Temperate Rain Forest Biome

Redwood national park, California

     Temperate rain forests vary throughout the world but because of their temperate latitude and high rainfall, the species that live there are remarkably similar in function and form.  The rain forest of North America's Pacific coast is the largest of the world's temperate rain forests.  It holds the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen and provides habitat for a bounty of wildlife.

Seen from Capilano Bridge, British Columbia

     The Pacific rain forest stretches along the coast in a relatively  narrow band from northern California to Southern Alaska.  The forest's most predominate plants are conifers including Spruce, Hemlock, Douglas Fir and the Giant Sequoia.  These conifers create a canopy cover in excess of 70 % and shade an understory of broad-leaf trees and shrubs. They do not need a fire event to regenerate but the Douglas fir does require a stand-clearing disturbance to establish a population of seedlings.  Other conifers germinate in shade or natural forest openings often making use of a fallen, decaying "nurse log" which provides the nutrients and moisture for germination.  They are well suited to the mean temperature of 4-12 degrees Celsius (39-54 degrees Fahrenheit).  They also thrive thanks to the 200-400 cm (79- 158 in) of annual precipitation which comes primarily as winter rain with snow at higher elevations and frequent fog near the coast and rivers.