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Sparsely Vegetated
Sparsely vegetated cliff and rock ecosystems occur on sites where rock, cliffs, or talus slopes only allow for discontinuous vegetation cover interspersed with bedrock or blocks of rock. This ecosystem provides protected shelves and crevices that are important for shelter, breeding, and overwintering for a variety of reptiles, animals and birds. Slopes with a warm orientation are especially important. Extreme rarity (confirm abundance), high biodiversity, specialized habitat (a number of species including some threatened or endangered species are dependent on these habitats), as well as social and visual values.
Some of the Species At Risk found within Sparsely Vegetated Ecosystems are: Western Skink, Gopher Snake, Western Rattlesnake, Peregrine Falcon, Canyon Wren, Townsend’s Big-eared Bat, Pallid Bat, and Lemmon’s Holly Fern.
Sparsely vegetated ecosystems are divided into four subtypes: shrub, talus, cliff, and rock outcrop ecosystems.
Shrub Ecosystems
Shrub ecosystems occur on small rock outcrops with cracks and crevices. They most commonly occur in a grassland matrix. These ecosystems are often steep with soils restricted to small pockets. Scattered shrubs grow in cracks and cliff ferns often grow in small crevices.
Talus Ecosystems
Cliff Ecosystems
Sparsely vegetated cliff ecosystems are steep, vertical cliffs, often found above talus ecosystems. Cliffs have minimal vegetation that is restricted to cracks and crevices, narrow ledges and small soils pockets. Shrubs typically occur in crevices and grasses and forbs occur in small soil pockets on ledges.
Rock Outcrop Ecosystems
Rock outcrop ecosystems occur on areas of exposed rock that have very little soil development and sparse vegetation cover. Vegetation cover typically consists of bunchgrasses, selaginella and scattered shrubs that are restricted to crevices and pockets of soil. These ecosystems are gently to steeply sloping, but are neither vertical (these are cliff ecosystems), nor dominated by shrubs (these are shrub ecosystems).
Information on Sparsely Vegetated Ecosystems from the Regional District of Central Okanagan, DEVELOPMENT PERMIT AREAS Appendix I: Aquatic Ecosystem Development Permit Area & Guidelines
Central Okanagan Sparsely Vegetated Ecosystem - Sensitive Ecosystems Inventory, Ministry of Environment
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How to Protect Sparsely Vegetated Ecosystems
Sparsely Vegetated Cliff and Rock Ecosystem Guidelines
• Protect nesting and denning sites that were identified on site through an initial reconnaissance or in the ecological inventory. It is important for animals and birds to reproduce and ensure future generations. Important features include hibernacula (hibernation chambers) for snakes and reptiles, raptor nests or perch trees, nesting cavities, woodpecker cavities, and bat roosts.
• Manage access to minimize vehicular and livestock access. Avoid roads near hibernacula and prevent the disturbance of snake hibernacula. Manage road location to prevent snake mortality.
• Minimize soil disturbances and minimize disturbance of rock debris.
• Areas within the Sensitive Terrestrial Ecosystem Development Permit Area that are classified as Sparsely Vegetated Cliff and Rock ecosystems may be subject to rockfall hazard. Unless there is a threat to safety or property, disturbance to soil or rock debris (talus or scree) at the base of rock outcrops or steep slopes should be avoided.
• Plan, design and implement land development and subdivision to protect endangered, threatened, or vulnerable species or plant communities. Avoid disturbance to sites where rare plants are growing and where rare natural plant communities occur, and maintain habitat structures such as talus slopes at the base of rock outcrops, steep faces or rock outcrops and cliffs, scattered large old trees and snags.
• Protect large old trees (and their root systems) and snags. Such isolated trees scattered through the sparsely vegetated areas provide shelter, nesting habitat, and food source for wildlife. Discourage rock climbing in areas that have not been assessed for important habitat considerations. Do not allow rock climbing in important nesting, denning and other habitat features when identified.