Cascade Mountains leeward forests
Encyclopedia
The Cascade Mountains leeward forests are a temperate coniferous forest ecoregion
of North America
, as defined by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) categorization system.
, Canada
and Washington, United States
, with the Okanagan Highland
to the south on the US-Canada border and the Chilcotin Ranges
to the north.
This is a varied mountain landscape of rugged, snowy peaks, glaciers and alpine meadows. In the southern ranges the temperature varies from 15°C in summer to -3.5°C in winter with the northern ranges 2-3 degrees cooler.
(Pinus contorta) while the mountain forests lower down consist of lodgepole pine, quaking aspen(Populus tremuloides
), white spruce (Picea glauca)) and Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir
s.
(Ovis canadensis), mountain goat
(Oreamnos americanus), Grizzly Bear
(Ursus arctos) and American Black Bear
(ursus americanus), Black-tailed Deer
((Odocoileus hemionus)), coyote
(Canis latrans) and cougar (Puma concolor) with smaller mammals such as the northern flying squirrel
. The birds include Spotted owl
, Dusky Grouse (Dendragapus obscurus) and a number of birds of prey. The Fraser River
is particularly important for salmon and also acts as a barrier to the movement of wildlife within the region.
in Washington and the following areas of British Columbia; Big Creek Provincial Park
and Spruce Lake Protected Area
, the Stein Valley Nlaka'pamux Heritage Park
, E. C. Manning Provincial Park
, Ts'il?os Provincial Park
, Cathedral Provincial Park and Protected Area
, Skagit Valley Provincial Park
, Marble Range Provincial Park
, Cascade Recreation Area
and Edge Hills Provincial Park
near Fraser Canyon
.
Ecoregion
An ecoregion , sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than an ecozone and larger than an ecosystem. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and contain characteristic, geographically distinct assemblages of natural...
of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, as defined by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) categorization system.
Setting
This is a band of mountain habitat running north-south along the leeward side of the Cascade Mountains in British ColumbiaBritish Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Washington, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, with the Okanagan Highland
Okanagan Highland
The Okanagan Highland is a plateau-like hilly area in British Columbia, Canada, and the U.S. state of Washington . It lies between the Okanagan Valley on its west and the Kettle River on its east, and geologically is more or less an extension of the Thompson Plateau, which lies west of the Okanagan...
to the south on the US-Canada border and the Chilcotin Ranges
Chilcotin Ranges
The Chilcotin Ranges are a subdivision of the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains . They lie on the inland lea of the Pacific Ranges, abutting the Interior Plateau of British Columbia...
to the north.
This is a varied mountain landscape of rugged, snowy peaks, glaciers and alpine meadows. In the southern ranges the temperature varies from 15°C in summer to -3.5°C in winter with the northern ranges 2-3 degrees cooler.
Flora
The high alpine slopes are home to Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii), subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) and lodgepole PineLodgepole Pine
Lodgepole Pine, Pinus contorta, also known as Shore Pine, is a common tree in western North America. Like all pines, it is evergreen.-Subspecies:...
(Pinus contorta) while the mountain forests lower down consist of lodgepole pine, quaking aspen(Populus tremuloides
Populus tremuloides
Populus tremuloides is a deciduous tree native to cooler areas of North America, commonly called quaking aspen, trembling aspen, American aspen, and Quakies,. The trees have tall trunks, up to 25 metres, with smooth pale bark, scarred with black. The glossy green leaves, dull beneath, become golden...
), white spruce (Picea glauca)) and Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir
Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir
The Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii subsp. glauca, is an evergreen conifer native to the interior mountainous regions of western North America, from central British Columbia and southwest Alberta in Canada southward through the United States to the far north of Mexico...
s.
Fauna
Wildlife of the mountains includes Bighorn SheepBighorn Sheep
The bighorn sheep is a species of sheep in North America named for its large horns. These horns can weigh up to , while the sheep themselves weigh up to . Recent genetic testing indicates that there are three distinct subspecies of Ovis canadensis, one of which is endangered: Ovis canadensis sierrae...
(Ovis canadensis), mountain goat
Mountain goat
The Mountain Goat , also known as the Rocky Mountain Goat, is a large-hoofed mammal found only in North America. Despite its vernacular name, it is not a member of Capra, the genus of true goats...
(Oreamnos americanus), Grizzly Bear
Grizzly Bear
The grizzly bear , also known as the silvertip bear, the grizzly, or the North American brown bear, is a subspecies of brown bear that generally lives in the uplands of western North America...
(Ursus arctos) and American Black Bear
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
(ursus americanus), Black-tailed Deer
Black-tailed Deer
Two forms of black-tailed deer or blacktail deer occupying coastal temperate rainforest on North America's Pacific coast are subspecies of the mule deer. They have sometimes been treated as a species, but virtually all recent authorities maintain they are subspecies...
((Odocoileus hemionus)), coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
(Canis latrans) and cougar (Puma concolor) with smaller mammals such as the northern flying squirrel
Northern Flying Squirrel
The Northern flying squirrel is one of two species of the genus Glaucomys, the only flying squirrels found in North America . Unlike most members of their family, flying squirrels are strictly nocturnal...
. The birds include Spotted owl
Spotted Owl
The Spotted Owl, Strix occidentalis, is a species of true owl. It is a resident species of forests in western North America, where it nests in tree holes, old bird of prey nests, or rock crevices. Nests can be between 13 and 66 yards high and usually contain two eggs...
, Dusky Grouse (Dendragapus obscurus) and a number of birds of prey. The Fraser River
Fraser River
The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Mount Robson in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia at the city of Vancouver. It is the tenth longest river in Canada...
is particularly important for salmon and also acts as a barrier to the movement of wildlife within the region.
Threats and preservation
Most of this forest is still intact although threatened by logging, mining and other human intervention. Large blocks of intact forest include North Cascades National ParkNorth Cascades National Park
North Cascades National Park is a U.S. National Park located in the state of Washington. The park is the largest of the three National Park Service units that comprise the North Cascades National Park Service Complex. Several national wilderness areas and British Columbia parkland adjoin the...
in Washington and the following areas of British Columbia; Big Creek Provincial Park
Big Creek Provincial Park
Big Creek Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada.It is adjoined on the south by the Spruce Lake Protected Area and on the west by Ts'il?os Provincial Park. Neighbouring on the east is the Churn Creek Protected Area.- References :...
and Spruce Lake Protected Area
Spruce Lake Protected Area
The Spruce Lake Protected Area, was a 71,347-hectare Protected Area in the British Columbia provincial parks system 200 km north of Vancouver. The area had been the subject of an ongoing preservationist controversy since the 1930s. Formerly known variously as the Southern Chilcotin Mountains...
, the Stein Valley Nlaka'pamux Heritage Park
Stein Valley Nlaka'pamux Heritage Park
Stein Valley Nlaka'pamux Heritage Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. Nearly the complete Stein River watershed from the mountains to the Fraser River is protected in this park, though there are some areas of the watershed that were left out....
, E. C. Manning Provincial Park
E. C. Manning Provincial Park
E.C. Manning Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. It is usually referred to as Manning Park, although that nomenclature is also used to refer to the recreational facility and ski area at the park's core as well as the adjacent community...
, Ts'il?os Provincial Park
Ts'il?os Provincial Park
Ts'il?os Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. Ts'il?os is the official BC Parks designation for this provincial park, though sometimes it is written as "Ts'il-os", "Ts'yl-os", or "Tsylos"...
, Cathedral Provincial Park and Protected Area
Cathedral Provincial Park and Protected Area
Cathedral Provincial Park and Protected Area, usually known as Cathedral Provincial Park and also as Cathedral Park, is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. It is located east of E.C. Manning Provincial Park, south of BC Highway 3, and southeast of the town of Princeton and southwest of...
, Skagit Valley Provincial Park
Skagit Valley Provincial Park
Skagit Valley Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, centred on the Skagit River and its tributaries. The park borders E. C. Manning Provincial Park in Canada and Ross Lake National Recreation Area and North Cascades National Park in the United States. It includes part...
, Marble Range Provincial Park
Marble Range Provincial Park
Marble Range Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located west of 100 Mile House and Clinton at the southwest edge of the Cariboo Plateau along the eastern edge of the Fraser Canyon south from Big Bar-Kostering and near Jesmond....
, Cascade Recreation Area
Cascade Recreation Area
The Cascade Recreation Area is a Provincial Recreation Area in the Hozameen Range of the Cascade Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, located north of and adjoining E.C. Manning Provincial Park. It is roughly 11,858 ha. and was created on March 14, 1987. The recreation area has limited road...
and Edge Hills Provincial Park
Edge Hills Provincial Park
Edge Hills Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located west of the town of Clinton. The Edge Hills flank the wall of the Fraser Canyon north of Moran Canyon and form a small fore-range between the river and the higher Marble Range just east. Access to the Edge Hills...
near Fraser Canyon
Fraser Canyon
The Fraser Canyon is an 84 km landform of the Fraser River where it descends rapidly through narrow rock gorges in the Coast Mountains en route from the Interior Plateau of British Columbia to the Fraser Valley...
.