NRMT 2270, Photogrammetry/Remote Sensing

Lecture 9

Ontario Ecological Land Classification

Tomislav Sapic GIS Technologist

Faculty of Natural Resources Management Lakehead University

Photointerpretation Manual for Ecosites in Ontario

• When it comes to ecosite classification, the presented concepts and provided directions will be by and large based on the OMNR’s Photo Interpretation Manual for Ecosistes in Ontario (OMNR 2010), written by Erin Banton, with help by Murray Radford, Don Cunningham, Hugh Devon, Eric Wilson, John Cybulski, Dave Johnston and Wayne Day of the Inventory Monitoring and Assessment Section of the Ministry of Natural Resources in Sault Ste Marie, Peter Barnett of the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines in Sudbury and Bill Wiltshire of Wiltshire and Associates.

Photointerpretation Minimum and maximum polygon size for forested and non-forested land within Forest Management

Units (FMUs):

• “Productive forest land of eight hectares or larger will be delineated. The minimum polygon size for productive forest lands can be reduced from eight to four hectares for areas of ecological or economic importance. • For polygons which are created from forest management activities and the supporting silvicultural records (e.g., harvest, renewal), the minimum polygon size is one hectare. • For non-productive or non-forested areas, the minimum polygon size is one hectare. • For practicality and cost considerations, only islands that are eight hectares or larger will be interpreted and delineated according to the above bullet points. Islands smaller than 8 hectares down to a lower limit of 0.0025 hectares or 25 square meters in size (e.g., 5 meters X 5 meters) will be classified simply as an island in the polygon type attribute (i.e., POLYTYPE = ISL). “ OMNR (2009). • The maximum polygon size is not prescribed but will be, inevitably, constricted by the physical conditions of the site.

Ontario Forest Resource Inventory

http://www.ontario.ca/environment-and-energy/forest-resources-inventory-technical-specifications

• Regulated Ontario forest resource inventory includes a wide range of forest stand and polygon descriptors.

• For the purpose of this course we are focusing on the ecosite designation, which involves a tree species description.

• The new FRI, created based on the Leica ADS imagery and new specifications, is also called enhanced FRI, or eFRI.

Delineation Procedure

Step one: The photo interpreter should review available information on substrates, geology and landforms to become familiar with local landscape patterns and the general spatial distribution of substrate conditions. Step two: Field samples (usually associated with FRI ground cruising, but also available from other sources) are collected and assembled to provide point-specific substrates and vegetation information to help the interpreter recognize local stand and site conditions. Step three: The interpreter initially divides the land base into categories, generally identifying the easily recognizable trends on the photo or image. For example, delineate all wetlands, road and utility corridors first and then work towards the more complex delineation of the forested land base. Step four: Within each substrate family polygon, forest stands are delineated in the traditional manner. Individual ecosites can then be identified by the substrate family in combination with the species composition of each stand. Experienced photo interpreters will likely combine steps three and four with due consideration of the substrate-based decisions in the placement of stand boundaries. Step five: The final step is to determine the complete code. For FRI purposes, the required ecosite code consists of the geographic range, unique ecosite number, vegetation cover, depth and chemistry modifiers.

The Order of the Photointerpretation Process

Source: OMNR (2010).

Background Information 1. Ground truth data – calibration plots.

2. Existing forest management data (silvicultural and harvesting activities, fires, insect and disease based deforestations).

3. Northern (or Southern) Ontario Engineering Geology Terrain Studies (NOEGTS/SOEGTS)

“Information Provided: NOEGTS/SOEGTS maps provide information on the distribution of landform features at a scale of 1:100,000. These maps describe ‘Terrain Units’ based on landform, mode of deposition, substrate material, topography, and drainage. The maps also indicate the locations of specific landforms, including sand dunes, beach ridges, escarpments, and eskers within the Terrain Units using map symbols. For some sheets, interpretive maps derived from the base information are available, e.g. Sand and Gravel Resources, and Engineering Capability maps. Complete NOEGTS studies include a written report which describes the Terrain Units in greater detail and summarizes major local occurrences of landforms and substrate materials. An overall user guide is also available for NOEGTS but not yet for SOEGTS.” (OMNR 2010)

NOEGTS/SOEGTS (cont’d) “Suggested use: These maps will provide a useful reference for determining the range of materials that may be expected in an area and the locations of major landforms. Due to the production scale of 1:100,000, some NOEGTS/SOEGTS polygons will contain a variety of substrate depths, textures and moisture regimes. Availability: Published NOEGTS/SOEGTS maps are available for north to central Ontario essentially covering all of the Canadian Shield, south of latitude 51oN and north of Lake Simcoe. Maps are produced by the Ontario Geological Survey and are available from offices of the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines in Sudbury and Thunder Bay.” (OMNR 2010). Information from the NOEGTS maps, i.e., polygons and their descriptions, is available in a digital format, as GIS files, as well. • Map with GIS NOEGTS layers (available on LU campus or through LU email user login). • http://www.mndm.gov.on.ca/en/mines-and-minerals/applications/ogsearth/geology-terrain-

noegts

The Rationale For Ecosites:

• Ecosites are intended to be an explicit spatial unit to facilitate major corporate ecological inventory in support of operational planning and program delivery. They are intended to be the primary (but not exclusive) operational inventory fabric for natural resources across the province. As such these units will provide the framework for operational planning of forest, wetlands, wildlife habitat and natural heritage applications.

Ecosite Classification

• Ecosite classification should be used on the photos for the period May – September for productive forest, bogs, and fens, and June – September for marshes.

Ecosite Code

Geographic Range Ecosite Number Vegetative Modifier

1 digit 3 digits 1 or 2 digits

Example: B164TtMn

Depth Chemistry

1 or 2 digits 1 digit

• Geographic ranges are used in the classification to capture inherent site variability between them.

Sub-arctic: A Boreal: B GLSL: G Southern: S

Secondary geographic ranges are used in certain situations.

Geographic Range B164TtMn

Vegetation cover describes and identifies the absolute vegetation cover of trees, shrubs, non-woody (herbaceous – forbs, graminoids, aquatic), and non-vascular (bryophyte and lichen) vegetation.

Crown Closure: The percent of ground area that is covered by the vertical projection of dominant and co-dominant tree crowns in a forested system on the ground.

Absolute Cover: The vegetation cover out of the entire polygon (stand), e.g. tree cover > 60%.

Relative Cover: Relative to a cover within the polygon, e.g. the proportion of total tree cover – Bw < 20% of total tree cover.

Vegetation Cover

Vegetative Modifier B164TtMn

Vegetation Cover: Tt – tall treed Tl – low treed S – shrub N – not woody X – not vegetated

Designations used in the broader codification; we will not use them.

Depth

On terrestrial mineral sites > 15 cm deep : S – shallow ( > 15 and ≤ 30 cm), M – moderate ( > 30 and ≤ 60 cm), MD – moderately deep ( > 60 and ≤ 120 cm), D – deep (> 120 cm over rock or bedrock or > 40 cm of organic material /floating mat).

On shallow sites ≤ 15 cm deep: R – rock (Depth of unconsolidated mineral material ≤ 5 cm or organic material ≤ 10 cm over coarse fragments or bedrock or > 80% of area is exposed bedrock or coarse fragments); VS – very shallow (Depth of unconsolidated mineral material > 5 cm to ≤ 15 cm over rock or bedrock, or depth of organic material > 10 cm but ≤ 40 cm overlying < 5

cm of mineral material.)

On organic sites on Key 10 the selection may include S – shallow and D – deep.

Depth B164TtMn

Chemistry

k – calcareous n – non-calcareous z - saline

The calcareousness (presence of calcium carbonate) of rock significantly influences the diversity and abundance of vegetation. Non-Calcareous Rock The Boreal and Great Lakes St. Lawrence ecosite ranges will default to non-calcareous rock except where ground data verifies calcareous. Non-calcareous rock is also assumed for the Frontenac Axis (near Kingston, Ontario) in the Southern ecosite range. Calcareous Rock The Sub-Arctic and Southern ecosite ranges will default to calcareous rock except where ground data verifies non-calcareous. The Frontenac Axis is the exception and will be classified as non-calcareous.

Chemistry B164TtMn

Tree Species Abbreviations

• The overstorey species composition attribute identifies the tree species in

the stand (or in just the uppermost canopy layer if the stand canopy contains

two or more distinct layers), along with the percentage of cover that each tree

species occupies within the canopy. (OMNR 2009).

• Tree species percentages in the species composition is expressed down to

10%, rounded to 10%, and sorted from the highest to the lowest percentage.

For example, Po50Pj30Sb10Bw10.

Ecosite Number B164Tt

• The ecosite number is determined by using the Ecosite Key. (Currently used is the field key, a key specifically tailored to photointerpretation is in the making by the MNR) • The key consists out of the Key to the Keys and the individual keys themselves.

Main entries to the Key of the Keys: - moisture regime - soil texture - soil depth

Moisture Regimes

• Moisture regimes will be determined based on the stand position on the slope.

Dry to fresh : 0, 1 Moist and very moist: 4, 5, 6

Wet: 7, 8, 9 Dry to fresh : 0,

1, 2, 3

Key to the Keys Nodes and Notes to Individual Keys

Decision Node 1

Def: Distinguishes shorelines, mud flats, inter-tidal zones and near shore areas where high salt concentrations influence vegetation. Delineation Notes: High water mark; tidal flats. Landforms and Landscape Context: Association with shorelines, beaches, cliffs, bluffs and tidal flats; distinct patterns of landforms; within close proximity to the ocean.

Decision Node 2

Def: Identifies sites that have significant physical and/or chemical alteration by human activity, and have no real natural analogue. These ‘anthropogenic’ sites include the hard or compacted surfaces, including pavement, concrete, and other re-surfaced materials like gravel, fills ( > 30 cm deep), waste disposal, quarries, and aggregate pits. Please note that this node does not include sites subjected to lesser alterations like forestry, recreation (e.g. parks), agricultural practices, sand/gravel excavation, water channels/collection areas and stabilized shores. Delineation Notes: Follow the border between the altered area and ‘non-anthropogenic sites.

Decision Node 3

Def: Distinguishes sites that have evidence of human presence and where minimal substrate alteration has occurred such as: residential areas, utilities (e.g. hydro, gas, water, sewage) or commercial/industrial areas (e.g. car manufacturing plants, mills, power plants). Delineation Notes: Residential UCL-U999 – areas altered by human activities, such as building and maintenance of cottage lots, heavily used/road access campgrounds or recreation areas, sub-divisions. Utilities UCL-U998 – utilities (e.g. hydro, gas, water, sewage); delineate the outside edge of the UCL polygon (e.g. the outer edge of the right of way for a hydro or gas line). Commercial/Industrial UCL-U997 – the whole sites of manufacturing plants, mills, school campuses.

B005xn

U999

U998

B142Nn

B055TtMn

Decision Node 4

Def: Distinguishes sites where excess moisture or flooding poses an environmental limitation on the growth and establishment of vegetation. Sites with the water table near, at or above the substrate surface for much of the year acts as a significant ecological driver, and encourages the growth of hydrophytic vegetation. These sites include all those that are nearly always flooded (i.e. limnetic) and the periodically flooded hydric substrates; including all very moist mineral materials and saturated rock (MR = 6), and the saturated or wet organic materials (MR = 7, 8, 9). Delineation Notes: Generally, hydric ecosites appear level while the adjacent uplands will have a detectable slope. Delineate the boundary of the hydric ecosite using the edge of the slope as a guide. Trees in the hydric ecosites often increase in height in a narrow band immediately adjacent to the upland due to oxygen and mineral-charged waters draining off the slope. This increase in tree height may obscure the bottom edge of the slope. Therefore, in low relief situations push the hydric ecosite boundary slightly onto the perceived edge of the slope. Landforms and Landscape Context: Hydric ecosites occur on all types of landscapes and materials (e.g. bedrock, till, lacustrine, alluvial, glaciofluvial, and aeolian) in topographic situations with restricted drainage.

Decision Node 5

Def: Identifies those sites which are controlled by the environmental limitations imposed by bedrock or rock substrates. The surface of these sites are mostly exposed rock surfaces, but typically have a mosaic pattern, with surficial mineral materials not exceeding 5 cm deep, or organic materials not exceeding 10 cm deep. Delineation Notes: They appear as a light and dark mottled pattern on air-photos and imagery. Because of the severe environmental limitations, the vascular vegetation cover does not exceed 25% cover, yet the bryophyte, lichen and algal communities may thrive. This node distinguishes vertical as well as horizontal rock surfaces, and includes cliffs, talus, barrens, and shorelines. Landforms and Landscape Context: The rock in any rock ecosite must be described as either non-calcareous or calcareous. One source of information to aid in this decision making process is the map on the next slide, where the Paleozoic Bedrock is calcareous, Mesozoic Bedrock is calcareous and the Precambrian Bedrock is non-calcareous. Other sources would include information or experiential/field knowledge from the MNR District and Industry staff for the areas being photo interpreted as well as the calibration plot data for collected on stands within that management unit.

Decision Node 6

Def: Describes mineral sites which have environmental limitations imposed by either ongoing gravitational induced erosion, or by high energy inputs, and are actively inhibiting vegetation establishment and growth. When mineral slopes exceed a vertical height of 3 m, with a slope that exceeds 60 degrees (or 173%), mass wasting erosion events typically occur with some periodicity. These ‘landslide’ events remove the vegetation and reset the ‘successional clock’ on the site. Similarly, high energy sites, like active shorelines, inhibit plant establishment and growth, and maintain very little vegetation cover. As a result of these active processes, vegetation cover on such sites does not exceed 25% cover. Delineation Notes: Bluffs are vertical mineral faces which must be > 3 m tall and a slope > 60 degrees (173%) but if these criteria are not met then the site cannot be classified as a bluff but as a mineral barren. Landforms and Landscape Context: Active ecosites are those that are continually influenced and altered by wind, water, gravity or humans. They are distinctly not vegetated and can be easily identified based on the surrounding landscape. The beaches are associated directly with a large water body which creates shoreline processes that maintain the not vegetated status.

Decision Node 7

Def: Identifies that once the more severe environmental limitations have been distinguished, the next level of ecological limitation to influence vegetation patterns is the depth of the mineral materials. The vegetation cover tends to be intermediate between the more severely limited sites and the less limited sites, typically with gaps between crowns and open canopies. Delineation Notes: Ecosites on very shallow soils are considered to have > 50% of the polygon area with < 15 cm of mineral soil over rock. Soil < 15 cm deep does not support good tree growth. Jack pine, when present, often has a shrubby or wolfish appearance. The stand usually appears patchy: treeless areas of exposed bedrock are interspersed with individual clumps of trees in pockets of soil, giving the impression of generally low stocking. The treed patches may be randomly distributed, or follow bedrock surface features, and are usually irregular in shape, but may be linear, following ravines, cracks and ledges with deeper soil. Windthrow may be evident, especially adjacent to open patches of exposed rock. An exception to this is shallow soil areas with fine textured soils. Such areas can support good tree growth with corresponding higher site classes. Landforms and Landscape Context: Very shallow substrates occur on flat or level terrain on bedrock plateaus, and rock plains. Very shallow substrates on hummocky terrain are associated with bedrock knobs, while on rugged, jagged, or cliffy terrain, they are associated with rock hummocks, ledges, or ridges.

Decision Node 8

Def: Identifies that once 15 cm of mineral substrate, plus organics, is exceeded, other more subtle gradients of the types of mineral materials present and the moisture become the drivers affecting vegetation. This node distinguishes those areas on the landscape that have coarser textured sandy soils and are in upper, water shedding topographic positions. The combination of the less fertile coarser sands, that have rapid to very rapidly drainage, leads to some limitations and extended periods of drought (MR < 1), the ecological drivers here. Such droughty substrates are the most moisture limited, and often lead to secondary ecological influences like fire, and direct the assembly of the vegetation communities. Delineation Notes: Dry sandy soils often support vegetation cover that contrasts (different species, degrees of crown closure, tree height) with the surrounding landscape. With level sand plains, use these changes in vegetation in combination with a change in topography (e.g. to low-lying flat wetland forest or to hummocky till or bedrock- controlled terrain) to delineate the boundary of the dry sandy area. With ridged or hummocky features (eskers, dunes, kames, moraines), use the point of inflection of the side slopes to delineate the dry sandy soil from adjacent fresh and/or moist soil. This change in slope will usually be accompanied by a change in species composition, but the vegetation boundary may be gradual and rather obscure. Lower slopes tend to have higher moisture content and will more likely have fresh moisture regimes. Landforms and Landscape Context: Sandy glaciofluvial (produced by stream action) landforms include outwash plains, eskers, esker complexes, kames, kettle and kame sequences, and sand dunes. Sandy lacustrine deposits (formed by lakes) include beach ridges, and sandy lake plains. Coarse till deposits include end moraines, interlobate moraines, and recessional moraines.

Decision Node 9

Def: Once 15 cm of mineral substrate, plus organics, is exceeded, other more subtle gradients of the types of mineral materials present and the moisture become the drivers affecting vegetation. These sites are typically on upper to mid slope, water shedding topographic positions. With the increase in finer particles (silts and clays), fertility is higher, and moisture is typically adequate, yet may experience short to intermediate periods of drought. Delineation Notes: Fresh soil indicators include increasing stand components of jack pine, red pine, trembling aspen and white birch, red maple, sugar maple and beech. Moist soils are associated with an increasing stand component of black spruce, white cedar, white spruce and yellow birch in comparison to fresh soils. Aspen and jack pine occurring on moist soil usually have lower site class than on fresh soil. On gentle to moderate terrain, start at the wetland, lake or waterway boundaries, and work up-slope until a change in vegetation is apparent, using vegetation indicators. On concave slopes, if a change in gradient is evident, use this as a guide to the boundary. In steep terrain, the point of inflection near the bottom of the slope usually corresponds to the change between fresh and moist soil conditions. Use the change in slope gradient rather than vegetation indicators on steep gradients. Moist soils at the bottom of steep slopes are often associated with telluric water flow (mineral and oxygen-charged seepage flow). Spruces, balsam fir and white pine flourish under these conditions and may exhibit high site class. Landforms and Landscape Context: Landforms with fresh to moist, coarse-textured substrates include shallow till over bedrock, ground moraine, hummocky ablation moraine, drumlins, end moraines, recessional moraines, low-lying depressions in sandy outwash, glaciofluvial deltas, and the level flanks of esker ridges and kames.

Decision Node 10

Def: This node distinguishes sites which are sandy to coarse loamy and are on the fresh to moist end of the moisture gradients (MR = 4 or 5). These sites are typically on mid to lower slope, water accumulating topographic positions. With the increase in finer particles (silts and clays), fertility is higher, and moisture is more than adequate, for the growth and establishment of the vegetation. Delineation Notes: Moist soils are associated with an increasing stand component of black spruce, white cedar, white spruce and yellow birch in comparison to fresh soils. Other moist soil indicators, such as scattered pockets or individuals of cedar and larch may be present. On gentle to moderate terrain, start at the wetland, lake or waterway boundaries, and work up-slope until a change in vegetation is apparent. On concave slopes, if a change in gradient is evident, use this as a guide to the boundary. In steep terrain, the point of inflection near the bottom of the slope usually corresponds to the change between fresh and moist soil conditions. Use the change in slope gradient rather than vegetation indicators on steep gradients. Landforms and Landscape Context: Landforms with fresh to moist, coarse-textured substrates include shallow till over bedrock, ground moraine, hummocky ablation moraine, drumlins, end and recessional moraines, low-lying depressions in sandy outwash, glaciofluvial deltas, and the level flanks of esker ridges and kames.

Decision Node 11

Def: To delineate fresh clayey, silty or fine loamy (MR ≤ 3) from moist (MR ≥ 4) clayey, silty or fine loamy mineral substrates that range from shallow to deep (> 15 cm deep over bedrock). Delineation Notes: Starting at the wetland, lake or waterway boundaries, work up-slope until a change in vegetation is apparent, using the vegetation indicators listed in the related manual. This usually occurs in middle to lower slope positions with fine substrates. On level terrain, a point of inflection of the slope (point where the slope gradient changes from concave to convex) may not be apparent, but when present it is a useful guide to the boundary between fresh and moist substrates. Landforms and Landscape Context: Glaciolacustrine plains, floodplains and deltas associated with modern lakes, and alluvial substrates adjacent to rivers.

References: OMNR. 2009. Forest Information Manual Resource Inventory Technical Specifications. OMNR. 2010. Photo Interpretation Manual for Ecosites in Ontario. Unpublished manuscript.