Above: Looking up at a Western redcedar, which could be 600
years old or more. Right: The rotting stump of an ancient tree
is marked with holes created by insects living within the wood.
Photos by Maya Walters. grow in the cool, moist climate of North
America's west coast -- Washington State, Oregon, British
Columbia. Natural, un-logged temperate rainforests are referred
to as "old-growth" forests, since the trees are both ancient and
very large. These trees are primarily giant conifers -- Sitka
spruce, Western hemlock, Western redcedar, Douglas-fir. Many are
over 500 years old. There are always some younger trees in old
growth forests as well. |While conifers are dominant, it is
possible to find certain broad-leaved trees, such as bigleaf
maple. In the damp habitat of the temperate rainforest, mosses
and ferns thrive, giving the forest a lush appearance more
commonly thought of in association with tropical forests. Birds
are abundant, but may be hard to see if they remain in the
forest canopy, since the tree