Coastal Range Ecoregion Temperate Rainforest Biome It stretches along the Pacific Coast from the tip of the Olympic Peninsula in the north to the San Francisco Bay in the south, including Grays Harbor, Willapa Bay, and the Long Beach Peninsula in Washington, the entire length of the Oregon Coast, and the Northern California Coast. Named for the Coast Range mountains, it encompasses the lower elevations of the Olympic Mountains, the Oregon Coast Range, the Californian North Coast Ranges, and surrounding lowlands. Temperature and precipitation for a temperate rainforest. Data for Forks, WA The low mountains of the ecoregion are covered by highly productive, rain-drenched evergreen forests that are home to the three tallest conifer species in the world: Coast redwood, Coast Douglas-fir, and Sitka spruce. Historically, Sitka spruce forests dominated the fog-shrouded coast, while a mosaic of western redcedar, western hemlock, and seral Douglas-fir blanketed the inland areas. Today, Douglas-fir plantations are prevalent on the intensively logged and managed landscape. Lithology influences land management strategies; slopes underlain by sedimentary rock are more susceptible to failure following clearcutting and road building than those underlain by volcanic rock. Reasons why this Ecoregion/Biome are important: Rain lots of it. Storms off the Pacific Ocean drop much of their moisture on these west-facing valleys. Precipitation in Olympic's rain forest ranges from 140 to 167 inches (12 to 14 feet) every year. Moderate temperatures. In these low elevation valleys the temperature seldom drops below freezing and summertime highs rarely exceed 80 F. Epiphytes, or plants growing on other plants. Mosses, spike mosses, ferns and lichens festoon tree trunks and branches, giving the forest a "jungle-like" feel. Large, old trees. The dominant species are Sitka spruce and western hemlock, but other conifers and several deciduous species grow as well. Many are 100s of years old and can reach 250 feet in height and 30 to 60 feet in circumference. Nurse logs. Because of the densely covered ground, many seedlings instead germinate on fallen, decaying trees. As they grow, their roots reach to the ground. When the log eventually rots away, a colonnade, or row of trees on stilt-like roots, remains. Dead wood. When the massive trees die, they eventually fall, but can take centuries to slowly decay back to the soil. Throughout their long death, they provide important habitat for whole communities, including mosses, tree seedlings, fungi, small mammals, amphibians, and insects.
Puget Lowland Ecoregion Temperate Rainforest Biome Temperate coniferous forest is a terrestrial biome found in temperate regions of the world with warm summers and cool winters and adequate rainfall to sustain a forest. In most temperate coniferous forests, evergreen conifers predominate, while some are a mix of conifers and broadleaf evergreen trees and/or broadleaf deciduous trees. Temperate evergreen forests are common in the coastal areas of regions that have mild winters and heavy rainfall, or inland in drier climates or mountain areas. Coniferous forests can be found in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia. Many species of tree inhabit these forests including cedar, cypress, Douglas fir, fir, juniper, kauri, pine, podocarpus, spruce, redwood and yew. The understory also contains a wide variety of herbaceous and shrub species. Temperature and precipitation for the Puget Lowland Ecoregion. Data for Seattle, WA Structurally, these forests are rather simple, generally consisting of two layers: an overstory and understory. Some forests may support an intermediate layer of shrubs. Pine forests support a herbaceous understory that is generally dominated by grasses and herbaceous perennials, and are often subject to ecologically important wildfires. This is an highly developed region with many cities and towns.
Cascades Ecoregion Temperate Rainforest Biome Somewhat smaller than the Cascade mountain range for which it is named, the ecoregion extends north to Snoqualmie Pass, near Seattle, and south to Hayden Pass, near the Oregon-California border, including the peaks and western slopes of most of the High Cascades. A discontiguous section is located on Mount Shasta in California. Temperature and precipitation for the Cascades Ecoregion. Data for Snoqualmie Pass, WA The mountainous region is underlain by Cenozoic volcanic rock that has been affected by alpine glaciations. The eastern part of the region contains active and dormant volcanoes in the Cascades Volcanic Arc, with elevations of up to 11,239 feet (3,426 m). The western Cascades are older, lower, and dissected by numerous, steep-sided stream valleys. The region has a moist, temperate climate, which supports an extensive and highly productive coniferous forest that is intensively managed for logging, as well as recreational use. Subalpine meadows occur at higher elevations. Animals include black bears, deer, elk, bobcats, cougars, coyotes, skunks, raccoons, and chipmunks. This ecoregion has been subdivided into many different sub-regions. Some include: - The Western Cascades Montane Highlands ecoregion is characterized by steeply sloping, dissected mountains with high to medium gradient streams and glacial rock-basin lakes. The western Cascades are older and more eroded than the lava plateau and prominent snow-covered cones of the High Cascades to the east. The region has lower temperatures and receives more winter snow than the lowlands and valleys to the west. Abundant precipitation supports forests dominated by Douglas-fir and western hemlock, with mountain hemlock, noble fir, subalpine fir, grand fir, Pacific silver fir, red alder, and Pacific yew, and an understory of vine maple, rhododendron, Oregon grape, huckleberry, and thimbleberry. Today, the region is heavily managed for logging and recreation, and it is an important water source for lower elevation urban, suburban, and agricultural areas. - The Western Cascades Lowlands and Valleys ecoregion comprises a network of steep ridges and narrow valleys on the lower slopes of the Cascade Mountains. Its mild, wet climate promotes lush forests dominated by western hemlock and Douglas-fir, with western redcedar, bigleaf maple, red alder, vine maple, salal, rhododendron, Oregon grape, huckleberry, thimbleberry, swordfern, oxalis, hazel, and blackberry. Soils are warmer here than in higher elevation ecoregions, and it is one of the most important timber producing areas in the Pacific Northwest. The steep valleys trending to the west contain high and medium gradient rivers and streams that support cold water salmonids, including the threatened Chinook salmon, steelhead, and bull trout. Reservoirs store winter snowmelt for irrigation and municipal water supply in the Willamette Valley.
Eastern Cascade Slopes and Foothills Ecoregion Temperate Grassland Biome In the rain shadow (see diagram to the right) of the Cascade Range, the eastern side of the mountains experiences greater temperature extremes and receives less precipitation than the west side. Open forests of ponderosa pine and some lodgepole pine distinguish this region from the Cascades ecoregion, where hemlock and fir forests are more common, and from the lower, drier ecoregions to the east, where shrubs and grasslands are predominant. The vegetation is adapted to the prevailing dry, continental climate and frequent wildfire. Volcanic cones and buttes are common in much of the region. The Eastern Cascades Slopes and Foothills ecoregion has been subdivided into several sub-regions. Some are described below: Temperature and precipitation for the Eastern Cascade Slopes and Foothills Ecoregion. Data for Yakima, WA - The high, unglaciated Yakima Plateau and Slopes sub-ecoregion is characterized by plateaus, buttes, and canyons, with medium to high gradient permanent and intermittent streams and rivers on a surface of basalt. Fire is an integral part of the ecosystem and naturally occurs frequently here - The Oak/Conifer Foothills sub-ecoregion is lower and drier than the some other parts of this ecoregion. It consists of foothills, low mountains, plateaus, and valleys from 500 to 3500 feet (152 to 1067 m). Marine weather enters the region via the Columbia River Gorge, moderating the otherwise continental climate. As a result, soil, climate, and vegetation share characteristics of both eastern and western Oregon. Common land uses include forestry, recreation, grazing, rural residential development, orchards, and, in the valleys, grain and hay farming. The land is mostly privately owned. - The Cold Wet Pumice Plateau Basins sub-ecoregion includes Sycan Marsh, Klamath Marsh, and La Pine Basin, which are surrounded by the Pumice Plateau but have distinct vegetation and topography. At an elevation of 4100 to 5200 feet (1250 to 1585 m), they function as cold air catch-basins during the winter, which results in lower minimum temperatures. Marshes, lakes, reservoirs, wetland forests, and medium and low gradient rivers provide important habitat for migratory waterfowl.
Columbia Plateau Ecoregion Temperate Grassland Biome The ecoregion extends across a wide swath of the Columbia River Basin from The Dalles, Oregon to Lewiston, Idaho to Okanogan, Washington near the Canadian border. It includes nearly 500 miles (800 km) of the Columbia River, as well as the lower reaches of major tributaries such as the Snake and Yakima rivers and the associated drainage basins. It is named for the Columbia River Plateau, a flood basalt plateau formed by the Columbia River Basalt Group during the late Miocene and early Pliocene. The arid sagebrush steppe and grasslands of the region are flanked by moister, predominantly forested, mountainous ecoregions on all sides. The underlying basalt is up to 2 miles (3 km) thick and partially covered by thick loess deposits. Where precipitation amounts are sufficient, the deep loess soils have been extensively cultivated for wheat. Water from the Columbia River is subject to resource allocation debates involving fisheries, navigation, hydropower, recreation, and irrigation, and the Columbia Basin Project has dramatically converted much of the region to agricultural use. Temperature and precipitation for Columbia Plateau Ecoregion. Data for Walla Walla, WA The Columbia Plateau ecoregion has been subdivided into subregions: - The Deep Loess Foothills sub-ecoregion contains the lower elevation, northwest-facing slopes of the eastern Blue Mountains, with perennial streams fed by snow melt from the adjacent high mountains. Elevation varies from 1,500 to 3,000 feet (460 to 910 m). Moisture levels are high enough to support grasslands of Idaho fescue, Sandberg bluegrass, and bluebunch wheatgrass, but the region is dominated by non-irrigated winter wheat, barley, alfalfa, and green pea farming on the highly productive, loess-rich soils. - The Deschutes/John Day Canyons sub ecoregion consists of very steep to precipitous canyonlands containing the Deschutes and John Day Rivers. Deeply cut into the basalt, the canyons fragment a lightly populated portion of the Umatilla Plateau. Sparse bunchgrasses, Wyoming big sagebrush, and cheatgrass grow on the rocky, colluvial soil. Riparian vegetation in narrow reaches is often limited to a band of white alder at the water line, with some mockorange, western clematis, and chokecherry; broader floodplains and gravel bars are dominated by introduced species, such as reed canarygrass, sweetclover, and teasel. The rivers support economically important chinook salmon and steelhead runs.
Northern Rockies Ecoregion Mountainous Region The North Central Rockies forests is a temperate coniferous forest ecoregion of Canada and the United States. This region gets more rain on average than the South Central Rockies forests and is notable for containing the only inland populations of many species from the Pacific coast. Temperature and precipitation for the Northern Rockies Ecoregion. Data for Colville, WA This ecoregion is located in the Rocky Mountains regions of southeastern British Columbia, southwestern Alberta, northwestern Montana and northern Idaho. The climate here is varied. Areas west of the Continental Divide experience greater precipitation and the moderating effects of the Pacific Ocean, while areas east of the Divide experience a drier, more continental climate. Valleys experience warm, wet summers and mildly cold, snowy winters, while subalpine zones experience cool, wet summers with the possibility of frosts, and very cold, snowy winters. This ecoregion is predominately coniferous forest. Lower elevation forests are dominated by Western Hemlock, western red cedar and subalpine fir, with smaller populations of lodgepole pine, douglas-fir. This ecoregion also contains meadows, foothill grasslands, riverside woodlands, and tree line/alpine zone communities. Mammals of the North Central Rockies forests include the gray wolf, grizzly bear, wolverine, woodland caribou, black bear, mountain goat, mule deer, white-tailed deer, Rocky Mountain elk, moose, coyote, cougar, bobcat and the American Marten. Though large portions of this ecoregion are intact and protected, its conservation status is listed as "Vulnerable". The main threats to this ecoregion's integrity are resource extraction and development, increasing human activity, logging, mining, livestock grazing and the introduction of exotic species.
North Cascades Ecoregion Mountainous Region The Ecology of the North Cascades is heavily influenced by the high elevation and rain shadow effects of the mountain range. The North Cascades is a section of the Cascade Range from the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River in Washington, United States, to the confluence of the Thompson and Fraser Rivers in British Columbia, Canada, where the range is officially called the Cascade Mountains but is usually referred to as the Canadian Cascades. Temperature and precipitation for the North Cascades Ecoregion. Data for Mt. Baker National Park, WA The terrain of the North Cascades is composed of high, rugged mountains. It contains the greatest concentration of active alpine glaciers in the conterminous United States and has a variety of climatic zones. A dry continental climate occurs in the east and mild, maritime, rainforest conditions are found in the west. It is underlain by sedimentary and metamorphic rock in contrast to the adjoining Cascades which are composed of volcanics. The North Cascades has a diversity of plant and animal species. The range has a number of top predators, including bald eagles, wolves, grizzly bears, mountain lions and black bears. The range is home to at least 75 species of mammals and 200 species of birds that either pass through or use the North Cascades for a breeding area. There are also 11 species of fish on the west side of the Cascades. Examples of amphibian species occurring in the North Cascades include the western toad and the rough-skinned newt. Some of the sub-ecoregions are: - Silver fir sub-ecoregion. Because of the dense forests of the Silver Fir ecoregion, it was the preferred area for commercial logging prior to designation of areas as wilderness. - Subalpine Mountain Hemlock sub-ecoregion. A region known for beautiful mountain meadows with an array of wildflowers - The beauty of meadows is very popular amongst hikers.