Trends in Forest Site and Land Classification in Canada

Classification trends during the past 60 years to serve different management needs are reviewed. These trends include the adaptation of European vegetation typology to Canadian conditions, the delineation of regions meaningful to forest management, the classification of forest ecosystems relevant to silviculture and of broader landscapes appropriate for integrated resource management and, finally, prime-site classification combining land features and technologic and socio-economic criteria to serve modern rationalization of management. Key words: Site classification, land classification, ecosystem classification, vegetation typology, ecological regions, forest ecology, land use planning, Canada.