scholarly journals Postglacial wetland succession, carbon accumulation, and forest dynamics on the east coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

2019 ◽  
Vol 92 (1) ◽  
pp. 232-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terri Lacourse ◽  
Kyle W. Beer ◽  
Kira B. Craig ◽  
Dante Canil
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Pinus Contorta ◽  
Coniferous Forest ◽  
Tsuga Heterophylla ◽  
Carbon Accumulation ◽  
Early Holocene ◽  
Poor Fen ◽  
Peatland Development ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Ombrotrophic Bog

ABSTRACTPeatland development and carbon accumulation on the Pacific coast of Canada have received little attention in paleoecological studies, despite wetlands being common landscape features. Here, we present a multi–proxy paleoenvironmental study of an ombrotrophic bog in coastal British Columbia. Following decreases in relative sea level, the wetland was isolated from marine waters by 13,300 cal yr BP. Peat composition, non-pollen palynomorph, and C and N analyses demonstrate terrestrialization from an oligotrophic lake to a marsh by 11,600 cal yr BP, followed by development of a poor fen, and then a drier ombrotrophic bog by 8700 cal yr BP. Maximum carbon accumulation occurred during the early Holocene fen stage, when seasonal differences in insolation were amplified. This highlights the importance of seasonality in constraining peatland carbon sequestration by enhancing productivity during summer and reducing decomposition during winter. Pollen analysis shows that Pinus contorta dominated regional forests by 14,000 cal yr BP. Warm and relatively dry summers in the early Holocene allowed Pseudotsuga menziesii to dominate lowland forests 11,200–7000 cal yr BP. Tsuga heterophylla and P. menziesii formed coniferous forest in the mid- and late Holocene. Tephra matching the mid-Holocene Glacier Peak–Dusty Creek assemblage provides evidence of its most northwesterly occurrence to date.

scholarly journals Paleoecological Investigation of Vegetation, Climate and Fire History in, and Adjacent to, Kootenay National Park, Southeastern British Columbia, Canada

2022 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas J. Rodengen ◽  
Marlow G. Pellatt ◽  
Karen E. Kohfeld
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
National Park ◽  
Fire History ◽  
Accumulation Rate ◽  
Fire Frequency ◽  
Tsuga Heterophylla ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Carbon Accumulation ◽  
Early Holocene ◽  
In Fire

Paleoecological investigation of two montane lakes in the Kootenay region of southeast British Columbia, Canada, reveal changes in vegetation in response to climate and fire throughout the Holocene. Pollen, charcoal, and lake sediment carbon accumulation rate analyses show seven distinct zones at Marion Lake, presently in the subalpine Engelmann Spruce-Subalpine Fir (ESSF) biogeoclimatic (BEC) zone of Kootenay Valley, British Columbia. Comparison of these records to nearby Dog Lake of Kootenay National Park of Canada in the Montane Spruce (MS) BEC zone of Kootenay Valley, British Columbia reveals unique responses of ecosystems in topographically complex regions. The two most dramatic shifts in vegetation at Marion Lake occur firstly in the early Holocene/late Pleistocene in ML Zone 3 (11,010–10,180 cal. yr. B.P.) possibly reflecting Younger Dryas Chronozone cooling followed by early Holocene xerothermic warming noted by the increased presence of the dry adapted conifer, Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and increasing fire frequency. The second most prominent change occurred at the transition from ML Zone 5 through 6a (∼2,500 cal. yr. B.P.). This zone transitions from a warmer to a cooler/wetter climate as indicated by the increase in western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) and subsequent drop in fire frequency. The overall cooling trend and reduction in fire frequency appears to have occurred ∼700 years later than at Dog Lake (∼43 km to the south and 80 m lower in elevation), resulting in a closed montane spruce forest, whereas Marion Lake developed into a subalpine ecosystem. The temporal and ecological differences between the two study sites likely reflects the particular climate threshold needed to move these ecosystems from developed forests to subalpine conditions, as well as local site climate and fire conditions. These paleoecological records indicate future warming may result in the MS transitioning into an Interior Douglas Fir (IDF) dominated landscape, while the ESSF may become more forested, similar to the modern MS, or develop into a grassland-like landscape dependent on fire frequency. These results indicate that climate and disturbance over a regional area can dictate very different localized vegetative states. Local management implications of these dynamic landscapes will need to understand how ecosystems respond to climate and disturbance at the local or ecosystem/habitat scale.

scholarly journals Peatland formation, succession and carbon accumulation at a mid-elevation poor fen in Pacific Canada

The Holocene ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (11) ◽  
pp. 1694-1707
Author(s):  
Terri Lacourse ◽  
Matthew A Adeleye ◽  
Johanna R Stewart
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Carbon Accumulation ◽  
Early Holocene ◽  
Plant Functional Groups ◽  
Accumulation Rates ◽  
Poor Fen ◽  
Relative Water ◽  
Lateral Extent ◽  
Coastal British Columbia

We reconstructed peatland formation, succession and long-term rates of carbon (C) accumulation at a mid-elevation poor fen on Vancouver Island in coastal British Columbia, Canada. Multi-proxy paleoecological analyses including bulk chemistry, peat composition, macrofossils, pollen and non-pollen palynomorphs show terrestrialization starting from a small oligotrophic lake 14,000 cal BP. Peat accumulation began by 11,600 cal BP with the transition to an emergent Nuphar-dominated shallow-water marsh. Terrestrialization in the center of the peatland was more or less complete by 10,400 cal BP with the development of a Sphagnum-dominated poor fen that continues to the present. Outward expansion by paludification appears to have brought the peatland close to its modern lateral extent by 10,000 cal BP, suggesting that terrestrialization and paludification played important concurrent roles in the early development of this poor fen. Mean long-term rates of C accumulation (13 g C/m2/yr) are lower than at most Northern Hemisphere peatlands including nearby lowland bogs. Maximum rates of 43 g C/m2/yr occurred in the early Holocene during accumulation of Nuphar peat and the transition to Sphagnum peat and coincided with high summer temperatures and increased seasonality, which promote growing season productivity and reduce winter decomposition. Early Holocene increases in C accumulation rates occurred at two nearby lowland bogs during similar wetland stages. Collectively, these studies demonstrate that climate and autogenic succession, including changes in relative water table depth and plant functional groups, interacted to drive Holocene peatland dynamics and C accumulation rates in the maritime setting of coastal British Columbia.

scholarly journals British Columbia Vegetation and Climate History with Focus on 6 ka BP

2007 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard J. Hebda
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Pinus Contorta ◽  
Tsuga Heterophylla ◽  
Picea Sitchensis ◽  
Early Holocene ◽  
Thuja Plicata ◽  
Quercus Garryana ◽  
Climate History ◽  
The North ◽  
Vegetation And Climate

ABSTRACT British Columbia Holocene vegetation and climate is reconstructed from pollen records. A coastal Pinus contorta paleobiome developed after glacier retreat under cool and probably dry climate. Cool moist forests involving Picea, Abies, Tsuga spp., and Pinus followed until the early Holocene. Pseudotsuga menziesii arrived and spread in the south 10 000-9000 BP, and Picea sitchensis - Tsuga heterophylla forests developed in the north. T. heterophylla increased 7500-7000 BP, and Cupressaceae expanded 5000-4000 BP. Bogs began to develop and expland. Modern vegetation arose 4000-2000 BP. There were early Holocene grass and Artemisia communities at mid-elevations and pine stands at high elevations in southern interior B.C. Forests expanded downslope and lakes formed 8500-7000 BP. Modern forests arose 4500-4000 BP while lower and upper tree lines declined. In northern B.C. non-arboreal communities preceded middle Holocene Picea forests. Abies, Pinus and Picea mariana predominated at various sites after 4000 BP. At 6000 BP Tsuga heterophylla (south) and Picea sitchensis (north) dominated the coast and islands and Quercus garryana and Pseudotsuga on southeast Vancouver Island, but Thuja plicata was infrequent. Southern Interior Plateau vegetation at 6000 BP was more open than today at middle to lower elevations, whereas forests covered the Northern Interior Plateau. Picea forests occurred in northern B.C. Holocene climate phases were: 1) warm dry "xerothermic" ca. 9500-7000 BP, 2) warm moist "mesothermic" ca. 7000-4500 BP, 3) moderate and moist 4500-0 BP, with increasing moisture 8500-6000 BP and cooling (?increased moisture) 4500-3000 BP. B.Cs Hypsithermal had dry and wet stages; 6000 BP occurred in the warm and wet mesothermic stage.

Palynology and paleoecology of postglacial sediments in an anoxic basin, Saanich Inlet, British Columbia

1983 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 873-885 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda E. Heusser
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Pinus Contorta ◽  
Tsuga Heterophylla ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Western Hemlock ◽  
Thuja Plicata ◽  
Alnus Rubra ◽  
Red Cedar ◽  
Saanich Inlet ◽  
Anoxic Basin

Varved, black clayey silts deposited in the marine waters of Saanich Inlet yield unusually abundant and diverse pollen assemblages derived from the coastal Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga) and western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) forests of southwestern British Columbia. The 12 000 year palynological record chronicles the development of vegetation since ice left Saanich Inlet: the succession of pine (Pinus contorta) and alder (Alnus rubra) woodlands by forests characterized by Douglas-fir and oak (Quercus) and later by western hemlock and red cedar (Thuja plicata). Rapid deposition of annual layers of pollen, charcoal, and other terrigenous particles provides detailed evidence of changes in land use during the past few hundred years: settlement, logging, farming, and urbanization. Vegetational and climatic changes inferred from pollen spectra in the marine sediments of Saanich Inlet compare favorably with changes inferred from correlative pollen assemblages previously described from adjacent parts of Vancouver Island and the Fraser River valley.

Ectomycorrhizal mushroom distribution by stand age in western hemlock – lodgepole pine forests of northwestern British Columbia

2005 ◽  
Vol 35 (7) ◽  
pp. 1527-1539 ◽  
Author(s):  
J M Kranabetter ◽  
J Friesen ◽  
S Gamiet ◽  
P Kroeger
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Pinus Contorta ◽  
Nitrogen Availability ◽  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Natural Disturbance ◽  
Tsuga Heterophylla ◽  
Western Hemlock ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Age Classes ◽  
Commercial Forest

Commercial forest rotations are usually shorter than natural disturbance return intervals, which could affect the distribution of ectomycorrhizal fungal (EMF) species dependent on late-seral stands. We examined this potential reduction in species richness by comparing ectomycorrhizal mushroom communities across four age-classes (pole stage, young, mature, and old growth) of western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.) – lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud.) stands on submesic sites in northwestern British Columbia. Almost 130 species of ectomycorrhizal mushrooms were identified over the 12 sites during the 3-year study period. EMF richness was lowest in pole stands and almost twice as high in the older age-classes. Species composition and abundance were related to stand age, with relatively large differences in communities between the ages of 20 and 120 and relatively smaller differences between 120 and 225 years. Twelve species, including the economically important pine mushroom (Tricholoma magnivelare (Peck) Redhead), were late-seral stand dependent, fruiting in forests that are at least older than 85 years. This distribution of ectomycorrhizal mushrooms across stand ages suggests EMF succession is primarily an accumulation of species and is likely affected by differences in dispersal by ectomycorrhizal fungi, soil properties (increased soil acidity and reduced nitrogen availability), and the rate of stand development. The evidence for EMF species limited to late-seral stands supports the maintenance of some mature forests within these landscapes to conserve EMF richness.

Quaternary Palynology of the Pacific Slope of Washington

1977 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 282-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Calvin J. Heusser
Keyword(s):  
Pinus Contorta ◽  
Meteorological Data ◽  
Tsuga Heterophylla ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Western Hemlock ◽  
Olympic Peninsula ◽  
The Holocene ◽  
Pollen Stratigraphy ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Pacific Slope

Quaternary deposits on the Pacific slope of Washington range in age from the earliest known interglaciation, the Alderton, through the Holocene. Pollen stratigraphy of these deposits is represented by 12 major pollen zones and is ostensibly continuous through Zone 8 over more than 47,000 radiocarbon yr. Before this, the stratigraphy is discontinuous and the chronology less certain. Environments over the time span of the deposits are reconstructed by the comparison of fossil and modern pollen assemblages and the use of relevant meteorological data. The Alderton Interglaciation is characterized by forests of Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), alder (Alnus), and fir (Abies). During the next younger interglaciation, the Puyallup, forests were mostly of pine, apparently lodgepole (Pinus contorta), except midway in the interval when fir, western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla), and Douglas fir temporarily replaced much of the pine. Vegetation outside the limits of Salmon Springs ice (>47,00034,000 yr BP) varied chiefly between park tundra and forests of western hemlock, spruce (Picea), and pine. The Salmon Springs nonglacial interval at the type locality records early park tundra followed by forests of pine and of fir. During the Olympia Interglaciation (34,000–28,000 yr BP), pine invaded the Puget Lowland, whereas western hemlock and spruce became manifest on the Olympic Peninsula. Park tundra was widespread during the Fraser Glaciation (28,000–10,000 yr BP) with pine becoming more important from about 15,000 to 10,000 yr BP. Holocene vegetation consisted first of open communities of Douglas fir and alder; later, closed forests succeeded, formed principally of western hemlock on the Olympic Peninsula and of western hemlock and Douglas fir in the Puget Lowland. Over the length of the reconstructed environmental record, climate shifted between cool and humid or relatively warm, semihumid forest types and cold, relatively dry tundra or park tundra types. During times of glaciation, average July temperatures are estimated to have been at least 7°C lower than today. Only during the Alderton Interglaciation and during the Holocene were temperatures higher for protracted periods than at present.

A late Quaternary vegetation history from Lily Lake, Chilkat Peninsula, southeast Alaska

1990 ◽  
Vol 68 (5) ◽  
pp. 1106-1112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Les C. Cwynar
Keyword(s):  
Pinus Contorta ◽  
Vegetation History ◽  
Late Quaternary ◽  
Tsuga Heterophylla ◽  
Picea Sitchensis ◽  
Coastal Forest ◽  
Southeast Alaska ◽  
Plant Migration ◽  
Arrival Times ◽  
The Pacific

Pollen and plant macrofossil analyses of a radiocarbon-dated core from Lily Lake on the Chilkat Peninsula, southeast Alaska, provide evidence for the history of the Pacific Coastal Forest. A Pinus contorta woodland with an abundance of herbs and ferns initially became established after deglaciation (10 870 years BP). By 10 330 years BP, Alnus viridis had become a significant component of the pine woodland while herbs and other shrubs declined. At 9480 years BP, Picea sitchensis and Populus were locally present and P. contorta populations declined. Tsuga heterophylla, which dominates the modern vegetation, became locally established at 7880 years BP. The last major component, Tsuga mertensiana, joined the vegetation about 6710 years BP. The modern closed forest, dominated by T. heterophylla and P. sitchensis, became established about 2870 years BP. The arrival times for the dominant species are compatible with dates from other studies that suggest a northward migration along the coast. Key words: fossil pollen, Alaska, Quaternary, plant migration, coastal forest.

Species richness of ectomycorrhizal fungi in cutblocks of different sizes in the Interior Cedar-Hemlock forests of northwestern British Columbia: sporocarps and ectomycorrhizae

1999 ◽  
Vol 29 (9) ◽  
pp. 1322-1332 ◽  
Author(s):  
D M Durall ◽  
Melanie D Jones ◽  
Elaine F Wright ◽  
Paul Kroeger ◽  
K Dave Coates
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Species Richness ◽  
Ectomycorrhizal Fungi ◽  
Pinus Contorta ◽  
Edible Mushroom ◽  
Forest Edge ◽  
Accurate Estimate ◽  
Tsuga Heterophylla ◽  
Root Tips ◽  
Number Of Species

We investigated the species richness of ectomycorrhizal fungi based on epigeous sporocarps in an Interior Cedar-Hemlock forest in northwestern British Columbia in gap sizes of 49-4526 m2, 3-4 years following harvest. We also determined ectomycorrhizal diversity on Pinus contorta var. latifolia Engelm. and Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg. seedlings 2 years after outplanting. Ectomycorrhizal fungal richness, based on epigeous sporocarps, decreased exponentially as gap size increased. There were sporocarps of 15 species along 475 m of transect in gaps larger than 900 m2, which was approximately 13% of the number of species present in neighboring forests (115 species along 300 m of transect). These data have implications for foresters who would be interested in managing forests for both timber and edible mushroom harvesting. Ectomycorrhizal richness on seedlings decreased slightly at increasing distances from the edge of the intact forest. The maximum richness was found at 7 m or less from the forest edge for both tree species. The decrease in richness with distance from the forest was associated with an increase in the proportion of Thelephora mycorrhizae in the samples. The number of types of ectomycorrhizae on root systems and the number of species producing epigeous sporocarps were not correlated. These results confirm the importance of sampling both sporocarps and root tips to achieve an accurate estimate of the ectomycorrhizal fungal community in forest ecosystems.

Trees are larger on southern slopes in late-seral conifer stands in northwestern British Columbia

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (11) ◽  
pp. 1349-1356
Author(s):  
Nathan J. Kuyek ◽  
Sean C. Thomas
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Picea Glauca ◽  
Pinus Contorta ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
Tsuga Heterophylla ◽  
Snow Accumulation ◽  
Western Hemlock ◽  
Stem Volume ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Canopy Tree

Mid-latitude forests commonly show increased productivity and ultimately produce larger trees on shaded, northern aspects compared with those on sunny, southern aspects. Little research has been conducted on this phenomenon at higher latitudes where solar radiation is less available. We examined patterns of canopy tree size in a set of 142 naturally regenerated, late-seral conifer stands in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, at latitudes of 54°N–56°N. The height, diameter, and total stem volume of three shade-tolerant conifers (western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.), subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.), and hybrid spruce (Picea glauca × engelmannii (Moench) Voss)) and shade-intolerant lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia Engelm. ex S. Watson) were analyzed. In contrast to most previous studies, mean canopy tree height, diameter, and volume were greatest on southern aspects and lowest on northern aspects for the subset of sites with pronounced slopes (≥30%). There was some variation in patterns among species, with western hemlock responding most strongly to topography, and species-specific effects of topography on height–diameter allometry. We suggest that decreased levels of radiation at northern latitudes and increased light and warmer temperatures on steeper, southern aspects promote growth. In contrast, colder, shaded, northern aspects with increased snow accumulation, delayed snowmelt, and decreased nitrogen mineralization inhibit growth. Our results, together with published data, suggest that a latitudinal shift from higher forest productivity on northern aspects to higher productivity on southern aspects typically occurs between 40°N and 50°N.

A Study of the Rosaria Group of the Genus Diarsia (Lepidoptera: Phalaenidae) with Special Reference to the Structure of the Male Genitalia

1950 ◽  
Vol 82 (2) ◽  
pp. 25-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. F. Hardwick
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
British Columbia ◽  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Coniferous Forest ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Other ◽  
Forest Zone ◽  
California Coast ◽  
Species Ranges ◽  
The Pacific

A recent study of that complex of the genus Diarsia which at present is found in collections under the name rosaria Grt. has convinced me that at least two species, easily separable on the basis of maculation and colouring, have gone under this name. One of these, the true rosaria, is confined to the more northerly portions of the California coast. The other species ranges from Alaska south through British Columbia into the Pacific Northwest of the United States, and from the coast of British Columbia east through the northern coniferous forest zone to the coast of Labrador. The latter species is divisible on the basis of well defined genitalic differences into a subspecies inhabiting the Cordilleran region and a subspecies confined to the northern coniferous forest.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document