Pacific temperate rainforests

Pacific temperate rainforests are coastal forests around the Pacific Rim with mild temperatures, heavy precipitation, and dense evergreen vegetation, including some of the largest trees on Earth.

Temperate rainforest: A forest biome with mild temperatures and high precipitation, distinct from tropical and boreal rainforests. Pacific temperate rainforests are a major regional expression of this broader biome.
Fog drip: The transfer of water to the ground when fog droplets collect on vegetation and drip downward. Coastal fog supplements rainfall and helps trees withstand dry summers.
Tongass National Forest: A large national forest in southeastern Alaska containing extensive temperate rainforest and old-growth habitat. It is one of the largest protected forest landscapes in the biome.
Clearcutting: A logging method that removes nearly all trees from a defined area at once. It contrasts with forest retention approaches that preserve old-growth structure.
Pacific Ocean: The world's largest ocean, bordered by Asia, Australia, and the Americas. Its moisture and coastal influence shape the forests' climate.
Old-growth forest: A forest with long continuity, large old trees, and complex structure shaped by limited recent disturbance. Many Pacific rainforests develop layered canopies and abundant dead wood over centuries.
Great Bear Rainforest: A temperate rainforest region on British Columbia's central and northern coast. Its conservation agreements combine habitat protection with Indigenous stewardship.
Habitat fragmentation: The division of continuous habitat into smaller, isolated patches, often by human land use. Roads and harvest areas can isolate wildlife populations and alter forest edges.
Orographic precipitation: Precipitation produced when moist air rises over elevated terrain and cools. Coastal mountains intensify rainfall across many Pacific forest regions.
Nurse log: A fallen tree that provides a moist, elevated substrate for seedlings and other organisms. Seedlings often establish on decaying logs in the damp forest understory.

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