Terrestrial Ecosystem Mapping of the Coastal Douglas-fir Zone E 1:50,000 G A S The Integrated Land Management Bureau (ILMB) retained Madrone Environmental Services Ltd. (Madrone) S A of Duncan, B.C. to conduct Terrestrial Ecosystem Mapping (TEM) for the Coastal Douglas-Fir moist maritime P E K (CDFmm) biogeoclimatic subzone. TEM consists of the stratification of landscape features into biophysical A and ecological map units reflecting climate, physiography, surficial material, bedrock geology, soil, E L N vegetation, and disturbance. I S R I E The objective of this project is to provide baseline data that can be used to support planners, scientists, and G O L L other decision makers within local, regional and provincial governments to coordinate conservation efforts, A prepare sustainable growth strategies, and promote science-based, ecologically sensitive decision making around land use within the CDFmm.

The CDFmm covers approximately 252,000 hectares stretching along the east coast of Island, the Sunshine Coast, the and the . The study area for this project did not include the Lower Mainland. A total of 200,000 hectares was mapped including the communities of: Powell River, Sechelt, Bowser, Qualicum, Parksville, , Ladysmith, Chemainus, Crofton, , and the Saanich Peninsula; the Gulf Islands: Thormanby, Savary, Hernando, Harwood, Texada, Lasqueti, Hornby, Denman, Gabriola, Valdes, Thetis, Kuper, Galiano and Saltspring.

The thematic map displayed at left is the result of a number of queries performed on the final TEM database M to classify the mapped ecosystems into eight broad categories: old forest, mature forest, young forest, A immature forest, garry oak, non-forested, wetland and anthropogenic. These categories illustrate an L Myrtle A Rocks Saltery Bay overview perspective of the natural and non-natural ecosystems occurring within the CDFmm zone. S Prov Paek P Saltery I N Bay A MAP AND ECOSYSTEM LEGEND Myrtle Point

S OLD FOREST T R Lang A Bay Old forest ecosystems are structurally complex stands comprised I Thunder mainly of shade-tolerant and regenerating tree species. Snags T Brew Kelly Bay Point T Stillwater E and coarse woody debris, in all stages of decomposition, and L patchy understories are common. These forests are categorized T E X A D A Bay I N Bay as structural stage 7 and are generally greater than 250 years in age. S Thunder Pt I V R E MATURE FOREST J Frolander

I S L A N D e

Bay g Mature forests are made up of trees that have matured since the last

a s disturbance and are typically 80 to 250 years of age. These forests are M s

c a

R structural stage 6 and are characterized by well developed understories P a

e e and a canopy differentiated into distinct layers. A second cycle of shade C p

o o v c tolerant trees may become established in mature forests. e McRae I SLAND s HARDY le Priest Islet e Scotch Fir T Lake Point YOUNG FOREST

ay nB Young forest ecosystems can begin as early as 30 years of age but typically ve Ra BLIND range from 40-80 years old. These forests are structural stage 5 with self thinning evident and a forest canopy which has differentiation into distinct layers. Young forests have vigorous growth and are more open BAY M Alexander than immature forests. Point Pocahontas Comet Bay Mountain A IMMATURE FOREST L Surprise Mountain S Immature forests are structural stage 4 and consist of trees taller than Davis Northeast A 10 m. These forests are typically dense and less than 40 years of age. Bay Bay T Self thinning and vertical canopy structure is not evident in these forests. n i S s This category also includes recently harvested areas and other disturbed a forested ecosystems. B R n Northeast P de Point id Welcome H A Bay Maynard Beale I Head GARRY OAK I Cove N Garry oak ecosystems include mosaics of woodlands, meadows, grasslands, T scattered Douglas-fir stands, and open rocky areas. In Mount Pocahontas A these ecosystems are red-listed and support high numbers of rare and Cranby Lake Strawberry endangered species of flora and fauna. Islet O N E L S O N F S NON-FORESTED

T I S L A N D Non-forested ecosystems are made up of herbaceous, shrubby, bryoid G and sparsely vegetated units with less than 10% tree cover.They range R from structural stage 1 to 3 and are generally maintained by environmental E conditions or disturbance. Some of the typical non-forested units are cliffs, beaches, gravel bars, and rock outcrops. A O

R I ek Gillies Cre WETLAND G G Wetlands are characterized with a water table at, near, or above the Bay surface, daily, seasonally or year-round. Soils in wetlands are water- I H saturated for enough periods that excess water and low soil oxygen f concentrations create conditions necessary for water-tolerant plants to A a a dominate. This unit includes fens, swamps,marshes, bogs, shallow open t S T water and estuaries. Harwood Point

Dick Island NON-NATURAL u at ek Mo C re Areas that have been cleared or altered permanently for human settlement or industry. These are anthropogenic units such as cultivated fields, gravel pits, mines, golf courses, orchards, vineyards, road and railway surfaces as Mouat well as rural and urban areas.

Mouat Bay Islands BASE MAP FEATURES

Protected Areas (Provincial & Municipal Parks) Major Roads Crown Land (Municipal, Federal & Provincial) CDFmm Boundary

0 750 1,500 3,000 4,500 6,000 7,500 Meters

Mount Grant T E X A D A KEY MAP 1:1,500,000

M Campbell River B R I T I S H A MAP 1 C O L U M B I A Davie Bay Mount Davies L I S L A N D MAP 2 AV A N C O U V E R I S L A N D S MAP 4 MAP 3 Sechelt P

MAP 5 I Port Alberni Vancouver

Tofino N MAP 6

A MAP 7

C Lake Cowichan o o k S MAP 8 T

C r e P A C I F I C e R k O C E A N MAP 9 Victoria 0 25 50 100A

Shields Cook Kilometers Point Collishaw Bay I 8 0 0 2

Lead Bioterrain: Wanda Miller, Michelle Trommelen, Pamela Williams ,

T 3 Bioterrain Q/A: Sid Tsang & Deepa Filatow e

Lead Ecologists: Helen Reid, Claudia Houwers, Jodie Krakowski & Caroline Astley n u J

Ecosystem Q/A: Jo-Anne Stacey, Carmin Cadrin, Corey Erwin & Kim Everett : e

Project Managers: Jane Thomson, Jackie Churchill & Tania Tripp t a

Data Entry and QA: Julie Cowie, Jackie Churchill, Sonia Meili, Kyle Rezansoff D

n

GIS/Map Production: Jane Thomson, Dana Luxmoore & Brett Korteling o i s Monorestitution: Chartwell Consultants i TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEM MAP MAP 2 OF 9 v Funding: ILMB, The Fund, Ministry of Environment, The Centre e R

Contract Monitor: Bill Zinovich, Planning Officer, ILMB p a

M