Species species-56

Species and Plant Community
Accounts for Identified Wildlife

Appendix 6. Broad ecosystem units of British Columbia (Draft 10/96)

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 areas, mainly at the 1:250 000 scale.

Within broad ecosystem units, variation of vegetation and animal use occurs by biophysical area (wildlife ecosystem), biogeoclimatic unit, site characteristics and successional stage.

Symbol

Name

Description

AB

Antelope-brush Shrub/grassland

Typically an open to dense, dry shrubland (generally lacking trees), which is dominated by drought-tolerant shrubs, most prominently antelope-brush and perennial grasses.

AC

Trembling Aspen Copse

Typically a dense deciduous or broad-leaved forest, with a shrub-dominated understorey, that includes plant communities that succeed through shrub thickets to a edaphic climax of trembling aspen, found in association with shrub/grasslands or grasslands.

AD

Sitka Alder - Devil's Club Shrub

Typically a sitka alder shrub community with a lush fern understorey, which occurs on steep slopes within the northern portion of the Interior Cedar Hemlock biogeoclimatic zone.

AG

Alpine Grassland

Typically a high elevation, northern, grassland habitat, characterized by lush bunchgrass growth, with forbs, sedges and terrestrial lichens.

AH

Alpine Heath

Typically a high elevation dwarf shrubland habitat, characterized by cold-resistant vegetation, consisting of mountain-heathers, forbs, graminoids and lichen.

AM

Alpine Meadow

Typically a high elevation, herbaceous community, dominated by moisture-loving herbs and sedges, on wetter sites in alpine areas.

AN

Alpine Sparsely Vegetated

Typically a high elevation, sparsely vegetated habitat, characterized by a mixture of rocky slopes and a sparse cover of grasses, lichens and low shrubs.

AS

Alpine Shrubland

Typically a high elevation, northern, shrubland habitat, characterized by a dense cover of deciduous shrubs with graminoids, forbs and terrestrial lichens.

AT

Alpine Tundra

Typically a high elevation, open to dense herbaceous or dwarf shrubland habitat, characterized by cold-resistant vegetation consisting of low dwarf shrubs, graminoids, hardy forbs and lichens.

AU

Alpine Unvegetated

Typically a high elevation habitat dominated by rock outcrops, talus, steep cliffs and other areas with sparse vegetation of grass, lichens and low shrubs.

AV

Avalanche Track

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.

BA

Boreal White Spruce
- Trembling Aspen

Typically a dense, broad-leaved, mixed or coniferous mixed forest, with shrub- and herb-dominated understories, which includes plant communities that succeed through trembling aspen seral forests to a white spruce climax.

BB

Black Spruce Bog

A bog wetland class that typically is sparse to open, treed organic wetland, with a moss-dominated understorey, black spruce and sometimes, tamarack.

BG

Sphagnum Bog

A bog wetland class that typically is an unforested wetland, dominated by sphagnum mosses and herbaceous plants, found on poorly drained organic sites.

BK

Subalpine Fir
- Scrub Birch Krummholz

Typically a northern, high elevation, stunted tree, open habitat, characterized by islands of subalpine fir intermixed with a dense shrub cover of willows and scrub birch.

BL

Black Spruce
- Lodgepole Pine

Typically an open coniferous forest with shrub, moss or terrestrial lichen understories, on gently sloping dry or wet sites, usually with lodgepole pine communities that progress to a black spruce climax.

BP

Boreal White Spruce
- Lodgepole Pine

Typically a dense, boreal coniferous forest which includes plant communities that succeed through lodgepole pine seral forests to a white spruce climax.

BS

Bunchgrass - Grassland Step

Typically a dense herbaceous habitat dominated by perennial grasses and forbs, and generally lacking shrubs or trees.

CB

Cedars - Shore Pine Bog

A bog wetland class which 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.

CD

Coastal Douglas-fir

Typically a dense coniferous forest, with shrub-dominated understories, and including a seral plant communities of Douglas-fir that progress directly to climax.

CF

Cultivated Field

Typically a mixture of farmlands where human agricultural practices of plowing, fertilization and non-native crop production has resulted in long-term soil and/or vegetation changes.

Symbol	Name	Description
AB	Antelope-brush Shrub/grassland	Typically an open to dense, dry shrubland (generally lacking trees), which is dominated by drought-tolerant shrubs, most prominently antelope-brush and perennial grasses.
AC	Trembling Aspen Copse	Typically a dense deciduous or broad-leaved forest, with a shrub-dominated understorey, that includes plant communities that succeed through shrub thickets to a edaphic climax of trembling aspen, found in association with shrub/grasslands or grasslands.
AD	Sitka Alder - Devil's Club Shrub	Typically a sitka alder shrub community with a lush fern understorey, which occurs on steep slopes within the northern portion of the Interior Cedar Hemlock biogeoclimatic zone.
AG	Alpine Grassland	Typically a high elevation, northern, grassland habitat, characterized by lush bunchgrass growth, with forbs, sedges and terrestrial lichens.
AH	Alpine Heath	Typically a high elevation dwarf shrubland habitat, characterized by cold-resistant vegetation, consisting of mountain-heathers, forbs, graminoids and lichen.
AM	Alpine Meadow	Typically a high elevation, herbaceous community, dominated by moisture-loving herbs and sedges, on wetter sites in alpine areas.
AN	Alpine Sparsely Vegetated	Typically a high elevation, sparsely vegetated habitat, characterized by a mixture of rocky slopes and a sparse cover of grasses, lichens and low shrubs.
AS	Alpine Shrubland	Typically a high elevation, northern, shrubland habitat, characterized by a dense cover of deciduous shrubs with graminoids, forbs and terrestrial lichens.
AT	Alpine Tundra	Typically a high elevation, open to dense herbaceous or dwarf shrubland habitat, characterized by cold-resistant vegetation consisting of low dwarf shrubs, graminoids, hardy forbs and lichens.
AU	Alpine Unvegetated	Typically a high elevation habitat dominated by rock outcrops, talus, steep cliffs and other areas with sparse vegetation of grass, lichens and low shrubs.
AV	Avalanche Track	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.
BA	Boreal White Spruce - Trembling Aspen	Typically a dense, broad-leaved, mixed or coniferous mixed forest, with shrub- and herb-dominated understories, which includes plant communities that succeed through trembling aspen seral forests to a white spruce climax.
BB	Black Spruce Bog	A bog wetland class that typically is sparse to open, treed organic wetland, with a moss-dominated understorey, black spruce and sometimes, tamarack.
BG	Sphagnum Bog	A bog wetland class that typically is an unforested wetland, dominated by sphagnum mosses and herbaceous plants, found on poorly drained organic sites.
BK	Subalpine Fir - Scrub Birch Krummholz	Typically a northern, high elevation, stunted tree, open habitat, characterized by islands of subalpine fir intermixed with a dense shrub cover of willows and scrub birch.
BL	Black Spruce - Lodgepole Pine	Typically an open coniferous forest with shrub, moss or terrestrial lichen understories, on gently sloping dry or wet sites, usually with lodgepole pine communities that progress to a black spruce climax.
BP	Boreal White Spruce - Lodgepole Pine	Typically a dense, boreal coniferous forest which includes plant communities that succeed through lodgepole pine seral forests to a white spruce climax.
BS	Bunchgrass - Grassland Step	Typically a dense herbaceous habitat dominated by perennial grasses and forbs, and generally lacking shrubs or trees.
CB	Cedars - Shore Pine Bog	A bog wetland class which 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.
CD	Coastal Douglas-fir	Typically a dense coniferous forest, with shrub-dominated understories, and including a seral plant communities of Douglas-fir that progress directly to climax.
CF	Cultivated Field	Typically a mixture of farmlands where human agricultural practices of plowing, fertilization and non-native crop production has resulted in long-term soil and/or vegetation changes.