Ecological variability of high elevation forests in central British Columbia

High-elevation, late-successional forests over much of British Columbia are dominated by Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii Parry ex. Engelm.) and subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.). Throughout the range of these forests, however, there is a wide variation in natural disturbance and successional dynamics as influenced by diverse climate and topography. We divided these high elevation forests into four groups arranged along a regional climatic gradient that affects forest composition, structure and disturbance regime. For each, we describe the climate, topography, major vegetation, and natural disturbance dynamics. We suggest that management practices reflect the ecological variability demonstrated for these high elevation forests. Key words: high elevation forests, ecological variability, natural disturbance dynamics, vegetation, Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, British Columbia, climate, topography