7.0 FORESTED WETLAND AND RIPARIAN ECOSYSTEMS
A bog wetland class that typically is a sparse to open, treed organic wetland, with a peat moss dominated understory, black spruce and sometimes, tamarack.
Found at low to mid-elevations, between 300 and 1250m. It is common throughout the Taiga and Boreal Plains, Northern Boreal Mountains, Sub-Boreal Interior, Nass Basin, Southern Rocky Mountain Trench and Fraser Plateau.
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Typically a sparse canopy composed of stunted black spruce, with some white spruce, tamarack and lodgepole pine often present. The shrub layer is characteristically dominated by Labrador tea; secondary species include scrub birch, black twinberry and various species of willow. Sedges are almost always present in a well developed herb layer. Numerous herb species are represented including lingonberry, horsetails, creeping-snowberry, bog cranberry, crowberry, marsh cinquefoil, bunchberry and common mitrewort. Sphagnum moss is almost always present, usually dominant, forming thick hummocky mats. Red-stemmed feathermoss, step moss, glow moss and golden fuzzy fen moss are also present.
Typically species similar to the climax species occur on sites following disturbance.
Found in level or depressional sites that are situated on poorly drained (wet), thick organic deposits.
Typically found in northern locations (N of 55 ). Tamarack is typically the only secondary canopy species. Labrador Tea remains dominant in the shrub layer while black twinberry is less common. Lingonberry, red swamp current and cloudberry are present in the herb layer. Still a sphagnum dominated moss and lichen layer.
Banner, A., W. MacKenzie, S. Haeussler, S. Thomson, J. Pojar and R. Trowbridge. 1993. A Field Guide to Site Identification and Interpretation for the Prince Rupert Forest Region. Land Manage. Handb. No. 26., B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C.
Cariboo Forest Region. 1989. A Field Guide for the Identification and Interpretation of Ecosystems of the Cariboo Forest Region. B.C. Min. For., Williams Lake, B.C.
Delong, C., G. Hope and A. McLeod. 1984. A Field Guide for the Identification and Interpretation of Ecosystems of the SBSe2, Prince George Forest Region. First Approximation. B.C. Min. For., Prince George, B.C.
Delong, C., A. MacKinnon and L. Jang. 1990. A Field Guide for the Identification and Interpretation of Ecosystems of the Northeast Portion of the Prince George Forest Region. LandManage. Handb. 22., B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C.
Delong, C., D. Tanner and M.J. Jull. 1993. A Field Guide for the Identification and Interpretation of Ecosystems of the Southwest Portion of the Prince George Forest Region. Land Manage. Handb. 24, B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C.
MacKinnon, A., C. Delong and D Meidinger. 1990. A Field Guide to the Identification and Interpretation of Ecosystems of the Northwest Portion of the Prince George Forest Region. Land Manage. Handb. 21, B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C.
Meidinger, D. 1995. A field guide for site identification and interpretation for the southeast portion of the Prince George forest region (Draft). B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C.
A bog wetland class that typically is an open to dense forest, with moss and shrub dominated understories. Sites are found in poorly drained outer coastal areas; often containing a varying mixture of western hemlock, western redcedar, yellow-cedar and shore pine.
Found at lower elevations throughout the Coast and Mountains, as well as the Georgia Depression, ranging from sea level to 1100m.
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An open, stunted canopy scattered with lodgepole/shore pine, western redcedar, western hemlock and yellow-cedar characterize these sites. Typical understory species include salal, red huckleberry, Labrador tea, false azalea, oval-leaved blueberry and Alaskan blueberry. Herbs include bunchberry, skunk cabbage, deer fern, sedges, deer cabbage and fern-leaved goldthread. Sphagnum dominates the moss and lichen layer; step moss, lanky moss, common green sphagnum and Oregon-beaked moss are also often present.
Along the Northcoast and in the Queen Charlottes Islands, similar species form a stunted open canopy. The dense to moderate shrub layer typically includes Labrador tea, bog laurel, bog rosemary, bog cranberry and salal. Crowberry, cotton-grass and sedges are commonly found in the herb layer. Peat moss dominates the moss and lichen layer forming a thick mat-like cover.
Typically found in level areas or depressions where there is a poorly drained, thick organic layer. Sites often located in lower to crest mesoslope positions.
Banner, A., W. MacKenzie, S. Haeussler, S. Thompson, J. Pojar and R. Trowbridge. 1993. A Field Guide to Site Identification and Interpretation for the Prince Rupert Forest Region. Land Manage. Handb. No. 26., B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C.
Green, R.N. and K. Klinka. 1994. A Field Guide to Site Identification and Interpretation for the Vancouver Forest Region, Land Manage. Handb. 28, B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C.
Typically a dense conifer and deciduous or broad-leaved forest, with shrub-dominated understories, that includes plant communities which progress through a varying mixture of shrubs and black cottonwood.
Found throughout the province along major rivers where floodplains occur, ranging in elevation from sea level to approximately 600m.
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Open broad-leaved or deciduous forest composed of black cottonwood, red alder and bigleaf maple, with some western red-cedar. Willows dominate the understory; along with salmonberry, red elderberry, stink currant and red-osier dogwood. Wildrye, sword fern, three-leaved foamflower, scouring-rush and horsetails may be present in the herb layer. The moss and lichen layer is sparse and consists of palm tree moss and leafy moss.
The presence of black cottonwood characterizes the stand; trembling aspen, ponderosa pine, paper birch and Douglas-fir also occur as minor components. Common snowberry, red-osier dogwood and Nootka rose constitute the shrub layer. Kentucky bluegrass and star-flowered Solomon's seal dominate a diverse herb layer. Secondary herb species include showy aster, sweet cicely and common dandelion. The moss and lichen layer is characteristically poorly developed.
Black cottonwood dominates the canopy; subalpine fir may be scattered in the subcanopy. Highbush-cranberry, red-osier dogwood, devil's club, thimbleberry and Sitka alder form a dense, tall shrub layer. Herbs such as oakfern, twisted stalk, foamflower, wintergreen and lady fern are common. The moss and lichen layer is typically very sparse.
In theory these floodplain sites should proceed to a Sitka spruce, western redcedar or grand fir dominated climax forest, depending on the locality. However, frequent flooding prevents this from occurring.
Early successional stages are usually dominated by shrubby vegetation, typically a dense cover of willows. Older sites may have a sword fern dominated understory.
Early successional stages are usually dominated by shrubby vegetation, typically a dense cover of willows.
Early successional stages are usually dominated by shrubby vegetation, typically a dense cover of willows.
Typically found on mesic to moist floodplains with medium to rich gravely soils.
Occurs on moist to very moist, gentle lower to toe slopes and level areas situated on actively flooding fluvial deposits.
Typically found on level sites situated on active floodplains (medium to low benches) of larger rivers.
On sandy sites bigleaf maple and red-osier dogwood may dominate.
Wetter sites are characterized by water birch in the shrub layer and the presence of horsetail in the herb layer.
Banner, A., W. MacKenzie, S. Haeussler, S.Thomson, J. Pojar and R. Trowbridge. 1993. A Field Guide to Site Identification and Interpretation for the Prince Rupert Forest Region. Land Manage. Handb. No. 26., B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C.
Braumandl, T. and M.P. Curran, 1992. A Field Guide for Site Identification and Interpretation for the Nelson Forest Region. Land Manage. Handb. No. 20., B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C.
Green, R.N. and K. Klinka. 1994. A Field Guide to Site Identification and Interpretation for the Vancouver Forest Region, Land Manage. Handb. 28, B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C.
Lloyd, D., K. Angove, G. Hope and C. Thompson. 1990. A Guide to Site Identification and Interpretation for the Kamloops Forest Region. Land Manage. Handb. 23, B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C.