baumzaehlen - Primeval Forests & Their Trees

Flores Island (160 km ² ) lies off the west coast of Vancouver Island in Clayoquot Sound. It can be reached from Tofino by a water-taxi called “Ahousat Pride”. The largest tracts of old-growth forests on Vancouver Island are found in Clayoquot Sound ¹ . After prolonged legal battles over their fate, 6474 km ² have been permanently placed off limits to future logging ² though only fragments have been awarded official protected status. 41 km ² of Flores Island form part of the Flores Island Marine Provincial Park. The designation of the biosphere reserve (3499 km ² ) was purely symbolic and did not result in any additional protected areas ³ .

The only hiking trail on the island is called “Walk the Wild Side”. It runs along the sandy beaches of the southern side of the island except where interrupted by cliffs, when it turns inland through forest. Walking off-trail in the forest is extremely difficult. As a result of frequent storms sweeping in from the Pacific, wind blow is common, opening up the canopy and promoting the formation of a high dense shrub layer. The mild (average annual temperature approx. 9°C) wet (annual precipitation approx. 3300 mm) climate contributes to the latter. In addition fallen tree trunks lie scattered over the forest floor, and they are BIG. Precipitation is very high from late autumn to early spring; summers are drier (rainfall from June to August approx. 300 mm).

The region belongs to the temperate rainforest zone of the Pacific Northwest, with massive conifers. Near the beaches the forests are dominated by Picea sitchensis (Sitka spruce). Between the beaches and the P. sitchensis forest there is often a narrow Alnus rubra (red alder) strip. Both species tolerate salty ocean spray ^{4, 5} . Further inland the main tree species are Tsuga heterophylla (western hemlock), Abies amabilis (Pacific silver fir), Picea sitchensis and Thuja plicata (western redcedar). Alnus rubra grows along the rivers. The diversity of the tree flora is rather modest, but particularly Picea sitchensis and Thuja plicata reach immense proportions. Most species are easy to identify.

Note: If you are seeking wilderness silence, this is not the best place in holiday periods. Scenic flights throughout the day from Tofino are very noisy!

References:

1 Ancient Forest Alliance.

2 Eifert, L. 2000: Field Guide to Old-Growth Forests. Sasquatch Books.

3 DellaSala, D. A. et al. (2011): Temperate and Boreal Rainforests of the Pacific Coast of North America. In DellaSala, D. A. (ed.): Temperate and Boreal Rainforests of the World . Island Press.

4 Hibbs, D. E., De Bell, D. S. & Tarrant, R. F. (eds.) 1994: The biology and management of red alder. Oregon State University.

5 Griffith, R. S. 1992: Picea sitchensis . In: Fire Effects Information System . U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Official site:

http://www.clayoquotbiosphere.org/