The Stewardship Series NATURESCAPE BRITISH COLUMBIA Caring for Wildlife Habitat at Home Native Plant and Animal Booklet, Central Interior Naturescape British Columbia IS FUNDED BY For More information, call 1-800-387-9853 Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data Naturescape British Columbia. Native plant and animal booklet, central interior (Stewardship series) ISBN 0-7726-4333-4 1. Zoology - British Columbia - Cariboo Region. 2. Botany - British Columbia - Cariboo Region. 3. Biotic communities - British Columbia - Cariboo Region. 4. Habitat (Ecology) - British Columbia - Cariboo Region. 5. Nature conservation - British Columbia - Cariboo Region. I. Hemphill, Susan M. II. Naturescape British Columbia. III. Series. QH77.C3H452 2000 578’.09711’7 C00-960275-5 Notice: The information contained in the Naturescape British Columbia Guide and booklets is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. All recommendations are made without any guarantees on the part of the authors and Naturescape British Columbia sponsors. Because the means, materials and procedures followed by home- owners are beyond our control, the authors and Naturescape British Columbia disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this information. Naturescape British Columbia publications are copyright© 1995 by the Government of British Columbia. All rights reserved. Except for use in review, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying, and recording, and in any information storage and retrieval system is forbidden without the written permission of Naturescape British Columbia and Havitat Conservation Trust Foundation Naturescape British Columbia Havitat Conservation Trust Foundation Suite 107 19 Dallas Road Victoria BC V8V 5A6 www.naturescapebc.ca NAT U R E S C A P E BR I T I S H CO L U M B I A Native Plant and Animal Booklet,Central Interi o r W r itten and compiled by Susan M. H e m p h i l l Tracy D. H o o p e r F r ancis M. N j e n g a K r isti Robert s Anna Robert s a n d C r ispin Guppy G r aphic Design and Electronic A s s e m bly Bobolo Graphic Design I l l u s t r a t o r Tom Godin About Naturescape British Columbia ABOUT NATURESCAPE BRITISH COLUMBIA Naturescape British Columbia promotes caring for wildlife habitat at home. It is funded by W i l d l i fe Habitat Canada, E nvironment Canada (Canadian W i l d l i fe Serv i c e ) , B r itish Columbia M i n i s t r y of Env i r o n m e n t , Lands and Pa r k s , the Habitat Conservation Trust Fund, and the Real Estate Foundation of BC and the participants who register in the Naturescape Progra m . The support and assistance of the F e d e r ation of British Columbia Natura l i s t s , B r itish Columbia Nurs e r y Trades A s s o c i a t i o n , B r itish Columbia Society of Landscape A r c h i t e c t s , and the Urban W i l d l i fe Committee (Va n c o u ver) is greatly appreciated. H O N O U R A RY PAT RO N The Honoura ble John A . F r a s e r,P. C . , O. C . , O. B . C . , Q. C . , L L . B . SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBU TORS N ATURESCAPE A DV I S O RY AND REVIEWERS C O M M I T T E E Ve r non C. B r i n k , Va n c o u ve r Richard Beard, Susan Campbell,Va n c o u ve r WBT Wild Bird Trust of B. C . , West Va n c o u ve r Angela Deeri n g , V i c t o r i a Ve r non C. B r i n k , Dennis Demarchi,V i c t o r i a Va n c o u ver Natural History Society,Va n c o u ve r Michael P. G i l l i n g h a m , P r ince Georg e Susan Campbell, R ay Halladay,V i c t o r ia G r i f fin Wo r k s , Va n c o u v e r Farheen HaQ,V i c t o r i a Gretchen Harl ow, D a r yll Hebert , C r e s t o n Canadian W i l d l i fe Serv i c e , D e l t a Ian McTa g g a r t - C o w a n , V i c t o r i a Theresa Duynstee, Anna Robert s , Williams Lake Greater Va n c o u ver Regional Distri c t Liz Stanlake,V i c t o r i a Linda Georg e , E nvironmental Educators P. S . A . , Va n c o u v e r Linda Kingston, F e d e r ation of B. C . N a t u r alists and Va n c o u v er Natural History Society, B u r n a by Pa t r icia Koshure, Whistler Resort A s s o c . Willie MacGillivray, Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary,V i c t o r i a B a r b a r a Stevenson Nield,Va n c o u ve r Sylvia Pincott, A bb o t s ford Backyard Habitat Program and Federation of B. C . N a t u r a l i s t s , A bb o t s f o r d D avid Reid, B. C . Society of Landscape A r c h i t e c t s , N a n a i m o Rod Silve r, Habitat Conservation Trust Fund,V i c t o r ia (Committee Chair) Paulus V r i j m o e d , B. C . N u r s e r y Trades A s s o c i a t i o n , L a n g l e y Ta b le of Contents TA B L E O F CO N T E N T S I n t r o d u c t i o n . .2 Ecosystems and Ecosystem Dive r s i t y . .2 H ow Ecosystems are Classified in British Columbia . .5 The Central Interior Ecoprov i n c e . .5 L o c a t i o n . .5 C l i m a t e . .6 Veg e t a t i o n . .6 Fa u n a . .6 E c o p r ovince Subdivisions . .7 Putting It All Together In Your Ya r d . .1 3 S u m m a r y of Plant and Animal Ta bl e s , C e n t r al Interi o r . .1 8 Ta b le 1: Native Plants . .2 0 Ta b le 2: Non-native Plants . .3 4 Ta b le 3: B u t t e r f l i e s , Moths and Other Insects . .3 6 Ta b le 4: Amphibians and Reptiles . .4 3 Ta b le 5: B i r d s . .4 7 Ta b le 6: M a m m a l s . .5 8 PLANT AND ANIMAL BOOKLET, CENTRAL INTERIOR • Naturescape British Columbia 1 I n t r o d u c t i o n I N T RO D U C T I O N The Provincial Guide has give n you the basic how - t o i n fo r mation for creating wildlife habitat in yo u r ya r d . The next step is to consider the type of habitat appropriate to your location in the Centra l I n t e r i o r. What plants should you consider? A n d what animals can you expect to attract? To answer these questions, l e t ’s fi r st venture into the surroundings beyond your home. L e t ’s explore the concept of ecosystems and the physical area of the Central Interior to take a look at where yo u r p r o p e r ty sits in this larger scheme of things. T h e n we can return to your outdoor space and begin to a n s wer your questions. To get a better sense of our sustaining e nv i r o n m e n t , we need a different pers p e c t i ve – one that looks beyond the neighbourhoods and t own sites.While it is still possible in Bri t i s h Columbia to look over mountains and plateaus and see large expanses of natural ecosystems, t h e valley bottoms in many areas have been ra d i c a l l y c h a n g e d . M a ny of us live and wo r k in the warm e r Heart-shaped sonica T .Godin v a l l e y s , and much of the natural habitats there h ave given way to urban development and E C O S YSTEMS AND ECOSYS T E M a g r i c u l t u r e . What are the different species of D I V E R S I T Y w i l d l i fe found in these areas? How do they live in this natural wo r ld? In the past, what animals, Ecosystem Defined p l a n t s , and soils would have been where yo u r An ecosystem is a concept.