Ecosystems of British Columbia

342 Pages·1991·10.31 MB·English

by  Del Meidinger, Jim Pojar

Special Report Series
6
E
COSYSTEMS OF
B C
RITISH OLUMBIA
FEBRUARY 1991
BC
Ministry of Forests
ISSN 0843-6452

Ecosystems of British Columbia
Compiled and Edited by
Del Meidinger1 and Jim Pojar2
1 Research Branch 2 Forest Sciences Section
B.C. Ministry of Forests B.C. Ministry of Forests
31 Bastion Square Bag 5000
Victoria, B.C. V8W 3E7 Smithers, B.C. V0J 2N0
February 1991
BC
Ministry of Forests
Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data
Main entry under title:
Ecosystems of British Columbia
(Special report series, ISSN 0843-6452 ; no. 6)
Includes bibliographical references: p.
ISBN 0-7718-8997-6
1. Forest ecology - British Columbia. 2. Bio-
climatology - British Columbia. 3. Biogeography -
British Columbia. I. Meidinger, Dellis Vern,
1953- . II. Pojar, Jim, 1948- . III. British
Columbia. Ministry of Forests. IV. Series: Special
report series (British Columbia. Ministry of Forests)
; no. 6.
QK938.F6.E26 1991 581.5’2642’09711 C91-092061-3
ª 1991 Province of British Columbia
Published by the
Research Branch
Ministry of Forests
31 Bastion Square
Victoria, B.C. V8W 3E7
Copies of this and other Ministry of Forests titles are
available from Crown Publications Inc., 546 Yates
Street, Victoria, B.C. V8W 1K8.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Numerous individuals contributed to this report, including not only the
authors of the separate sections (see ‘‘List of Authors and Affiliations’’), but also
their associates who have helped over several years in the research on which the
report is based. All the authors are or were employed in the B.C. Ministry of
Forests research program or the B.C. Ministry of Environment Wildlife Branch.
Useful reviews were provided by colleagues in these groups. For example, Andy
MacKinnon and Ted Lea reviewed the entire manuscript; wildlife sections were
reviewed by Andrew Harcombe, Chris Dodd, Bill Munro, and Dave Clark. External
review of many of the wildlife sections was provided by Wayne Campbell and Keith
Moore, and Chris Clement reviewed the zone description chapters. Kamil Apt and
Ted Murray reviewed the recreation comments; and Dennis Demarchi reviewed the
range use information and the first four chapters.
The wildlife lists were the work of Peter Holmes, who compiled the first draft
from the Wildlife Branch Sub-Regional Habitat Maps, and Bill Harper, who
completed the tables and provided the overall technical guidance. Bill Harper also
edited all sections dealing with wildlife.
The production of the final printed manuscript also involved many individuals.
Louise Gronmyr did the majority of the typing and corrections to the manuscript.
Other word processing operators who helped produce the text include Cheryl Ward,
Maria Romeo, Karen Reid, and Christina Stewart. Paul Nystedt and Peggy Frank
drew the cross sections. Carmen Cadrin produced the first draft of the species list;
Anne Heitkamp helped review it. George Reynolds compiled the climate data and
produced the diagrams. David Izard did the computer graphics used in this
publication. Dave Butcher, of T.D. Mock and Associates, prepared the vegetation
diagrams. Georgina Montgomery provided a final edit of the manuscript and
Beth Collins typeset the document. Therese Britton was responsible for paste-up
and production of many figures.
We greatly appreciate everyone’s help.
iii
AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS
Rick Annas, Consulting Ecologist, #7-10841-135 Street, Edmonton, Alta. T5M 1J8
Tom Braumandl, Regional Ecologist, Nelson Forest Region, B.C. Ministry of
Forests, 518 Lake Street, Nelson, B.C. V1L 4C6
Steve Chatwin, Hydrologist and Manager of Fish/Forestry Program, Research
Branch, B.C. Ministry of Forests, 31 Bastion Square, Victoria, B.C. V8W 3E7
Ray Coupe´, Ecologist, Cariboo Forest Region, B.C. Ministry of Forests, 540
Borland Street, Williams Lake, B.C. V2G 1R8
Craig DeLong, Ecologist, Prince George Forest Region, B.C. Ministry of Forests,
1011-4th Avenue, Prince George, B.C. V2L 3H9
Dennis Demarchi, Habitat Classification Specialist, Wildlife Branch, B.C.
Ministry of Environment, 780 Blanshard Street, Victoria, B.C. V8V 1X5
Wayne Erickson, Range Development Agrologist, Prince Rupert Forest Region,
B.C. Ministry of Forests, Bag 5000, Smithers, B.C. VOJ 2NO
Evelyn Hamilton, Ecologist, Research Branch, B.C. Ministry of Forests, 31
Bastion Square, Victoria, B.C. V8W 3E7
Bill Harper, Habitat Inventory and Enhancement Specialist, Wildlife Branch,
B.C. Ministry of Environment, 780 Blanshard Street, Victoria, B.C. V8V 1X5
Graeme Hope, Consulting Soil Scientist, 1193 Wildwood Drive, Kamloops, B.C.
V2C 5E1
Maureen Ketcheson, Consulting Ecologist, J.M.J. Holdings Inc., Box 784, Nelson,
B.C. V1L 5P9
Karel Klinka, Ecologist and Associate Professor, V.J. Krajina Chair in Silvics and
Silviculture, Department of Forest Sciences, Faculty of Forestry, University of
British Columbia, #270 - 2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1W5
Dennis Lloyd, Regional Ecologist, Kamloops Forest Region, B.C. Ministry of
Forests, 515 Columbia Street, Kamloops, B.C. V2C 2T7
Andy MacKinnon, Ecologist and Manager of Ecology Program, Research Branch,
B.C. Ministry of Forests, 31 Bastion Square, Victoria, B.C. V8W 3E7
Del Meidinger, Ecologist and Provincial Correlator, Ecosystem Classification
Program, Research Branch, B.C. Ministry of Forests, 31 Bastion Square,
Victoria, B.C. V8W 3E7
Bob Mitchell, Regional Pedologist, Kamloops Forest Region, B.C. Ministry of
Forests, 515 Columbia Street, Kamloops, B.C. V2C 2T7
iv
Alison Nicholson, Ecologist and Radio Personality, Research Branch, B.C.
Ministry of Forests, 31 Bastion Square, Victoria, B.C. V8W 3E7
Fred Nuszdorfer, Regional Ecologist, Vancouver Forest Region, B.C. Ministry of
Forests, 4595 Canada Way, Burnaby, B.C. V5G 4L9
Jim Pojar, Forest Science Officer and Ecologist, Prince Rupert Forest Region, B.C.
Ministry of Forests, Bag 5000, Smithers, B.C. VOJ 2NO
Ordell Steen, Regional Ecologist, Cariboo Forest Region, B.C. Ministry of Forests,
540 Borland Street, Williams Lake, B.C. V2G 1R8
Andy Stewart, Wildlife Habitat Technician, Wildlife Branch, B.C. Ministry of
Environment, 780 Blanshard Street, Victoria, B.C. V8V 1X5
Greg Utzig, Consulting Ecologist, Kutenai Nature Investigations Ltd., 602
Richards Street, Nelson, B.C. V1L 5K5
Brian Wikeem, Range Scientist, Research Branch, B.C. Ministry of Forests, 3015
Ord Road, Kamloops, B.C. V2B 8A9
v
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................. iii
AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS ........................................... iv
Chapter 1 Introduction — J. Pojar and D. Meidinger ..................... 1
Chapter 2 Concepts — J. Pojar, D. Meidinger, and K. Klinka .............. 9
Chapter 3 British Columbia: The Environmental Setting — J. Pojar
and D. Meidinger .............................................. 39
Chapter 4 Resource Values — A. MacKinnon, W.L. Harper, S. Chatwin,
and B.M. Wikeem ............................................. 69
Chapter 5 Coastal Douglas-fir Zone — F.C. Nuszdorfer, K. Klinka, and
D.A. Demarchi ................................................ 81
Chapter 6 Coastal Western Hemlock Zone — J. Pojar, K. Klinka, and
D.A. Demarchi ................................................ 95
Chapter 7 Mountain Hemlock Zone — J. Pojar, K. Klinka, and
D.A. Demarchi ................................................ 113
Chapter 8 Bunchgrass Zone — A. Nicholson, E. Hamilton, W.L. Harper,
and B.M. Wikeem ............................................. 125
Chapter 9 Ponderosa Pine Zone — G.D. Hope, D.A. Lloyd, W.R. Mitchell,
W.R. Erickson, W.L. Harper, and B.M. Wikeem .................. 139
Chapter 10 Interior Douglas-fir Zone — G.D. Hope, W.R. Mitchell,
D.A. Lloyd, W.R. Erickson, W.L. Harper, and B.M. Wikeem ....... 153
Chapter 11 Interior Cedar — Hemlock Zone — M.V. Ketcheson,
T.F. Braumandl, D. Meidinger, G. Utzig, D.A. Demarchi, and
B.M. Wikeem ................................................. 167
Chapter 12 Montane Spruce Zone — G.D. Hope, W.R. Mitchell,
D.A. Lloyd, W.L. Harper, and B.M. Wikeem ..................... 183
Chapter 13 Sub-Boreal Pine — Spruce Zone — O. Steen
and D.A. Demarchi ............................................ 195
Chapter 14 Sub-Boreal Spruce Zone — D. Meidinger, J. Pojar, and
W.L. Harper .................................................. 209
Chapter 15 Engelmann Spruce — Subalpine Fir Zone — R. Coupe´,
A.C. Stewart, and B.M. Wikeem ................................ 223
Chapter 16 Boreal White and Black Spruce Zone — C. DeLong,
R.M. Annas, and A.C. Stewart ................................. 237
Chapter 17 Spruce — Willow — Birch Zone — J. Pojar and A.C. Stewart 251
Chapter 18 Alpine Tundra Zone — J. Pojar and A.C. Stewart ............. 263
vii
Chapter 19 Non-tidal Wetlands — J. Pojar ............................... 275
Appendices ................................................................ 281
General References ........................................................ 295
Selected References ........................................................ 298
TABLES
1. Relative soil moisture regime classes and characteristics ................. 15
2. Classification of actual soil moisture regimes ............................ 16
3. Differentia and examples for classifications and categories of
Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification ................................. 20
4. Climatic characteristics for the biogeoclimatic zones of British Columbia 56
5. Occurrence of trees in the biogeoclimatic zones of British Columbia ...... 59
6. Volume of all wood products billed in fiscal year 1988-89, by species ...... 71
7. Domestic water sources in British Columbia ............................ 72
8. Population served by watersheds of different sizes ....................... 73
9. Biogeoclimatic zones used for livestock grazing in British Columbia, by
Forest Region ......................................................... 75
10. Recreational use of federal parks, provincial parks, and B.C. Ministry of
Forests recreation sites and trails ...................................... 76
11. Selected wildlife species in the Coastal Douglas-fir zone ................. 89
12. Synopsis of subzones in the Coastal Western Hemlock zone (CWH) ....... 100
13. Means and standard deviations (in parentheses) of selected climatic
characteristics for CWH subzones ...................................... 102
14. Selected wildlife habitats and species in the Coastal Western Hemlock
zone .................................................................. 106
15. Synopsis of subzones in the Mountain Hemlock zone (MH) ............... 117
16. Selected wildlife habitats and species in the Mountain Hemlock zone ..... 122
17. Synopsis of subzones in the Bunchgrass zone (BG) ...................... 130
18. Selected wildlife habitats and species in the Bunchgrass zone ............ 133
19. Synopsis of subzones in the Ponderosa Pine zone (PP) ................... 143
20. Selected wildlife habitats and species in the Ponderosa Pine zone ........ 147
21. Synopsis of subzones in the Interior Douglas-fir zone (IDF) .............. 157
viii
22. Selected wildlife habitats and species in the Interior Douglas-fir zone ...... 163
23. Synopsis of subzones in the Interior Cedar — Hemlock zone (ICH) ........ 171
24. Selected wildlife habitats and species in the Interior Cedar — Hemlock
zone ................................................................... 177
25. Synopsis of subzones in the Montane Spruce zone (MS) ................... 187
26. Selected wildlife habitats and species in the Montane Spruce zone ........ 192
27. Synopsis of subzones in the Sub-Boreal Pine — Spruce zone (SBPS) ....... 199
28. Selected wildlife habitats and species in the Sub-Boreal Pine — Spruce
zone ................................................................... 205
29. Synopsis of subzones in the Sub-Boreal Spruce zone (SBS) ................ 213
30. Selected wildlife habitats and species in the Sub-Boreal Spruce zone ...... 218
31. Synopsis of subzones in the Engelmann Spruce — Subalpine Fir zone
(ESSF) ................................................................ 227
32. Selected wildlife habitats and species in the Engelmann Spruce — Subalpine
Fir zone ............................................................... 233
33. Synopsis of subzones in the Boreal White and Black Spruce zone (BWBS) 241
34. Selected wildlife habitats and species in the Boreal White and Black
Spruce zone ........................................................... 246
35. Selected wildlife habitats and species in the Spruce — Willow — Birch
zone ................................................................... 260
36. Selected wildlife habitats and species in the Alpine Tundra zone .......... 272
FIGURES
1. Edatopic grid of soil moisture and nutrient regimes ...................... 14
2. Relationships between site properties and soil nutrient regime ............ 17
3. Levels of integration in the classification system ......................... 18
4. Schematic relations between zonal and site classifications ................ 19
5. Categories and relationships of vegetation, zonal, and site classifications 19
6. System of naming and coding subzones .................................. 23
7. Relationship between ecoregion and biogeoclimatic classification ............ 31
ix