Gnarly Garry Oak trunks spread out over a cluster of Shooting stars at the Cowichan Garry Oak Preserve. Photo: Tim Ennis (click to enlarge photo)
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Found only in small pockets of British Columbia's Vancouver Island, Gulf Islands and in the Fraser River Valley, the last remaining stands of Garry Oak are home to an incredible diversity of species that aren't found anywhere else. But less than five per cent of the original Garry Oak habitat remains.
In an ongoing effort to protect the few remaining traces of this endangered ecosystem, Environment Canada through the Georgia Basin Ecosystem Initiative, together with local partners purchased two parcels of land, a portion of which had been slated for single family residential development.
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The Garry Oak ecosystem is a mix of fairytale-like woodlands, meadows, grasslands and open rocky areas. It is uncommonly drought tolerant, which means it is adapted to a drier than normal climate. It contains 93 species of mammals, reptiles, birds, insects, butterflies, mosses and plants that are listed as endangered or threatened in British Columbia. Of these species, 21 are listed as being at risk nationally by The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). This is an exceptional number of species at risk in a single ecosystem. Habitat loss is one of the major threats to their survival.
Ecosystem of the Future?
Garry Oaks ecosystem typical of rocky outcrop at Mt. Tzuhalem Ecological Reserve. Photo: Tim Ennis (click to enlarge photo)
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There is emerging historical evidence that Garry Oak ecosystems were much more extensive than the present distribution suggests. This has been associated with a period of warmer climate that occurred thousands of years ago. From this new information, it is believed that if global warming increases as predicted, the resulting warmer and drier climate in this region could favour Garry Oak ecosystems again.
An open meadow of Blue Camas and Yellow Western Buttercup in the Cowichan Garry Oak Preserve. Photo: Tim Ennis (click to enlarge photo)
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Some scientists suggest that Garry Oak ecosystems may be the ecosystems of the future because the network of species it contains is adapted to summer drought. There are indications that if climate change proceeds as predicted, more and more of the landscape will become suitable for Garry Oak and the associated ecosystems. Potentially the Douglas Fir forests will start to creep further north and further up hill, and the projection is that Garry Oak ecosystems will occupy a greater area. But in order for this to happen, this ecosystem must be protected to ensure it is still around to fill this emerging niche.
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