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Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands



Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands
The forests of southeastern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands are dominated by coastal Douglas-fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii. In old-growth forests, it can become one of the tallest trees in the world. However, much of the land here has been logged, so few giants remain: “On the east side of the island there is a long history of timber harvesting. The forested area is principally second or third growth stands comprised of Douglas-fir, with minor amounts of red alder, western red cedar, western hemlock, grand fir, and western white pine. A substantial portion of this area is private forest land. Crown lands are relatively small, and fragmented on the east coast.” (source: South Island Forest District).

The tallest Pseudotsuga menziesii measures nearly 100 meters (~325 ft) in height, and can be found in Coos County, Oregon. If you're familiar with Cathedral Grove in the central region of Vancouver Island, the tallest of the Douglas-firs in that area measure approximately 75m (~250 ft), by way of comparison. I'm not an expert at estimating tree heights, but I think I'm safe to say that most second-growth Douglas-fir in this area measure under 40m (~125 ft). I should note, also, that the annual incremental increase in height declines rapidly in Douglas-fir after individuals reach 10-20 years 50-60 years (see comments below re: correction) of age – growing to 75m in height takes a far longer span of time than doubling the time mandatory for an individual tree to reach 37.5m.


Posted by: Daniel Mosquin    Source