


Douglas-fir and Arbutus

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Douglas-fir and Arbutus

Dry Coniferous Forest [Red-Listed]

Few other associations define where we live better than the mix of Douglas-fir and arbutus trees that fringe our coastline and upland slopes. The ratio of each species seems to depend on a combination of fire history and soil depth, with arbutus usually a little more tolerant of hotter and drier sites. Residential development has replaced logging as the greatest threat to these ecosystems.

Photo by Ryan Batten