Managing Coarse Woody Debris in British Columbia’s Forests: A Cultural Shift for Professional Foresters?

Coarse woody debris (CWD) is recognized as an important component of British Columbia’s forest ecosystems linked to biodiversity and ecosystem processes. CWD represents high centers of biological interaction and energy exchange, symbolizing in many ways the complexity of forest ecosystems. Our research on lichens and bryophytes demonstrates that many species are either partially or entirely dependent on CWD. Long-term management of this resource is vital to maintain ecosystem integrity. Previous attempts to recommend province-wide CWD management practices were not successful because of potential increased logging costs and conflicts between utilization standards and recommended CWD volume targets. I demonstrate that small changes to existing forest practices will go a long way in minimizing impacts on the CWD resource without affecting logging costs or access to timber. I propose that a cultural shift in how foresters perceive CWD is a necessary ingredient to improve present practices. This paper promotes such a cultural shift by explaining key CWD management principles and by providing some operational examples.