Forest Ecology and Management (BSc Program)
Hugues Massicotte, Professor Emeritus
Katherine Parker, Professor Emerita
Ken Otter, Professor and Chair
Annie Booth, Professor
Philip Burton, Professor
Mark Dale, Professor
Ian Hartley, Professor
Dezene Huber, Professor
Chris Johnson, Professor
Kathy Lewis, Professor
Brent Murray, Professor
Oscar Venter, Professor, and Forest Renewal BC Endowed Chair in Growth and Yield and Forest Valuations
Ché Elkin, Associate Professor, and FRBC/Slocan Mixed Wood Ecology Chair (Ecosystem Science and Management)
Scott Green, Associate Professor
Lisa Poirier, Associate Professor
Paul Sanborn, Associate Professor
Lisa Wood, Associate Professor
Samuel Bartels, Assistant Professor
Michael Preston, Assistant Professor
Arthur Fredeen, Adjunct Professor
Marten Geertsema, Adjunct Professor
Chris Opio, Adjunct Professor
John Pousette, Adjunct Professor
Jeanne Robert, Adjunct Professor
Willard Strong, Adjunct Professor
Mark Thompson, Adjunct Professor
Jenia Blair, Senior Lab Instructor
Saphida Migabo, Senior Lab Instructor
Roy Rea, Senior Lab Instructor
Website: www.unbc.ca/forestry
The Forest Ecology and Management degree provides students with a thorough understanding of the science, philosophy, and practice of managing forested ecosystems. Through study and active learning experiences, students obtain a consistent and broad background in course work that encompasses foundational and integrative topics. Given the range of knowledge and expertise needed to effectively manage and conserve forested ecosystems, students are provided an opportunity to select a minor and pursue a specialisation consistent with the overall objectives of the degree. Although the degree is designed to expose students to contemporary knowledge and techniques drawn from a variety of disciplines in the natural and social sciences, students are encouraged to challenge conventional knowledge paradigms and approaches to forest management. The Forest Ecology and Management degree is accredited by the Canadian Forestry Accreditation Board and meets certification requirements for the Association of BC Forest Professionals. The University has two research forests (Aleza Lake Research Forest, John Prince Research Forest) available to students in this program.
Major in Forest Ecology and Management (BSc)
Major in Forest Ecology and Management (BSc Honours)
Minor in Forest Recreation
Minor in Natural Resources Planning and Operations
Major in Forest Ecology and Management
The minimum requirement for completion of a Bachelor of Science with a major in Forestry is 123 credit hours.
Program Requirements
100 Level
BIOL 103-3 | Introductory Biology I |
BIOL 104-3 | Introductory Biology II |
BIOL 123-1 | Introductory Biology I Laboratory |
BIOL 124-1 | Introductory Biology II Laboratory |
CHEM 100-3 | General Chemistry I |
CHEM 101-3 | General Chemistry II |
CHEM 120-1 | General Chemistry Lab I |
CHEM 121-1 | General Chemistry Lab II |
ECON 100-3 | Microeconomics |
MATH 152-3 | Calculus for Non-majors |
NREM 100-3* | Field Skills |
NREM 101-3 | Introduction to Natural Resource Management and Conservation |
NRES 100-3 | Communications in Natural Resources and Environmental Studies |
*Note: Applications for exemption from NREM 100-3 must be made within the first year of study in this degree.
200 Level
BIOL 201-3 | Ecology |
ENSC 201-3 | Weather and Climate |
FSTY 201-3 | Forest Plant Systems |
FSTY 205-3 | Introduction to Soil Science |
FSTY 207-1 | Terrestrial Ecological Classification |
FSTY 209-4 | Forest Biology and Silvics |
GEOG 204-3 | Introduction to GIS |
or GEOG 205-3 | Cartography and Geomatics |
GEOG 210-3 | Introduction to Earth Science |
NREM 203-3 | Resource Inventories and Measurements |
STAT 240-3 | Basic Statistics |
Upper Division Requirement
300 Level
ENVS 326-3 | Natural Resources, Environmental Issues and Public Engagement |
FSTY 305-4 | Silviculture |
FSTY 307-3 | Disturbance Ecology and Forest Health |
FSTY 310-3 | Forest Economics |
or NREM 306-3 | Society, Policy and Administration |
FSTY 317-1 | Forest Disturbance Agents |
NREM 303-3 | Aboriginal Perspectives to Resource Management |
NREM 333-3 | Field Applications in Resource Management |
400 Level
ENVS 414-3 | Environmental and Professional Ethics |
FSTY 405-3 | Forest Ecosystem Modelling |
FSTY 408-3 | Forest Practices and Management |
NREM 400-4 | Natural Resources Planning |
NRES 421-1 | Professional Writing |
and NRES 422-2 | Undergraduate Report |
or NRES 430-6 | Undergraduate Thesis |
Minor Requirement Associated With the Forest Ecology and Management Degree
Forest Ecology and Management students are required to complete a minor as part of their degree. The eligible minors will allow students to gain a solid foundation in numerous specialized areas of forest management.
Eligible minors include:
- Biology and Conservation
- Earth Sciences
- Environmental Planning
- Environmental Science
- Environmental Studies
- Forest Recreation
- General Business
- Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
- Global Environmental Change
- Indigenous Ecological Knowledge
- Natural Resources Planning and Operations
- Social Dimensions of Natural Resource Management
- Soils and the Environment
Minors have different credit hour requirements, but for all minors 12 credit hours must be at the upper division (i.e., 300 or 400 level). Students must ensure that all prerequisite courses have been completed for elective choices in each minor. Beyond the specific minor requirements, students must complete elective credit hours as necessary to ensure completion of a minimum of 123 credit hours.
BSc Honours - Forest Ecology and Management
The Honours in Forest Ecology and Management offers students a higher level of education and research experience for proceeding to post graduate studies. Honours students are required to complete the degree requirements for the BSc Natural Resources Management (Forest Ecology and Management Major). In addition, required hours of elective credits must be at the 300 or 400 level and each student must complete a 6 credit-hour research thesis under the supervision of a faculty member.
Entry into the Honours Program takes place after the completion of 60 credit hours and requires a minimum Cumulative GPA of 3.33. Attaining the minimum requirement does not guarantee entry into the Honours Program, which is at the discretion of the Ecosystem Science and Management Program. Maintenance of a Cumulative GPA of 3.33 is required to remain in the Honours Program.
Elective credit hours are determined to be the number of credit hours needed to ensure completion of a minimum of 123 credit hour, not including thesis.
NOTE: Students are responsible for finding their own undergraduate thesis research supervisor. Faculty members are under no obligation to supervise Honours students.
Minor in Forest Recreation
The minor in Forest Recreation provides natural resource management students and others with an opportunity to gain a foundation and expertise in the specialized aspects of forest recreation while pursuing another major. This minor requires students to take a total of 18 credit hours. The minor includes three required courses foundational to the field of Forest Recreation (9 credit hours) and a set of elective courses (minimum of 9 credit hours).
Required Courses
ORTM 100-3 | Foundations of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism |
ORTM 200-3 | Sustainable Recreation and Tourism |
ORTM 300-3 | Recreation and Tourism Impacts |
ORTM 202-3 | Ecotourism and Adventure Tourism | |
ORTM 305-3 | Protected Area Planning and Management | |
ORTM 306-3 | Indigenous Tourism and Recreation | |
ORTM 400-3 | Conservation Area Design and Management | |
ORTM 407-3 | Recreation, Tourism and Communities | |
ORTM 409-3 | Critical Approaches to Outdoor Recreation Activities | |
ORTM 498-(1-3) | Special Topics | |
ORTM 499-(1-6) | Independent Study |
Minor in Natural Resources Planning and Operations
The Natural Resources Planning and Operations minor is designed for students primarily interested in planning and operations (and their governing policies) related to the management of forested and non forested lands. Students will learn about natural resource policy, forest-management planning and operations, environmental impacts of management practices, forest productivity and timber supply, and resource sustainability along with current computer-based management tools. It is strongly recommended that students taking this minor have a background in forest ecology and management. The minor in Natural Resources Planning and Operations requires the completion of 19 credit hours, of which 12 credit hours must be upper-division (i.e., 300-or 400-level). Courses used to fulfill major requirements may not be applied toward the minor in Forest Planning and Operations. Students must ensure that all prerequisites are fulfilled prior to registering in any course.
Required Courses
NREM 210-4 | Integrated Resource Management |
FSTY 403-3 | Timber Harvest Planning and Operations |
Four of the following courses (with no more than two courses from any single program [e.g., ENPL]):
BIOL 325-3 | Ecological Analyses | |
BIOL 413-3 | Wildlife Management | |
ECON 305-3 | Environmental Economics and Environmental Policy | |
ECON 411-3 | Cost-Benefit Analysis | |
ENPL 204-3 | Principles and Practices of Planning | |
ENPL 303-3 | Spatial Planning with Geographical Information Systems (GIS) | |
ENPL 304-3 | Mediation, Negotiation and Public Participation | |
ENPL 305-3 | Environmental Impact Assessment | |
ENPL 410-3 | Land Use Planning | |
ENPL 411-3 | Planning Theory, Process and Implementation | |
ENVS 326-3 | Natural Resources, Environmental Issues and Public Engagement | |
FSTY 310-3 | Forest Economics | |
FSTY 405-3 | Forest Ecosystem Modelling | |
FSTY 415-3 | Forest Soils | |
GEOG 413-3 | Advanced GIS | |
NREM 306-3 | Society, Policy and Administration | |
NREM 410-3 | Watershed Management | |
NREM 413-3 | Agroforestry |
Updated: July 11, 2022