Elevation |
- usually grows 5–35 m above sea level, but occasionally as high as 195 m above sea level
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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
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Microclimate |
- plants tend to occur at coastal sites that have higher ground temperatures and moister soil in the winter compared to corresponding inland sites
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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
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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
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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
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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
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- 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
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Biogeoclimatic unit |
- CDFmm – the Moist Maritime subzone of the Coastal Douglas-fir zone
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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)
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Sensitive ecosystems |
- sites usually occur in the following mapped Sensitive Ecosystems: coastal bluffs, herbaceous, and woodland
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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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