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Conifer Trees of A Rain Forest
Conifer Trees of Ucluelet
Location: The plaque below can be found on the Rain
Forest Trail - Route A
This landscape has not always been dominated by giant conifers. A journey through
time reveals past forests.
August 1, 40 million years ago
It's hot and sticky. You're strolling through a leafy forest of over 40 different
types of hardwood trees. The air is heavy with the scent of magnolia blossoms
and thick with buzzing insects. You see no conifers, except as small patches
on distant mountain slopes.
August 1, 10 million years ago
A cool breeze blows. Although you're leasrning against a sycamore tree, hardwoods
are difficult to find. Instead, conifers have moved down and grown into giants.
You wonder....why has the forest changed?
About 15 million years ago
About 15 million years ago the climate cooled. This was partly due to world-wide
volcanic eruptions that blocked the sun with clouds of ash. Also, the slow rise
of the coastal mountains changed local weather patterns. Cooler summers and wet,
mild winters favoured conifers and gradually they edged out the one-flourishing
hardwoods.
The apparent chaos of the rainforest creates a variety of living space for plants and animals. Each inhabitant interacts in a web of life that, left undistrubed, will continue to sustain the forest.
The
Fibre Factory
How does a conifer build a trunk that lasts for centuries while supporting a weight
of many tonnes? A tour from bark to heartwood reveals the answer.
1. Outer Bark
holds in moisture and wards off insects.
2. Inner Bark
a pipeline that transports food manufactured in the needles to other parts
of the tree.
3. Cambium Call Layer
continually produces new sapwood on its inside face and new bark on its
outside face.
4. Sapwood
a pipeline for water and minerals moving from the roots to the crown.
5. Heartwood
thick-walled dead cells that provide strength and rigidity.
Cool Things About a Rain Forest, Welcome To Ucluelet, BC
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