Geographical and ecological setting
The main portion of Green Links was carried out across three municipalities in the Greater Vancouver Regional District of British Columbia, Canada, and finished with a total corridor length of 23km. The first link was located in the municipality of Coquitlam, where several fragmented natural spaces were identified and improved (Schaefer & Sulek, 1997a). Coquitlam is located within the Coastal Western Hemlock biogeoclimatic zone, a highly productive landscape owing to the heavy amount of precipitation it receives. This eco-zone is characterized by an abundance of wildlife and forests dominated by Western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla), Sitka spruce (Picea stichensis), and Western redcedar (Thuja plicata) (BC Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, 2009).
The Coquitlam link was constructed within the BC Hydro utility corridor that runs north from The Port Moody Ecological Reserve, through the city’s main center and south to the Fraser River (See Figure 1: Utility Corridor in Coquitlam's Green Link) (Schaefer & Sulek, 1997a). The utility corridor serves to connect several natural areas, including the Colony Farm, Mundy Park, Mundy Creek, Chine Heights, Scott Creek, Hoy Creek, and the Port Moody Ecological Reserve (See Figure 2: Existing "Green Links" in 2015) Several of these areas are ecologically sensitive and possess unique ecological characteristics (Schaefer & Sulek, 1997a). The Colony Farm, at the southern end of the utility right-of-way, is recognized as a valuable wildlife habitat. Mundy Park is an important urban forest and bog habitat, which connects several urban creeks within the watershed located between the Burrard Inlet and the Fraser River. Chine Heights is an escarpment containing 12 urban ravines. Hoy Creek is known as a salmon-bearing stream. The Port Moody Ecological reserve is a large protected area that connects several other parks and ecological reserves (Schaefer & Sulek, 1997b). The Coquitlam link spans a total length of 5 kilometers, with a width of 100 meters and a total area of 128 hectares (Schaefer & Sulek, 1997a). |
Figure 1: Utility Corridor of Coquitlam's Green Link Source: Shaefer &Sulek, 1997a
Figure 2: Existing "Green Links" in 2015 - Utility Corridor Connecting Urban Parks. Source: modified from Google Maps, March 23 2015
|