Protected Areas of the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area Ecosystem Overview Assessment August, 2020 Pamela Wright, Ph.D. Confluence ~ Conservation Science and Practice EOA Table of Contents Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Purpose of the Ecosystem Overview Assessment ..................................................................................................... 6 Methods .................................................................................................................................................................... 6 Data Layers ........................................................................................................................................................... 6 Structure of the EOA ................................................................................................................................................. 7 Geography and Geology Overview of M-KMA Protected Areas .................................................................................... 7 Ecoregions and Ecosections ...................................................................................................................................... 7 Elevation .................................................................................................................................................................. 10 Size .......................................................................................................................................................................... 13 Climate .................................................................................................................................................................... 14 Geography and Geology .......................................................................................................................................... 14 Enduring Features ................................................................................................................................................... 19 Terrestrial Ecosystem Overview .................................................................................................................................. 22 Biogeoclimatic Classification ................................................................................................................................... 22 Broad Ecosystem Inventory..................................................................................................................................... 27 Ecosystems at Risk .................................................................................................................................................. 29 Aquatic Ecosystem Overview ...................................................................................................................................... 31 Major Watersheds ................................................................................................................................................... 31 Rivers ....................................................................................................................................................................... 32 Lakes and Wetlands ................................................................................................................................................ 34 Fish and Wildlife Overview .......................................................................................................................................... 37 Fish .......................................................................................................................................................................... 37 Wildlife .................................................................................................................................................................... 41 Focal Species Wildlife Habitat ................................................................................................................................. 41 Fisher................................................................................................................................................................... 41 Moose, Stone Sheep, Mountain Goat, Caribou, Elk ............................................................................................ 44 Grizzly Bear & Wolf ............................................................................................................................................. 45 Species at Risk ......................................................................................................................................................... 51 Connectivity ................................................................................................................................................................. 52 Disturbance.................................................................................................................................................................. 55 Climate Change ............................................................................................................................................................ 58 Changing Temperature and Precipitation ............................................................................................................... 58 2 Shifting Vegetative Communities ............................................................................................................................ 60 Forward Velocity ..................................................................................................................................................... 61 Backward Velocity ................................................................................................................................................... 63 Above- and Below-Ground Carbon ......................................................................................................................... 65 Climate Connectivity ............................................................................................................................................... 69 M-KMA Protected Area Role in BC Protected Area System ........................................................................................ 71 References ................................................................................................................................................................... 73 Appendices .................................................................................................................................................................. 74 Appendix 1. Wildlife species (vertebrate) at risk with potential to occur within M-KMA protected areas ............ 74 Appendix 2. Invertebrate species at risk with potential to occur within M-KMA protected areas ......................... 77 Appendix 3. Plant species at risk with reported occurrences in M-KMA protected areas ...................................... 79 Appendix 4. Fish species at risk with potential to occur within M-KMA protected areas ...................................... 82 List of Figures Figure 1. Protected areas within the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area. ................................................................. 5 Figure 2. Ecosections in the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area ................................................................................ 8 Figure 3. Elevational gradients in the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area ............................................................... 11 Figure 4. Rock classes within the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area ...................................................................... 16 Figure 5. Top rare and diverse enduring features within the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area ........................... 20 Figure 6. Biogeoclimatic zones in the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area ............................................................... 23 Figure 7. Broad ecosystem inventory of the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area .................................................... 28 Figure 8. Rivers, Lakes and Wetlands in the M-KMA ................................................................................................... 36 Figure 9. Denning habitat for boreal fishers ................................................................................................................ 43 Figure 10. High quality habitat for caribou, elk and moose ........................................................................................ 46 Figure 11. High quality habitat for sheep, goats, grizzly and wolf ............................................................................... 47 Figure 12. Landscape connectivity between protected areas in the M-KMA .............................................................. 53 Figure 13. Focused connectivity pathways across the M-KMA ................................................................................... 54 Figure 14. Natural disturbance regimes within the M-KMA ........................................................................................ 56 Figure 15. Climate vulnerability assessment ............................................................................................................... 59 Figure 16. Predicted seasonal temperate