Alpine Tundra Biogeoclimatic zone (AT)
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| Ecoregions: Coastal Mountains, Southern Interior Mountains, Northern Boreal Mountains |
| Elevations: SW > 1650m, SE > 2250m, NW >1000m, NE>1400m |
| Latitudes: 49-60 degrees |
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| Description: |
- An essentially treeless region occurring in harsh climates on high mountains province-wide
- Occurs above all three sub-alpine zones; above MH on the coast, above ESSF in the southern interior and above SWB in the
northern interior
- Long cold winters and short cool growing season are too severe for the growth of most woody plants except in dwarf form
- Dominated by dwarf shrubs, herbs, mosses and lichens
- Important range for caribou, mountain goat and mountain sheep
- Very sensitive to human use and recovery from abuse may take many decades or even centuries
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| Representative Species: |
| Drier phase |
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Trees
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None |
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Shrubs |
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Salix spp. (dwarf willows) |
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Herbs |
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Grasses, sedges and lichens |
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| Wetter Phase |
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Trees |
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None |
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Shrubs |
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Cassiope mertensiana (white heather) |
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Phyllodoce empetriformis (pink heather) |
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Herbs |
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Primarily sedges and rushes |
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| Potential Restoration Species: |
| Drier phase |
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Trees |
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None |
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Shrubs |
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Salix spp. (dwarf willows) |
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Herbs |
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Carex microchaeta (small-awned sedge) |
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Carex phaeocephala (dunhead sedge) |
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Danthonia intermedia (timber oatgrass) |
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Festuca altaica (Altai's fescue) |
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Hierochloe alpine (alpine sweetgrass) |
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Kobresia myosuroides (Bellard's kobresia) |
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Leymus innovatus (fuzzy-spiked wildrye |
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| Wetter Phase |
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Trees |
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None |
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Shrubs |
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Cassiope mertensiana (white heather) |
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Phyllodoce empetriformis (pink heather) |
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Herbs |
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Arctagrostis latifolia (polar grass) |
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Calamagrostis lapponica (Lapland reedgrass) |
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Carex aquatilis (water sedge) |
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Carex nigricans (black alpine sedge) |
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Carex spectabilis (showy sedge) |
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Juncus drummondii (Drummond's rush) |
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Luzula arcuata (curved alpine woodrush) |
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Poa arctica (arctic bluegrass) |
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| 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 |
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