The extension and communications activities of the Research Branch include a range of services designed to increase awareness of the Forest Science Program and its products, and to foster incoporation of new knowledge and research results into ministry policies and management practices. Yields are measured in terms of both volume and value, taking into account costs of treatments, and benefits of clear lumber and employment. Our silviculture and forest dynamics research encompasses a diverse range of topics, including establishment and monitoring of field experiments, vegetation management, hardwood and mixedwood management, forest regeneration and establishment, and site preparation. Ecosystem classification provides a fundamental basis for all forest research and has become an integral component of operational forest management decision-making.
Earth sciences addresses soil conservation, watershed processes, and climatology.
Soil conservation can be further divided into soil productivity, soil ecology, and soil rehabilitation activities. Watershed research includes watershed hydrology, geomorphology, and fish - forestry interactions. Forest Genetics Our Forest Genetics research program is one of the largest in Canada, covering issues in tree breeding and forest genetic resource management. The genetics program is comprised of a team of research scientists and technical and administrative staff based at Research Branch headquarters in Victoria, at Glyn Road Research Station and Cowichan Lake Research Station on Vancouver Island, and at Kalamalka Research Station near Vernon in the interior of British Columbia. Researchers are concentrating on developing seed transfer guidelines, including genecology of major and minor economic tree species, commercial breeding programs for nine major conifers, and genetic management and gene conservation of important forest species.