A COOPERATIVE, INTEGRATED PROJECT TO CLASSIFY FOREST SITES IN NEWFOUNDLAND

Most existing systems of forest site classification attempt to combine vegetation, soil, terrain, geology, climatic and hydrologic factors. The current paper describes an ongoing project to assess the relations hip of these factors to forest site capability in Newfoundland. Throug h the description and classification of forest inventory plots, this p roject is providing productivity data for species, descriptions of veg etational succession, growth and yield projections, as well as an indi cation of soil type variation within Forest Management Districts. The cooperative, multi-agency approach employed in this project has benefi ted all parties concerned, and has resulted in a mix of expertise and focus of resources that would not be possible within one agency. A lar ge and valuable bank of vegetation, soil and site data is being acquir ed. Elements of the project include: 1) establishment of permanent for est inventory sample plots, in Management Districts throughout the pro vince; 2) training of forest inventory crews so that they recognize fo rest vegetation, accurately prepare soil descriptions and undertake so il sampling; 3) laboratory analyses of soil samples for chemical and p hysical parameters, and integration of these results into the forest s ite classification; and, 4) formal reporting of the forest site classi fication, including improved descriptions of Damman Forest Site Types (FSTs) and soils.