Natural Vegetation of British Columbia

By: Kyle DeBenetti

Mountain Vegetation• The vegetation varies greatly because it is warmer in the valleys than high in the

mountains and the west side gets more rain than the east side.

• Grasses and Cactuses grow in the hot and dry valleys on the east side.

• The vegetation also varies by the altitude.

• In the lower slopes of the mountains many coniferous trees grow where there is more precipitation.

• The vegetation on the higher slopes is very similar to the tundra vegetation.

• Above the tree line meadows flowers and shrubs grow

• On the highest slopes no vegetation is present.

West Coast Forest• The forests are made up of Douglas Fir, Sitka. Spruce, Red Cedar and Western

Hemlock.• The mild temperatures and heavy precipitation makes for excellent growing

conditions.• This vegetation region is a temperate rainforest.• The vegetation provides a lot of plant material to make humus.• The heavy rainfall forces nutrients deep into the soils.• The BC Forestry Industry depends on this vegetation region to get there

sensational lumber.