Ungulate

Appendix A. Biogeoclimatic zones and broad ecosystem units for wildlife surveys in British Columbia

Biogeoclimatic zones (BGC) are climatically distinct areas usually named after the dominant tree species. The zones are differentiated by distinct vegetation and soil patterns. There are 14 biogeoclimatic zones in B.C.

Alpine Tundra (AT)

Spruce-Willow Birch (SWB)

Boreal White and Black Spruce (BWBS)

Sub-Boreal Pine-Spruce (SBPS)

Sub-Boreal Spruce (SBS)

Mountain Hemlock (MH)

Engelmann Spruce - Subalpine Fir (ESSF)

Montane Spruce (MS)

Bunchgrass (BG)

Ponderosa Pine (PP)

Interior Douglas-Fir (IDF)

Coastal Douglas-Fir (CDF)

Interior Cedar-Hemlock (ICH)

Coastal Western-Hemlock (CWH)

A Broad Ecosystem Unit is a permanent area of the landscape, meaningful to animal use, that supports a distinct kind of dominant vegetative cover, or distinct non-vegetated cover (such as lakes or rock outcrops). A Broad Ecosystem Unit is defined as including potential (climax) vegetation and any associated successional stages (for forests and grasslands). Broad Ecosystem Units are meant to be used for small scale mapping of large area, mainly at the 1:250 000 scale.

Within Broad Ecosystem Unit, variation of vegetation and animal use occurs by Biophysical Area (Wildlife Ecosystem), Biogeoclimatic Unit, site characteristics and successional stage.

For a draft list of Broad Ecosystem Units of B.C. see the Appendix of the Introduction to RIC Wildlife Inventory manual. Note: some of the descriptions are likely to change, and new units may be added.

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Published by the Resources Inventory Committee