Dominik Roeser

The forestry industry in British Columbia (BC) is facing increasing scrutiny and shifting forest management objectives. Despite its operational efficiency, conventional clearcutting has received growing criticism for its adverse environmental impacts. Dispersed retention harvesting, a form of variable retention first proposed by American forester Jerry Franklin (1997), has been promoted as a more environmentally friendly and socially acceptable approach. Although early trials suggested that retention harvesting increases operational costs only modestly, it has gained little popularity.In this study, we tested dispersed retention harvesting in coastal BC at two retention levels (10% and 30%) using both a conventional whole-tree (WT) system and a less common cut-to-length (CTL) system. Productivity and costs were evaluated using automated machine data collection supplemented by a time study. Results from the cost analysis were then used in an economic analysis to compare the profitability of conventional clearcutting and dispersed retention systems. A residual stand damage assessment was also conducted to examine how damage occurrence varied by harvesting system and retention level.Lower productivity and higher costs were observed in the high-retention stands than in the low-retention stands. The CTL system was more cost-effective than the WT system in tree-to-truck operations; however, the economic analysis indicated a much lower net present value (NPV) for CTL because of lower log value and higher secondary transportation costs. Clearcutting consistently yielded the highest NPV, followed by a shelterwood system in which the initially retained trees are harvested after understory establishment. Retention systems produced the lowest economic returns, and profitability was negatively correlated with retention level. Uncertainty in stand development predictions remains a key limitation to robust economic analysis.Residual stand damage was significantly lower in blocks harvested using the CTL system than in those harvested using the WT system. However, only a small proportion of residual trees were severely damaged. Windthrow remains the primary driver of post-harvest stand structure change. We conclude that retention harvesting is operationally feasible in coastal BC, but it is less economically competitive than conventional clearcutting or the shelterwood system.

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This thesis examines consultation processes in forest management in British Columbia and explores the potential role of a three-dimensional visualization platform in supporting communication within that process. While consultation in forest management has been widely studied, existing empirical work often examines actor groups in isolation, or specific First Nations consultation processes. This study addresses that gap by bringing together the perspectives of First Nations representatives, forestry practitioners, and provincial government staff within a single research design. Focusing on British Columbia in the context of FLPs, it provides insight into how consultation is experienced during a period of policy transition.A qualitative case study approach was used, grounded in the legislative and policy context of British Columbia. Twenty-two semi-structured interviews were conducted using purposive, snowball, and politically important sampling strategies. Interviews explored participants’ roles within consultation, their experiences of the process, and their evaluation of a three-dimensional visualization platform in terms of its perceived utility and relevance. Data were analyzed using a combined inductive and deductive approach, informed by collaborative governance theory and Sustainable Forest Management concepts, with a SWOT analysis applied to assess perceptions of the visualization tool.Findings indicate that consultation is shaped less by a lack of intent than by structural constraints. Participants across all groups described a system under strain, characterized by bureaucratic complexity, limited capacity, high staff turnover, and timelines that do not align with available resources. These pressures are compounded by uneven distributions of authority and responsibility, particularly for First Nations offices managing high volumes of referrals with limited staff. As a result, consultation processes tend to prioritize procedural compliance over substantive engagement, limiting the realization of co-governance objectives associated with DRIPA and UNDRIP. While the visualization platform was seen as having potential to support shared understanding, concerns were raised regarding accessibility, cost, institutional integration, and Indigenous data governance.The thesis concludes that digital tools may enhance communication within consultation but cannot address underlying structural issues. Meaningful progress depends on resourcing Indigenous participation, engaging earlier in planning processes, and making explicit decisions about how authority is shared in forest governance.

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Forest biomass utilization in British Columbia (BC) remains in its early stages due to limited incentives to shift from lower-cost local energy sources. This contrasts with substantial biomass waste, averaging 2.9 million m3 per year from 2019 to 2023. A significant portion of this waste contributes to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with slash pile burning (SPB)—a common regional practice—releasing an estimated 2.7 megatons (Mt) of CO₂ equivalent in 2021. To address deteriorating climate change, the provincial government has committed to reducing SPB and facilitating bioeconomy by promoting sustainable biomass use. Located in Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI), the Alex Fraser Research Forest (AFRF) recently installed a small-scale Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant to convert biomass from fuel treatments into on-site energy (heat and power). This initiative serves as a model for remote communities to harness biomass in the energy transition away from fossil fuels. However, BC lacks comprehensive research on biomass supply chains for small-scale CHP plants. This research addressed this gap by examining the optimal biomass supply chain for AFRF’s CHP plant, focusing on: 1) supply chain cost-efficiency and 2) biomass feedstock quality. The supply chain analysis evaluated configurations for two harvesting methods—non-delimbed and delimbed energy wood harvesting—alongside machinery size and chipping location. Findings indicated that the most cost-effective configuration for non-delimbed harvesting includes conventional feller-buncher and grapple skidder with storage site chipping, while it includes conventional harvester and forwarder with storage site chipping for delimbed energy wood harvesting. The quality analysis assessed woodchips based on moisture content, particle size distribution, bulk density, and ash content. Results showed that one-year naturally dried non-delimbed energy wood is the most suitable biomass source for the CHP plant, supplemented with artificial drying as needed. By integrating the findings, the thesis demonstrated an optimal biomass supply chain for the CHP plant, recommending conventional feller-buncher, conventional grapple skidder, and one-year natural drying at storage site, followed by chipping to produce qualified woodchips for the CHP supply. The biomass cost is around 160 CAD/ODT (delivered to the storage facility), covering felling, primary transportation, and chipping, depending on three different treatment objectives.

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Climate change has significantly impacted wildfire regimes in lodgepole pine forests, resulting in prolonged fire seasons and altered fire behavior. In North America, fire patterns have shifted towards more frequent and severe wildfires after a century of suppression. In response, silviculture practices in fire-prone areas aim to restore diverse forest structures that are resilient to wildfires. In Western Canada, interest in silvicultural solutions for promoting forest resilience to wildfires has increased following the devastating wildfire seasons between 2017 and 2023. Irregular shelterwood, a silvicultural system with a relatively short history in British Columbia, has been deployed in ecologically sensitive areas to promote structural heterogeneity and meet management goals for aesthetics, biodiversity, and wildlife. Although the impacts of irregular shelterwood on wildlife habitat and abundance have been well studied, the interaction between wildfire and the stand structure created by irregular shelterwood remains poorly understood. The effectiveness of irregular shelterwood in building wildfire resilience remains unclear. This thesis presents a study of a lodgepole pine stand treated with irregular shelterwood that partially burned in a wildfire in 2017. This study collected ground fuel, canopy fuel, and timber cruising data from four stand types (irregular shelterwood treated-burnt, treated-unburnt, untreated-burnt, and untreated-unburnt) and analyzed the difference in char height and fire-induced mortality between burnt and unburnt stands with irregular shelterwood treatment as a variable. The results demonstrated reduced wildfire effects in the irregular shelterwood stand. Additionally, the fuel data was used to generate an irregular shelterwood stand in US and Canadian fire models, and the model predictions of fire intensity and fire type were compared to field observations. The results agreed with field observations that irregular shelterwood resulted in moderated fire behavior. Moreover, fire models showed uncertainty in modeling fire behavior in stands with discontinuous canopy structure. The study provides valuable initial insights into the effectiveness of irregular shelterwood in mitigating wildfire risk and proposes a potential silvicultural solution to promote forest resilience to wildfire. The findings from fire modeling will also inform the applicability and accuracy of contemporary wildfire models in the lodgepole pine forests of interior British Columbia.

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This research investigates the role of tree planting configurations at the neighbourhood level toachieve maximum canopy cover and maximize synergies. The growth of urban forests in themost climate vulnerable sites can be part of mitigation and adaptation strategies that promotecollaboration between trans-departmental goals to combat increasing summer heat and otherthreats. Unfortunately, the areas which would benefit the most from having lush, healthy andextensive urban forests within a city are usually the ones that provide the least suitable places fortrees to establish and mature, especially in densifying urban areas. Common limitations tomaximize canopy cover in public land (i.e., where cities have ownership and managementresponsibilities of trees) include competition for space with existing infrastructure and minimalprotection for existing tree canopy and its maintenance. Therefore, this research uses GISmodelling to test multiple tree arrangement scenarios on public streets of a low-canopy coverneighbourhood in Vancouver, Canada with the purpose of achieving a goal relevant to its sizewithin the city-wide target of 30% canopy cover. Tree canopy is one among other metrics thatserve as a proxy to identify the quantity and quality of the urban forest. This investigation foundthat a low-canopy cover neighbourhood has the capacity to improve the contribution of streettrees to its total canopy cover as well as increase the canopy cover per street-segment, havingimplications in both thermal comfort and climate resilience.

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Slash-pile burning (SPB) of harvest residues continues to be a forestry management practice to reduce fuel loading and create space for planting. However, in British Columbia (BC), Canada, current estimates suggest the practice has contributed average annual greenhouse gas emissions of roughly 5 Mt CO₂e per year between 2002-2021. Furthermore, the practice prevents fiber from entering the bioeconomy, and produces substantial air pollution. This thesis aimed to answer the question: How can emissions from slash-pile burning be reduced in BC? This question was addressed using three distinct methodologies: (1) survey of BC forest professionals, (2) timber harvest modelling study evaluating the volume and location of residues generated during full-tree, clearcut harvesting in BC, and (3) an investigation of alternative practices which could feasibly replace SPB. The survey and investigation of alternatives helped to outline the current challenges of residue management in BC, including low market prices and high transportation and processing costs, challenging access to cutting areas with biomass trucks, and policy constraints impeding business-to-business opportunities for secondary utilization of residues. Next, timber cruising data were used to simulate residue production for 28 forest licenses across the province, using the FPInterface model. The analysis was carried out for the Coast, North, and South forest areas, and it was found that roughly 74 to 92% of merchantable harvest volume will be removed during harvest, while the remaining round wood will be left in the cutting area, along with the tops, branches, and foliage. It was also found that, of the total residue generated during harvesting, 69 to 80% will be delivered to the roadside for full-tree harvest systems. Finally, the investigation of alternatives identified 7 categories of alternative residue management practices which could feasibly replace SPB in the province. All the alternatives identified are expected to provide emissions reductions relative to SPB, while some also provide ecological benefits, or bioeconomy opportunities. This thesis demonstrates that current SPB emissions estimates are reliable, there are many alternative practices which can replace SPB in BC, and support will be needed to help promote a shift in management towards these more sustainable alternatives.

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Canada is home to 10% of the world’s forest and these forests play a major role in both carbon sequestration and storage and in supporting Canada in achieving its commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030 relative to a 2005 baseline. To date, Canada has largely overlooked the emission reduction opportunities that comes from using forest biomass for large-scale urban heating with district energy systems. By finding applications for forest biomass, a reduction in forest fuel accumulation or reducing natural losses is possible. Biomass-based heating technologies have long been deployed in Europe, particularly in European countries. However, in Canada there have been challenges to adopt large-scale biomass heating with concerns seeming to be centered around the capital cost feasibility and long-term forest sustainability. Using a case study approach, this project addresses these concerns through quantitively estimating the implications of managing forests for biomass fuels, an economic analysis of multiple supply chains for biomass procurement, and then finally a comparison of forest biomass with the community’s existing heating utilities. The study, which is in three phases, focuses on the delivery of wood chips from central Ontario to a potential biomass energy centre in Haliburton County. The first phase will be an analysis for the heat load demands of 4 distinct theoretical systems for Haliburton Village. The second phase will establish a baseline scenario according to the existing forest management practices, low-grade timber stock and the market climate for the local forest. The third phase will be a comparing the baseline in phase 2 with a shift towards managing the forest for more wood fuel. The results demonstrate the implications of: 1. Designing an appropriately sized district energy system 2. The economic analyses of different of supply chains available for biomass procurement 3. The changes in delivered cost biomass for the individual heating systems 4. The challenges and considerations that need to be made when establishing a supply chain. The results demonstrate a promising pathway to bioheat success, the impacts on the existing underutilized wood fibre market as well as an alternative fuel source for heat in Central Ontario.

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