| Ecoregions: Southern Interior and Central Interior |
| Elevations: 400-1400m |
| Latitudes: 49-52 degrees |
| |
| Description: |
- Second warmest forest zone in the interior, occurring in the Fraser, Thompson, Similkameen and Okanagan valleys in the
rainshadow of the Coast mountains
- Grades into PP at lower elevations, into ICH in wetter areas, and ESSF at higher elevations in the southern interior. Grades
into BG at lower elevations and into SBPS and SBS in the central interior
- Douglas-fir is the dominant tree species, occurring in open savannah-like stands on drier sites with bluebunch wheatgrass and
rough fescues forming the understory. Wetter sites at higher elevations support dense stands of Douglas-fir with a pinegrass and feathermoss
understory. Common pioneer tree species after disturbance are lodgepole pine at upper elevations and ponderosa pine at lower elevations. Soopolallie and kinnikinnik are common understory shrubs
- Important habitat for mule deer and Rocky mountain elk
|
| Representative Species: |
| Drier phase |
| |
Trees
|
| |
Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas fir) |
| |
Pinus ponderosa (ponderosa pine) |
| |
Juiperus scopulorum (Rocky mtn. juniper) |
| |
Shrubs |
| |
Sheperdia canadensis (soopolallie) |
| |
Spirea betulifolia (birch leaved spirea) |
| |
Arctostaphlos uva-ursi (kinnikinnik) |
| |
Amelanchier alnifolia (saskatoon) |
| |
Juniperus communis (common juniper) |
| |
Sympohoricarpos albus (snowberry) |
| |
Herbs |
| |
Agropyron spicatum (bluebunch wheatgrass) |
| |
Achillea millifolium (yarrow) |
| |
| Wetter Phase |
| |
Trees |
| |
Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas-fir) |
| |
Pinus contorta (Lodgepole pine) |
| |
Populus tremuloides (trembling aspen) |
| |
Picea enbelmannii x glauca (hybrid spruce) |
| |
Shrubs |
| |
Paxistima myrsinites (false box) |
| |
Rosa acicularis (prickly rose) |
| |
Ribes lacustre (black gooseberry) |
| |
Lonicera involucrata (black twinberry) |
| |
Cornus stolonifera (Red-osier dogwood) |
| |
Herbs |
| |
Calamagrostis rubescens (pinegrass) |
| |
Linnaea borealis (twin flower) |
| |
Cornus canadensis (Bunchberry) |
| |
Osmorhiza chilensis (sweet-cicely) |
| |
| Potential Restoration Species: |
| Drier phase |
| |
Trees |
| |
Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas fir) |
| |
Pinus ponderosa (ponderosa pine) |
| |
Juiperus scopulorum (Rocky mtn. juniper) |
| |
Shrubs |
| |
Sheperdia canadensis (soopolallie) |
| |
Spirea betulifolia (birch leaved spirea) |
| |
Arctostaphlos uva-ursi (kinnikinnik) |
| |
Amelanchier alnifolia (saskatoon) |
| |
Juniperus communis (common juniper) |
| |
Sympohoricarpos albus (snowberry) |
| |
Herbs |
| |
Allium cernuum (nodding onion) |
| |
Calamagrostis rubescens (pinegrass) |
| |
Carex richardsonii (Richardson's sedge) |
| |
Agropyron spicatum (bluebunch wheatgrass) |
| |
| Wetter Phase |
| |
Trees |
| |
Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas-fir) |
| |
Pinus contorta (Lodgepole pine) |
| |
Populus tremuloides (trembling aspen) |
| |
Picea enbelmannii x glauca (hybrid spruce) |
| |
Shrubs |
| |
Paxistima myrsinites (false box) |
| |
Rosa acicularis (prickly rose) |
| |
Ribes lacustre (black gooseberry) |
| |
Lonicera involucrata (black twinberry) |
| |
Cornus stolonifera (Red-osier dogwood) |
| |
Forbs and Grasses |
| |
Carex aquatilis (water sedge) |
| |
Carex lasiocarpa (slender edge) |
| |
Cornus canadensis (bunchberry) |
| |
Distichlis stricta (alkaline saltgrass) |
| |
Disporum hookeri (Hooker's fairybells) |
| |
Linnaea borealis (twinflower) |
| |
| Meidinger, D. and Pojar, J. 1991. Ecosystems of British Columbia. British Columbia Ministry of Forests. 330 pp.
http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfd/pubs/Docs/Srs/SRseries.htm |
