well-being and the sustainability of Inuit-caribou relationships into the future. Data from video interviews (Nunatsiavut region: n = 54; NunatuKavut region: n = 30) were collected and analyzed using video and photography-based methods. Results characterized how caribou are important social connectors: human-caribou relationships are core to Inuit socialization, inter-connection, and shared experience and memory regarding families, communities, and food and knowledge sharing across Labrador's landscape. Thus, declines in caribou populations and associated social interaction have had serious implications for Inuit identity, livelihoods, emotional well-being, cultural continuity, and knowledge transfer. In order to support the broader social-ecological system and the well-being of those who are connected to caribou, increased understanding and integration of these social connections into caribou-related decision making and research is recommended.
Increasingly there is recognition of the need for new governance and decision-making models in natural resource management that uphold the rights and knowledge systems of Indigenous peoples. These models would support access to and sovereignty over natural resources including fisheries and wild harvested foods. However, research in northern Indigenous communities continually focuses on country foods and subsistence harvests and does not consider the important role of commercial fisheries. It is key to investigate how Inuit cultures and commercial fisheries are linked to understand how fisheries governance should be directed. Through an iterative interview process, we identify values and principles held by Labrador Inuit fishers and fisheries managers regarding the commercial fishing industry, outlining an interconnected set of values that ground how Labrador Inuit relate to the fisheries today. Drawing on the literature, we contrast the current fisheries management paradigm with the values that arise from this study. By identifying and articulating a system of values held by Labrador Inuit in relation to the commercial fishing industry, we articulate a set of principles to inform a desirable and just future for commercial fisheries. This represents a new conceptual model for Inuit commercial fisheries, one that speaks to the resilience of Labrador Inuit, and frames the industry as having value beyond its material dimensions, to include political self-determination, traditional use, and cultural identity.
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