Rosebud is an ecologically rich landscape with a diverse array of species. Once known as “Moose Mountain” its open meadows offer wintering forage to many moose and deer, while the old-growth Douglas Fir forests offer shelter.
The many thousands of stems of aspen provide critical habitat to a large community of birds and small mammals such as groundhogs, while the nearby forests have a diverse array of hardwoods, softwoods, an abundance of prized mushrooms, and herbs such as arnica and wild clematis.
Perhaps because of this diversity and unique habitat, there could be a badger living in this area, a provincially endangered species that is currently known to exist only as far north as Williams Lake. There have been three independent badger sightings reported by local residents in the past two years. However, after repeated searches, I have yet to find evidence of a badger, though a large burrow dug near a groundhog colony could be the right size for it.
The ridge of Rosebud Mountain is dominated by old-growth stands of Douglas Fir. There are numerous specimens with diameters of more than four feet and ages of up to 300+ years. One forester estimated an age of 400 or 500 years for one gnarled, jurassic specimen. Giants this old are rare this far north. There is a mere 0.06% of forested land in the Prince George Forest District, or an estimated 1400 hectares, with Douglas Fir-leading stands as old as this. Douglas Fir-leading stands of all age classes represent only 1.6% of this landbase, according to the Timber Supply Review 2 Data from 2001. The Douglas Fir forest is mixed, with many birch and aspen. Such species have a symbiotic relationship; the birch provide nutrients for the Douglas Fir as they mature.
On the southern and western slopes the old-growth Fir gives way to a forest of pure aspen and open shrub/grassland, a relatively rare ecosystem that is difficult to explain. Some foresters have suggested a history of forest fire that has led to these open meadows and aspen forests, while others suggest there may be a micro-climatic explanation or simply nutrient-poor soils. However, many other similar hillsides in the immediate vicinity with forest fire histories and similar climates and soils are fully cloaked in conifers. One theory is that underground fungal networks unique to Rosebud suppress conifers to keep the meadows open.
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