Introduction
The term disturbance is often associated with negative connotations. However, ecologically speaking, disturbance is a natural and vital process that can ultimately help facilitate the development of an ecosystem (Attiwill, 1994). In general, disturbance is an event that causes a change in the structure of an ecosystem, resource availability, and/or the physical environment (Turner, 2010). There are also disturbance regimes, which focuses on the temporal and spatial dynamics of disturbance on a longer time scale (Turner, 2010). The significance of a disturbance event or regime are dependent on three main properties: intensity, severity, and magnitude (Grayston, 2016a). However, when studying the significance of a disturbance …show more content…
Firstly, the submontane variant of CWHwh, CWHwh1, spans just under half of Haida Gwaii’s total land area making it the most dominant zonal ecosystem on the archipelago (Banner et al., 2014). Extending from sea level to approximately 350 m elevation, this zone is dominated by western hemlock, Sitka spruce, and western redcedar trees accompanied by red huckleberry and feather mosses (Grayston, 2016a). The dominant soils in this zonal ecosystem are Humo-Ferric and Ferro-Humic Podzols with a distinctive feature being the accumulation of acidic Mor humus (Banner et al, 2014). In comparison, the montane variant of CWHwh, CWHwh2, covers approximately 7% of Haida Gwaii’s total land area and is found at higher elevations, between 350 and 600 m (Banner et al., 2014). Presence of the yellow-cedar tree is one of the key features of the montane variant that distinguishes it from the submontane variant (Banner et al., 2014). However, other distinguishing features of CWHwh2 include the presence of heron’s-bill and liverwort mosses (Grayston, 2016a). Lastly, was the second most dominant zonal ecosystem on the archipelago, the Haida Gwaii variant of CWHvh, CWHvh3, which is found from sea level to 550 m elevation and occupies 40% of Haida Gwaii’s total land area (Banner et al., 2014). The climate of CWHvh3 is much wetter than CWHwh, which gives rise to western redcedar and yellow-cedar, …show more content…
These events do not occur largely due to the types of zonal ecosystems present on the archipelago. For example, fires play a very minor role in the forest ecology due to the primarily wet climate throughout Haida Gwaii (Banner et al., 2014). However, human-caused fires on Haida Gwaii have occurred as was made evident by the presence of charcoal at both the Gore Brook Trail in Queen Charlotte and the Anvil Trail in Tlell, both of which have played a role in altering the forest landscape. Therefore, it is important to remember that while natural disturbance do have positive impacts on the ecosystem, the relationship between humans and disturbance can have negative consequences. Thus, it is important that anthropogenic land use is closely monitored to maintain the minimal occurrence of these low frequency but high severity disturbance events (Turner,
The term disturbance is often associated with negative connotations. However, ecologically speaking, disturbance is a natural and vital process that can ultimately help facilitate the development of an ecosystem (Attiwill, 1994). In general, disturbance is an event that causes a change in the structure of an ecosystem, resource availability, and/or the physical environment (Turner, 2010). There are also disturbance regimes, which focuses on the temporal and spatial dynamics of disturbance on a longer time scale (Turner, 2010). The significance of a disturbance event or regime are dependent on three main properties: intensity, severity, and magnitude (Grayston, 2016a). However, when studying the significance of a disturbance …show more content…
Firstly, the submontane variant of CWHwh, CWHwh1, spans just under half of Haida Gwaii’s total land area making it the most dominant zonal ecosystem on the archipelago (Banner et al., 2014). Extending from sea level to approximately 350 m elevation, this zone is dominated by western hemlock, Sitka spruce, and western redcedar trees accompanied by red huckleberry and feather mosses (Grayston, 2016a). The dominant soils in this zonal ecosystem are Humo-Ferric and Ferro-Humic Podzols with a distinctive feature being the accumulation of acidic Mor humus (Banner et al, 2014). In comparison, the montane variant of CWHwh, CWHwh2, covers approximately 7% of Haida Gwaii’s total land area and is found at higher elevations, between 350 and 600 m (Banner et al., 2014). Presence of the yellow-cedar tree is one of the key features of the montane variant that distinguishes it from the submontane variant (Banner et al., 2014). However, other distinguishing features of CWHwh2 include the presence of heron’s-bill and liverwort mosses (Grayston, 2016a). Lastly, was the second most dominant zonal ecosystem on the archipelago, the Haida Gwaii variant of CWHvh, CWHvh3, which is found from sea level to 550 m elevation and occupies 40% of Haida Gwaii’s total land area (Banner et al., 2014). The climate of CWHvh3 is much wetter than CWHwh, which gives rise to western redcedar and yellow-cedar, …show more content…
These events do not occur largely due to the types of zonal ecosystems present on the archipelago. For example, fires play a very minor role in the forest ecology due to the primarily wet climate throughout Haida Gwaii (Banner et al., 2014). However, human-caused fires on Haida Gwaii have occurred as was made evident by the presence of charcoal at both the Gore Brook Trail in Queen Charlotte and the Anvil Trail in Tlell, both of which have played a role in altering the forest landscape. Therefore, it is important to remember that while natural disturbance do have positive impacts on the ecosystem, the relationship between humans and disturbance can have negative consequences. Thus, it is important that anthropogenic land use is closely monitored to maintain the minimal occurrence of these low frequency but high severity disturbance events (Turner,