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will likely be scattered Douglas‐fir with small patches of aspen scattered over a landscape mostly
covered by pine in decline. Lodgepole pine established on the wetter, cooler aspects will have a
higher chance of survival, but the climate will not be favourable to pine in the long run. There will
be a trend to more open forests and more grasslands.
Engelmann Spruce­ Subalpine Fir (ESSF) Zone
The ESSF zone lies below the Alpine Tundra zone and above the MS or IDF zones. There are two
ESSF subzones in the study area‐ ESSFxv1 (very dry very cold) and the ESSFxvp (very dry very cold
parkland). The ESSFxv1 lies between 1650 and 2100m. It is dominated by lodgepole pine forests
which regenerate following relatively frequent fires. Subalpine fir and Engelmann spruce are
present
in the understory however; few seral pine forests have been replaced by these long lived
species. Whitebark pine is common at elevations above 1850m on drier, warm aspects.
The ESSFxvp is a parkland subzone characterized by patches of stunted trees. It is dominated by
subalpine fir with spruce on cool exposures and Whitebark pine and lodgepole pine on warmer
aspects.
Climate impacts: By 2050 the climate of this area will also be warmer and wetter overall, but
summers will be drier. It is colder and wetter than the IDF, but warmer than the MS zones. It is
likely that fire frequency will go up and all species may move up in elevation. Douglas‐fir may also
move up slope from lower habitats as climate warms. The parkland areas will become more treed,
however the speed at which this happens will be limited by soil development (Campbell et al.
2009). The slow maturing Whitebark pine will be threatened as it cannot adapt rapidly to changing
conditions and will probably be out‐competed. 55
Culturally Important Plants
56 57
As the authors of the Kamloops Future Forest Strategy (2009) describe, the dynamic nature of
ecosystems
makes predictions about future conditions challenging at best. However, some
generalities
were surmised:
• Long lived species may be able to survive changes.
• Wet to moist site plants will see suitable habitat shrink, while some dryland species may be
threatened by competition by invasive species.
• However, species that are adapted to wet or dry conditions will
likely survive where
biophysical factors influence the amount of moisture available.
• Drought adapted species may also have a wide range of adaptation. Vulnerability of culturally important plants of the Xeni Gwet’in will vary by species. There have
been upwards of 50 species identified as important to most First Nations in the Cariboo‐Chilcotin. 58
What follows is a small selection of those plants that were specifically identified as important by the
survey of the Xeni Gwet’in elders.
Claytonia lanceolata (Indian po tato) (Western Spring Beauty)
55 Cox 2000.
56 Ecology summarized
from Parish et al. 1996.
57 Information also
provided by Ray Coupe, Ecologist, Ministry of Forests and Range, Williams Lake.
58 Powell 2005.
38