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Table 1. Summary of habitat characteristics for Macoun’s meadow-foam (COSEWIC 2004).
General characteristics Habitat Summary
  • open places or sparsely treed woodlands, usually <200 m from shore of Pacific Ocean (up to 2 km from shore)
  • rocky sites with shallow soil
  • wet or submerged in winter and completely dry in summer
Elevation
  • usually grows 5–35 m above sea level, but occasionally as high as 195 m above sea level
Light requirements
  • optimal growth occurs in full-sun habitats
  • when plants grow in shade (among tall grasses or overshadowed by woody plants), the plants are thin and elongated and usually produce fewer nutlets
Climate General
  • the climate of the species’ range is characterized by mild winters and dry, cool summers
  • snow and hard frosts are rare
Microclimate
  • plants tend to occur at coastal sites that have higher ground temperatures and moister soil in the winter compared to corresponding inland sites
Annual
  • most of the precipitation is in the winter months, precipitation declines sharply in the spring, and sites experience strong moisture deficits in the summer
  • growth period spans from late September or October to May; relatively mild temperatures and high rates of precipitation in this period are essential for the plant’s survival
  • dry summers are important for seed maturation
Climate fluctuations
  • adverse conditions for plant growth and development are associated with lower than average temperatures in winter and drier than average conditions in early spring
  • low temperatures in the fall can impede germination; winter frosts can kill the plants
Physiographic and topographic characteristics Bedrock
  • sites occur in bedrock depressions (lined with shallow soil) where water pools, or along bedrock fractures (with soil deposits) with intermittent seepage
  • sites generally have volcanic underlying bedrock, with sandstone bedrock at a few sites
Soils
  • soils are shallow, ranging from a few cm to about 30 cm thick
  • the most viable populations tend to occur in soils <4 cm deep
  • soils are humus-rich and black: Orthic Humic Regosol soil classification
  • soils are nutrient-rich and acidic
Soil conditions
  • the plant has the following edaphic requirements: water table at the ground surface or up to 5 cm above ground surface during winter; fresh and moist soil in spring until the end of April; and very dry soil in summer
Ecology Biogeoclimatic unit
  • CDFmm – the Moist Maritime subzone of the Coastal Douglas-fir zone
Ecosystems
  • the species occurs in the following ecosystems:
  • vernal pools: open depressions with a large number of annual plants
  • ephemeral seepage streams on open slopes
  • seagull-roosting places: wet depressions and the end of seepage streams in places where seabirds gather and feed (nutrient-rich)
  • open woodlands: depressions and seepy places in open mixed woodlands of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), Garry oak (Quercus garryana), arbutus (Arbutus menziesii), Rocky Mountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum), or shore pine (Pinus contorta var. contorta)
Sensitive ecosystems
  • sites usually occur in the following mapped Sensitive Ecosystems: coastal bluffs, herbaceous, and woodland
Disturbance regime (see this paragraph)
  • sites are commonly subject to intermediate levels of disturbance from human recreation and seabird activities
  • moderate disturbance from humans and seabirds may contribute to maintaining Macoun’s meadow-foam habitat by reducing cover of competing plant species

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Date Modified:
2014-08-08