Facilitating the protection and restoration of species and ecosystems at risk on BC’s South Coast

As an ecological community, shore pine (Pinus contorta) occurs intemittently along the South Coast. Larger stands are typically found in association with hydric (moist) low nutrient acidic (bogs, off-channel floodplain marshes and fens) while small groups, often just a few trees can be found on sandy or rocky well-drained soils (e.g. dunes and marine bluffs). Shore pine communities often are hard to distinguish where they occur among broader coastal Douglas-fir, Garry oak and coastal western hemlock communities. On the South Coast major shorepine communities occur on marine bluffs of Metro Vancouver's north shore, Howe Sound and the Sunshine Coast (Texada Island) and in major wetlands complexes like Burns Bog, Lulu Island Bog and off-channel areas of the Pitt River floodplain (Widgeon Marsh and Pitt Addington). In higher elevation and xeric (dry) sites of the eastern casdcades shore pine transitions to lodgepole pine communities. Eleven listed Pinus contorta ecological communities occur on the South Coast of which six are red-listed (threatened/endangered) and three are blue-listed (special concern). Examples include: lodgepole pine / Pacific rhododendron, lodgepole pine / peat-mosses, lodgepole pine / water sedge / peat-mosses.

 

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