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BC Conservation Data Centre: Ecological Community Summary

Populus trichocarpa - Picea engelmannii x glauca / Cornus sericea
black cottonwood - hybrid white spruce / red-osier dogwood

 
Scientific Name: Populus trichocarpa - Picea engelmannii x glauca / Cornus sericea
English Name: black cottonwood - hybrid white spruce / red-osier dogwood
Scientific Name - Concept Reference: MacKenzie, W.H. and J.R. Moran. 2004. Wetlands of British Columbia: a guide to identification. Res. Br., B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C. Land Manage. Handb. No. 52.
Ecosystem Group: Terrestrial Realm - Flood Group (F): Middle Bench Flood Class (Fm)
Terrestrial Realm - Forest: Broadleaf - moist/wet
Related Concepts:
Other Community NameRelationshipCitation
Populus spp. (balsamifera, trichocarpa) - Picea spp. / Cornus stolonifera B - Broader MacKenzie, W.H. and J.R. Moran. 2004. Wetlands of British Columbia: a guide to identification. Res. Br., B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C. Land Manage. Handb. No. 52.
Populus trichocarpa / Cornus stolonifera - Rosa nutkana F - Finer Meidinger, D. 1992. Vegetation classification hierarchy: DBASE September 1992. B.C. Minist. For. Res. Branch, Victoria.
   
Conservation Status / Legal Designation
Global Status: GNR
Provincial Status: S3 (Mar 2021)
BC List: Blue
Provincial FRPA list:   
Notable Species:
 
Ecology & Dynamics
Environmental Summary: This ecological community develops on middle-bench floodplains of major rivers and experiences regular subsurface flooding and irregular over-bank flooding (every 1 to 5 years).
Vegetation Summary: This deciduous riparian forest has an open canopy of Populus balsamifera ssp. trichocarpa (black cottonwood). Picea glauca x engelmanii (hybrid white spruce) may be present in the tree or shrub layer with very low cover. The shrub layer is dense, tall, and vigorous with a high cover of Cornus stolonifera (red-osier dogwood), Lonicera involucrata (black twinberry), and Viburnum edule (highbush-cranberry). Rosa acicularis (prickly rose), Amelanchier alnifolia (saskatoon), and Symphoricarpos albus (common snowberry) are frequently present but with low cover. A variety of willow species and alder may also occur. The well-developed herb layer is dominated by Calamagrostis canadensis (Canada bluejoint), Petasites frigida var. palmatus (palmate coltsfoot), and Lathyrus nevadensis (purple peavine). Aster conspicuus (showy aster) and Epilobium angustifolium (fireweed) are sometimes present with low cover. A moss layer is generally absent.
Dynamic Processes Summary:
Spatial Pattern: Large patch
Linear
 
Distribution
Endemic:
   
Authors / Contributors
Author: Cadrin, C.M., H.K. Yearsley, I. Ronalds and D.S. McLennan
Last updated: Oct 30, 2009
   
References and Related Literature
B.C. Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations. Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification (BEC) Map, WHSE_FOREST_VEGETATION.BEC_BIOGEOCLIMATIC_POLY [ESRI ArcSDE format]. Version 9. Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations, Forest Analysis and Inventory Branch, Victoria, B.C. Updated Regularly.
Banner, A., W. MacKenzie, S. Haeussler, S. Thomson, J. Pojar, and R. Trowbridge. 1993. A field guide to site identification and interpretation for the Prince Rupert Forest Region. B.C. Minist. For., Res. Branch, Victoria, B.C. Land Manage. Handb. No. 26.
DeLong, C., A. Banner, W. MacKenzie, B. Rogers, and B. Kaytor. 2011. A field guide to ecosystem identification for the Boreal White and Black Spruce Zone of British Columbia. B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C. Land Manage. Handb. No. 65.
DeLong, C., D. Tanner and M.J. Jull. 1993. A field guide for site identification and interpretation for the southwest portion of the Prince George Forest Region. B.C. Min. For., Res. Branch, Victoria, B.C. Land Manage. Handb. No. 24.
DeLong, S.C. 2011. Land units and benchmarks for developing natural disturbance-based forest management guidance for northeastern British Columbia. B.C. Min. For. Range, For. Sci. Prog., Victoria, B.C. Tech. Rep. 059.
MacKenzie, W.H. and J.R. Moran. 2004. Wetlands of British Columbia: a guide to identification. Res. Br., B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C. Land Manage. Handb. No. 52.
MacKillop, D., A. Ehman, K. Iverson, E. McKenzie, M. Ryan and M. Machmer. 2021. A field guide to ecosystem classification and identification for Boundary-Eastern Okanagan-Shuswap-Southern Arrow. Prov. B.C., Victoria, B.C. Land Management Handbook 75.
MacKillop, D.J. and A.J. Ehman. 2016. A field guide to site classification and identification for southeast British Columbia: the south-central Columbia Mountains. Prov. B.C., Victoria, B.C. Land Management Handbook 70.
MacKillop, D.J., A.J. Ehman, K.E. Iverson, and E.B. McKenzie. 2018. A Field guide to site classification and identification for southeast British Columbia: the East Kootenay. Province of B.C., Victoria, B.C. Land Management Handbook 71
Meidinger, D. 1992. Vegetation classification hierarchy: DBASE September 1992. B.C. Minist. For. Res. Branch, Victoria.
Pojar, J., R. Trowbridge, and D. Coates. 1984. Ecosystem classification and interpretation of the Sub-boreal Spruce Zone, Prince Rupert Forest Region, British Columbia. Minist. of Forests, Land Manage. Rep. No. 17, Victoria.
Predictive Ecosystem Mapping [PEM] - EcoGen of the Morice Forest District. March 2001b. Ministry of Forests Research Branch, Ministry of Forests Prince Rupert Region and, Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management Skeena Region. 1:20 000 spatial data.
Predictive Ecosystem Mapping [PEM] of the Quesnel TSA. March 29, 2008. Moon, D. E., R.A. MacMillan, R. Coupe, and N. Phillips. 1:20 000 spatial data.
Ryan, M., D. Lloyd, and K. Iverson. 2022. A field guide to ecosystem classification and identification for the Southern Thompson?Okanagan. Prov. B.C., Victoria, B.C. Land Management Handbook 76.
Skaien, C.L., Roberts, E., and Straka, J. 2023. "Elk Valley Wetlands 2023: BAPID 6671: Wetland Polygons for the Elk Valley NCC Properties from Salmo to Sparwood, BC". BC Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship.
Terrestrial Ecosystem Mapping [TEM] of the Tulsequah Chief Mine and Access Road Expanded Study Area. October, 2002h. Prepared for the B.C. Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection, Smithers, B.C., by Robert Fuller and Forest Information Systems. Victoria, B.C. 1:20 000 spatial data.
Terrestrial Ecosystem Mapping [TEM] of the Tulsequah Chief Study Area. 1996c. JMJ Holdings Inc., Nelson, B.C. 1:50 000 spatial data.
 

Please visit the website Conservation Status Ranks for definitions of the data fields used in this summary report.

Suggested Citation:

B.C. Conservation Data Centre. 2009. Ecological Community Summary: Populus trichocarpa - Picea engelmannii x glauca / Cornus sericea. B.C. Minist. of Environment. Available: https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/ (accessed Jun 13, 2026).