Pacific temperate rainforests

Big green forests grow by the sea.

It rains a lot in these woods. The rain helps many tall trees grow. Some trees are the biggest in the world.

Soft green moss covers the trees. Many animals live here too. You might see a bear or a bird. Small slugs crawl on the ground. Salmon swim in the forest streams. It is a busy and beautiful place.

Big forests grow along the Pacific Coast. These are the Pacific temperate rainforests.

They stretch from Alaska down to California. These woods get a lot of rain. They also stay mild in summer and winter. This helps many tall trees grow. You can find some of the biggest trees here.

Many trees are conifers. These are trees with needles instead of leaves. Moss and other small plants cover the trees. The forest is full of life. Many animals live in these woods. You might see a black bear or a red fox. Salmon swim in the forest streams.

Some birds, like the marbled murrelet, nest in old trees. These forests are very heavy with life. They have more living material than almost any other place. This is because they do not burn often. Instead, small things like falling trees change the woods. Humans have cut down many of these forests for wood. Much of the original forest is gone now.

The Pacific temperate rainforests are a huge and special part of our world. This massive forest region sits along the western side of North America. It stretches from Prince William Sound in Alaska down to Northern California. These woods are part of the Nearctic realm. They are known for getting a lot of rain every year. The weather stays mild in both the summer and the winter. This makes them the largest temperate rain forest region on the planet.

These forests work in a very productive way. They have a huge amount of living material like trees, moss, and soil. In fact, the biomass is four times greater than similar areas in the tropics. This happens because fires are very rare in these wet woods. Instead of big fires, small things like avalanches or falling trees change the land. The forest changes as you move from south to north. In California, you find the coast redwood zone. Further north, you find the seasonal rain forest zone. In the far north, the sub-polar rain forest has much colder weather.

Long ago, the world looked very different. About 200 million years ago, conifers were the main trees on Earth. These are trees like the Sitka spruce and western hemlock. Later, flowering plants appeared and became very common. Most old conifers went extinct when this happened. However, these rainforests are special. They are the only large place where conifers still flourish like they did long ago. The northern parts of these forests are actually quite young. They emerged only a few thousand years ago after the last ice age ended.

Many amazing animals call these forests home. You might see a black bear or a red fox. Some areas have many grizzly bears because of the salmon in the streams. There is even a rare white bear called the Kermode bear in Canada. Salmon are very important to this whole system. They swim up forest streams to spawn. Some birds, like the marbled murrelet, live a double life. They nest in old trees at night but hunt in the ocean during the day. Scientists once found 15,000 new species in just one valley on Vancouver Island.

Humans have changed these forests a lot over time. Since the end of World War II, large logging has happened here. More than half of the total forest area has been cut down. In California, only 4% of the redwoods are protected. In Oregon and Washington, less than 10% of the original forest remains. Much of the best land in the valleys was used for timber. In the Tongass National Forest, big companies had long contracts to cut trees. This has caused many problems for the land and the local areas.

The Pacific temperate rainforests are a massive and vital ecoregion. They stretch along the western side of the Pacific Coast Ranges in North America. This region begins at Prince William Sound in Alaska and runs south through British Columbia to Northern California. As defined by the World Wildlife Fund, this is the largest temperate rainforest region on Earth. These forests are part of the Nearctic realm and belong to the larger Cascadia bioregion. They are defined by high annual rainfall and moderate temperatures throughout the year.

These ecosystems are incredibly productive. The biomass, which is the total mass of living and decaying material, is enormous. In the best locations, the biomass is at least four times greater than in comparable tropical areas. This high productivity occurs because large-scale fires are very rare in these wet woods. Instead of frequent fires, the landscape changes through small-scale disturbances. These include events like tree blow-downs or avalanches. This allows a massive amount of trees, mosses, shrubs, and soil to accumulate over time.

The forest changes significantly as you move from south to north across different latitudes. The range spans from about 40 degrees north to 60 degrees north. At the southern limit in Northern California, you find the coast redwood zone. Moving north through the California and Oregon border, you enter the seasonal rain forest zone. This area features Douglas fir, western red cedar, Sitka spruce, and western hemlock. Beyond Vancouver Island lies the perhumid rain forest zone. Here, western red cedar and Sitka spruce become the primary dominant species.

In the far north, the climate becomes much harsher. The forest transitions into the sub-polar rain forest near the Gulf of Alaska. This zone occupies a narrow strip between the ocean and the icy alpine regions. In this cold environment, cedar trees can no longer thrive. Instead, the forest is dominated by Sitka spruce and various hemlock species. The northernmost limits are found in thin bands near Prince William Sound and Cook Inlet. Each zone creates a unique home for different types of plants and animals.

The history of these trees is a window into the ancient past. About 200 million years ago, during the Triassic and Jurassic periods, conifers dominated the landscape. They were the most diverse and common group of large trees. When flowering plants emerged during the Cretaceous period, they eventually became the most common plants on Earth. This change caused most ancient conifers to go extinct. The survivors had to adapt to new conditions to stay alive.

These rainforests are unique because they allow conifers to flourish as they once did. This is due to specific climatic conditions that favor them over flowering plants. While the ancient forests were different, the northern temperate rain forests are relatively young. They emerged only a few thousand years ago. This happened after the ice sheets from the last ice age retreated. Today, the forests are filled with many of the world's tallest and largest tree species. You can find Sitka spruce, western hemlock, and coast redwoods growing here.

The wildlife in these forests is incredibly diverse and complex. A survey in the Carmanah Valley on Vancouver Island discovered 15,000 new species. This represented one-third of all known invertebrates in Canada. Many animals depend on both the forest and the ocean. For example, the marbled murrelet nests in old trees at night but hunts in the sea during the day. Salmon are also vital, as they spawn in the forest streams. These salmon provide food for large predators like grizzly and black bears.

Despite their importance, these forests face significant challenges from industrial logging. Since the end of World War II, more than half of the total forest area has been cut. In California, only 4% of the redwoods are protected. In Oregon and Washington, less than 10% of the original coastal area remains. Much of the logging has targeted the high-value old growth in lowland valleys. In the Tongass National Forest, long-term contracts once led to very low timber prices. Since 1980, the US Forest Service has lost over a billion dollars in timber sales there.