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Relationship Between Vital Attributes of Ktunaxa Plants and Natural Disturbance Regimes in Southeastern British Columbia by Shirley Mah B.S.F., The University of British Columbia, 1983 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES Faculty of Forestry Department of Forest Sciences We accept this thesis as conforming to the required standard ......................................................................... ......................................................................... ......................................................................... ......................................................................... THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA April 2000 © Shirley Mah, 2000 ABSTRACT The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between plant resources of the Ktunaxa people and the natural disturbance regimes in southeastern British Columbia and how reduced fire frequency may have affected the plant resources. The main objectives were to determine the vital attributes or fire survival strategy for each Ktunaxa plant; validate Rowe’s hypothesis on the relationships between different species groups (set of vital attributes) and fire cycle length for southeastern British Columbia; and predict which Ktunaxa plants would most likely be affected by reduced fire frequency. The proportions of species groups, based on the Ktunaxa plants and their assigned vital attributes, were determined for 13 Biogeoclimatic (BEC) subzone/variants, ranging from low elevation ponderosa pine to subalpine ecosystems. I used a one-way nested ANOVA to test the relationships between species groups and fire cycle length. The data for southeastern British Columbia tended to be consistent with Rowe’s hypothesis. Examples are presented of Ktunaxa plants most likely to be affected by reduced frequency of fire: plants that can resprout from underground parts; plants that produce wind-carried seed; and shade intolerant plants that store seed in the soil. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................ii TABLE OF CONTENTS.............................................................................................. iii LIST OF TABLES.......................................................................................................... v LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................... vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................... vii INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 1 The Ktunaxa First Peoples .................................................................................... 2 Disturbance regimes in Ktunaxa Traditional Territory ....................................... 4 Vital Attributes theory ........................................................................................... 6 Ecological framework ............................................................................................. 8 Natural Disturbance Types.................................................................................. 10 METHODS ................................................................................................................... 14 Study area ............................................................................................................. 14 Objective 1: Determine the vital attributes for Ktunaxa plants ....................... 27 Objective 2: Determine the validity of Rowe’s (1983) hypothesis for the East Kootenay Ktunaxa plants .................................................................................... 31 Objective 3: Prediction of which Ktunaxa plants would be most affected by reduced fire frequency .......................................................................................... 33 RESULTS ..................................................................................................................... 34 Objective 1: Determine the vital attributes for Ktunaxa plants ....................... 34 Objective 2: Determine the validity of Rowe’s (1983) hypothesis for the East Kootenay Ktunaxa plants .................................................................................... 40 Objective 3: Prediction of which Ktunaxa plants would be most affected by reduced fire frequency .......................................................................................... 52 DISCUSSION .............................................................................................................. 53 Objective 1: Determine the vital attributes for Ktunaxa plants ....................... 53 Objective 2: Determine the validity of Rowe’s (1983) hypothesis for the East Kootenay Ktunaxa plants .................................................................................... 55 Objective 3: Prediction of which Ktunaxa plants would be most affected by reduced fire frequency .......................................................................................... 59 iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page CONCLUSIONS .......................................................................................................... 60 Objective 1: Determine the vital attributes for Ktunaxa plants ....................... 60 Objective 2: Determine the validity of Rowe’s (1983) hypothesis for the East Kootenay Ktunaxa plants .................................................................................... 61 Objective 3: Prediction of which Ktunaxa plants would be most affected by reduced fire frequency .......................................................................................... 61 LITERATURE CITED ................................................................................................. 65 APPENDIX I: KTUNAXA PLANTS DATABASE ...................................................... 70 APPENDIX II: KTUNAXA PLANTS IN ZONAL PLOTS ....................................... 236 iv LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Vital attributes scheme ....................................................................................... 7 2. Survival strategies of coniferous forest species in environments with varying fire cycles ............................................................................................... 9 3. Natural Disturbance Types (NDT) and Biogeoclimatic units in the Ktunaxa Traditional Territory ......................................................................... 12 4. Descriptions of climate, elevation, location, soils, and zonal vegetation for 13 Biogeoclimatic subzone/variants in Ktunaxa Traditional Territory .... 17 5. List of 165 Ktunaxa plants by species group ................................................... 36 6. One-way nested ANOVA testing the Natural Disturbance Type (NDT) framework for species groups ........................................................................... 50 7. Proportion of the variation explained by the NDT model and the Biogeoclimatic model in one-way nested ANOVA .......................................... 51 8. List of Ktunaxa plants by species most affected by reduced fire frequency ... 62 v LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Map of the Ktunaxa Traditional Territory ...................................................... 15 2. Map of 13 Biogeoclimatic units in the Ktunaxa Traditional Territory .......... 16 3. Ktunaxa species by lifeform ............................................................................. 35 4. Mean proportions (+/- 1 S.D.) of species groups in zonal plots: 4a Ponderosa Pine dry hot Kootenay variant (PPdh2) ....................................... 41 4b Interior Douglas-fir dry mild Kootenay variant (IDFdm2)............................. 41 4c Interior Cedar-Hemlock very dry warm subzone (ICHxw) ............................ 42 4d Interior Cedar-Hemlock dry warm subzone (ICHdw) ..................................... 42 4e Montane Spruce dry cool subzone (MSdk) ....................................................... 43 4f Interior Cedar-Hemlock moist cool Kootenay variant (ICHmk1) .................. 43 4g Interior Cedar-Hemlock moist warm Golden variant (ICHmw1) ................... 44 4h Interior Cedar-Hemlock moist warm Columbia-Shuswap variant (ICHmw2) ........................................................................................................ 44 4i Interior Cedar-Hemlock wet cool Wells Gray variant (ICHwk1) ................... 45 4j Engelmann Spruce - Subalpine Fir dry cool subzone (ESSFdk)..................... 45 4k Engelmann Spruce - Subalpine Fir wet mild subzone (ESSFwm) ................. 46 4l Engelmann Spruce - Subalpine Fir wet cold Columbia variant (ESSFwc1).. 46 4m Engelmann Spruce - Subalpine Fir wet cold Selkirk variant (ESSFwc4) ..... 47 5. Proportions of Ktunaxa species by species groups in zonal plots of 13 Biogeoclimatic units..................................................................................... 48 vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There are many people who contributed to the evolution of this thesis, in tangible and intangible ways. I first thank the members of my supervisory committee, Sue Glenn, Nancy Turner, and Michael Feller for their support throughout my explorations in developing this inter-disciplinary thesis and their willingness to participate in the journey. Special thanks to Sue Glenn for our many