British Columbia: Only in Canada - New list for gardeners observers birders

An interesting news item today

idea for a new life list at this staycation time?

New study is first full list of species that only exist in Canada - Canada News


i see a « Mosquin » cited on Page 9 of the Nature Conservancy Report pdf (link below)

https://www.natureconservancy.ca/as...511.969183856.1591289487-651882962.1586713771

 

That'd be my uncle. I was only a few years old at the time!

 

Weren’t we all ! (Wise beyond our years )

I think it would be interesting to have a similar type of list showing species that while may be common in other areas of North America - are not so common in BC

Like Garry oak or Arbutus - for eg

 

You can sort of do this yourself with the BC Species & Ecosystems Explorer - Province of British Columbia

Click on Launch the Explorer

Expand the Advanced Search

Select Plants from the Groups search under Basic (or Expand Plants and just select Vascular Plants)

Select S1, S2, and S3 under Provincial Status, and then select G4 and G5 under Global Status.

Note that these results don't actually include either Garry oak or arbutus, presumably because they are considered Apparently Secure (S4) or better within British Columbia.

 

Thank you Daniel

as tempted as I am to play with the list now - will save for later - after chores

I was fiddling around in the EFlora website and specifically reading on the Pacific Rhodo page (BELOW - Manning Park pictures taken and sent to me yesterday)

The actual map - i cannot figure out what the color dots mean (I can’t find the key)

Also - I am surprised that while there are photos apparently taken at rhodo flat pullover off the highway in Manning —- there is no corresponding dot on the map ??? E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of BC

PS - I have seen pix of wild rhodo grove up the mtn near Sechelt ... have you seen them?

ÉDIT: link to my related post, similar topic as Daniel reply above)
List of flora (& fauna) only in BC ? (But known south of border)

 

You have to click through the map and bring it up full screen: E-Flora BC: Interactive Map

The legend for the dots is on the left. It is kind of funny and an obvious oversight that the Rhodo Flats pullover does not have a dot--but I suppose the explanations there are: 1) older herbarium specimens haven't yet been digitized and 2) making plant collections under the provincial park laws require(d) about a year-long permitting process for much of the past half-century or more. That is changed somewhat in the past 4-5 years, as it is now much easier to do for researchers with respect to common plants as long as soil isn't meaningfully disturbed. Rare plants or digging out an entire plant still requires the long process.

I have seen the grove up by Sechelt, yes!

 

Not so long ago, there were only a few sites where Rhododendron macrophyllum were to be found in BC - Manning Park, Mt. Elphinstone, Skagit River - in Manning Park, Rhododendron Lake - west of Nanaimo, and Weeks Lake - west of Shawnigan Lake. Now, looking at the expanded interactive map on E-Flora BC, I see more have been identified. Some of the dots are in the wrong spot however . . . those placed near the border in particular.

I spend a lot of time looking at the E-Flora maps; a fabulous resource!

 

Oh I see the key — I tend to use my mobile device more than a desktop / laptop ... so I imagine geography UBC made this website map design before mobile internet data so prevalent

I have always liked geography and maps so I will look around more after chores

Wow - Daniel - you are lucky to have seen the rhodos above Sechelt - i think it is in a land area that can be legally logged tho I might be mistaken on that detail (in other words, don’t quote me)

 

There was definitely clearcuts nearby, and a fine set of road-adjacent regrowth with particularly scratchy branch tips for vehicle wax.

 

Yes we don’t need SAR (search and rescue) volunteers out trying to rescue weekend warrior humans who explore beyond capacity !

The wild rhododendrons of Mount Elphinstone

Here’s an article from 2016 in the coast newspaper weekly.

« Likely most northerly [known] stand in Pacific NW »

Makes one wonder how these native species placed their first seeds in these SW BC spots- and when.