9.0 SHRUB AND HERB DOMINATED ECOSYSTEMS
Typically an open to dense, dry shrubland, generally lacking trees, that is dominated by drought tolerant shrubs, most prominently antelope-brush and perennial grasses.
Found at lower elevations, between 250m and 700m; limited to the southern portion of the Okanagan valley, mainly south of Penticton, extending to the U.S. border.
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Antelope-brush provides the dominant vegetation cover; secondary species include big sagebrush and rabbit-brush. Common herbaceous species include, needle-and-thread grass, bluebunch wheatgrass and brittle prickly-pear cactus. A variety of lichen species dominate the moss and lichen layer.
Early successional stages often dominated antelope-brush, big sagebrush, rabbit-brush, cheatgrass and prickly-pear cactus.
Typically situated in a middle to lower mesoslope position, on dry, coarse-textured, glaciofluvial deposits; sometimes with a light capping of aeolian materials.
Much of this area has been replaced by agricultural fields and urban development.
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.
Typically a Sitka alder shrub community, with a lush fern understory, that occurs on steep slopes within the northern portion of the Interior Cedar Hemlock zone.
Typically found at lower elevations, between 150m and 1000m, on the leeward side of the Coastal mountains, in river valleys
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Sitka alder dominates the well developed shrub layer along with abundant amounts of devil's club and salmonberry. Minor amounts of red elderberry, thimbleberry and western hemlock regeneration are also scattered throughout this dense shrub layer. A lush herb layer is dominated by ferns including spiny wood fern, lady fern and oakfern. Clasping twistedstalk and rosy twistedstalk are also common. Ragged mosses and leafy mosses are commonly found in a sparse to moderate moss and lichen layer.
Moister sites may have scattered amounts of common horsetail in the herb layer.
Sites typically occur on steep, moist middle to upper slopes. Nutrient-rich morainal or colluvial soils which are well to imperfectly drained are most common. Very often these soils have thick, turfy humus layers.
These areas are typically created by recurring disturbances such as blowdowns and fires. This prevents the establishment of a mature forest canopy.
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.
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.
Typically a dense shrub or herb dominated ecosystem where periodic snow and rock slides have prevented coniferous forest establishment and abundant moisture is available for much of the growing season.
Avalanche tracks characteristically begin in the alpine or subalpine zones where there is abundant snow accumulation and steeply sloping valley walls. There are no definite elevational limits, upper or lower, slope breaks and snow accumulation determine the downslope extent of each avalanche track.
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A forest canopy is completely absent as a result of periodic or annual snowslides.
The sparse to moderately well-developed, shrub layer typically includes salmonberry, red elderberry, Douglas maple, devil's club and thimbleberry. Lady fern dominates a lush herbaceous community; bracken fern, spiny wood fern, violets, Indian hellebore, bluejoint, cowparsnip, rosy twistedstalk, stinging nettle, Hooker's fairy bells, sedges and foamflowers are also commonly present. The moss and lichen layer is quite sparse but a variety of Mnium moss spp. are often scattered about the surface.
A forest canopy is completely absent as a result of periodic or annual snowslides.
The moderate to very well developed, diverse shrub layer typically includes Sitka mountain alder, Sitka willow, salmonberry, red elderberry, thimbleberry, devil's club, red-osier dogwood, Douglas maple and highbush cranberry. Lady fern dominates a moderately well developed herbaceous community; bracken fern, spiny wood fern, Indian hellebore, bluejoint, cowparsnip, rosy twistedstalk, hooker's fairy bells and violets are also commonly present. The moss and lichen layer is quite sparse but a variety of Mnium moss spp. are often scattered about the surface.
A forest canopy is completely absent as a result of periodic or annual snowslides.
The moderate shrub layer is typically composed of thimbleberry, raspberry and willows. Western meadowrue, cowparsnip, blue wildrye, geranium, fireweed, bluejoint and sedges are characteristically abundant in these lush herbaceous meadows. Sitka valerian, stinging nettle, Indian hellebore and bluegrasses are also commonly present. The moss and lichen layer is quite sparse but a variety of mosses, including Mnium spp., Brachythecium spp. and Plagiomnium spp. are often scattered about the forest floor.
A forest canopy is completely absent as a result of periodic or annual snowslides.
A well developed shrub layer is typically dominated Sitka alder, willows and thimbleberry; red raspberry and shrubby subalpine fir are also common. Western meadowrue, Indian hellebore, geranium, blue wildrye, cowparsnip and false Solomon seal are commonly present in the moderate herb layer. The moss and lichen layer is quite sparse but a variety of mosses, including Mnium spp., Brachythecium spp. and Plagiomnium spp. are often scattered about the forest floor.
The type of vegetation that is found is dependent on how active the avalanching is within any chute. Typically early successional stages are dominated by herbaceous communities followed by the shrub dominated communities. This successional trend is dependent on the frequency and intensity of slides in the area. Less active chutes tend to have much taller shrubs with some conifer regeneration present, whereas highly active slide areas can be quite sparsely vegetated.
Typically occurs on moist to very moist steep slopes, with the exception of the meadows that are found on gentle lower slopes; seepage is common. Abundant deciduous litterfall and extensive colluvial mixing create very rich soils.
Most often soils are composed of very rubbly, course-textured materials, with bedrock sometimes exposed.
Slightly wetter, richer sites may have minor amounts of devil's club present in the shrub layer, as well as some skunk cabbage and horsetail in the herb layer.
Choke cherry, saskatoon, black huckleberry, grouseberry and wild strawberry are common on drier avalanche tracks.
Some sites are very sparsely vegetated, usually scattered shrub species on very rubbly colluvial material.
Less active slide areas are often dominated by low trees, particularly Douglas maple.
Slightly wetter, richer sites may have minor amounts of devil's club present in the shrub layer, as well as some skunk cabbage and horsetail in the herb layer.
Less active avalanche chutes may have tall shrub/herb complexes intermixed with regenerating subalpine fir, Engelmann spruce and lodgepole pine.
Common juniper, trembling aspen, saskatoon, grouseberry and willows are often found on sparse, dry, shallow avalanche tracks. The herb layer is quite sparse and often includes wild strawberry, kinnikinnick, Northern bedstraw, timber oatgrass, showy aster and bluegrasses.
Some avalanche chutes are sparsely vegetated; the steep, upper slopes are limited to Sitka alder and willows while the lower slopes usually have a sparse cover of low subalpine fir. These sparsely vegetated sites are associated with very rubbly colluvial material.
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.