Facilitating the protection and restoration of species and ecosystems at risk on BC’s South Coast

Coastal Douglas-fir prefers the dry, well drained south aspect areas and rainshadow zones often compared to a Mediterranean-type climate. Typically this community is drier and warmer than coastal western hemlock. As a coastal forest community, this is one of the most imperiled, mainly due to its location which coincides with human settlement pressures as well as being historically an easily accessible old-growth resource for timber harvesting. Presently few old-growth stands remain throughout the community's distribution and existing patches are highly fragmented. However this ecological community, where it does persist supports a diverse range of at risk flora and fauna, including Northern Goshawk, Marbled Murrelet, Garry oak as well as species such as salal, dull Oregon grape and ocean spray, Oregon beaked moss and electrified cats-tail moss. The red-listed from of this community found on the South Coast is Douglas-fir - arbutus.

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RESOURCES

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