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Coastal Temperate Rainforests of the World What is a Coastal Temperate Rainforest? Coastal temperate rainforests (CTRFs) are characterized by cool summers, mild winters, and abundant precipitation distributed throughout the year.1 A CTRF has the following characteristics:2 • Location within 93 miles of the coast • High annual precipitation ( 33-105 inches) • Over 100 days of precipitation seasonally, with 10% during the summer months • Dominance by numerous coniferous species • Some of the greatest biomass accumulation and highest productivity levels of any rainforest in the world--temperate, tropical, or boreal Artic Artic Ocean Ocean Artic Artic Ocean Ocean North North America America North North Pacific Pacific Ocean Ocean Europe Europe Asia Asia North North Atlantic Atlantic Ocean Ocean North North Pacific Pacific Ocean Ocean Africa Africa South South Pacific Pacific Ocean Ocean South South America America South South Atlantic Atlantic Ocean Ocean South South Pacific Pacific Ocean Ocean Indian Indian Ocean Ocean Austrailia Austrailia Rainforests of the World Tropical Rainforest Temperate Rainforest 0 0 2,000 mi 2,000 km M Figure 1: Global distribution of coastal temperate rainforests and tropical rainforests ctrf coastal temperate rainforests Difference between Temperate and Tropical Rainforests3 Global Coverage Temperature (°F) Rainfall (inches/yr) # of Tree Species Dominant Leaf Type Age of Trees (yrs) Decomposition Rate Tropical 12% 73°-81° > 67 100(s) Broadleaf 50-100 Rapid Temperate 2% 39°-54° 33-105 10-20 Needles 500-1000 Slow Biodiversity CTRFs represent only 2% of the world’s forests, but provide critical habitat for many unique species. In the four largest CTRFs, there are approximately4: • 12,800 plant species • 985 bird species • 305 freshwater fish species • 215 mammal species • 145 reptile species • 100 amphibian species Forests of the Northern Hemisphere are comprised of tree species closely related to the pine family, (e.g. hemlock, Douglas fir, spruce, cedar, and pine), and the understory contains a variety of bryophytes and deciduous woody shrubs. Pine, spruce, and fir species are absent from CTRFs of the Southern Hemisphere, that are dominated by broad-leaved evergreens, and the understory is comprised of evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs.5 “Biodiversity is the greatest treasure we have... Its diminishment is to be prevented at all cost.” -Thomas Eisner Protected Areas Ecosystem Services CTRFs provide communities with a wide range of benefits including food, fiber, and timber to fulfill immediate social and economic needs. Additional ecosystem services include nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, recreation, and spiritual enlightenment. In recent years, policies within many CTRFs has increased the area of land protected. New Zealand, Tasmania, and Alaska have the highest proportion of protected areas with 28%, 32%, and 36% protected, respectively.6 Globally, CTRFs originally covered approximately 75-100 million acres and currently cover approximately 43 million acres.7 35 Historic Millions of Acres 30 Current 25 Protected 20 15 10 Figure 3: Global carbon dioxide equivalent emissions versus rainforest carbon storage in gigatons a ani Tas m Jap an No rwa y Zea lan d New Chi le Un ited S ada C an 0 tate s 5 Figure 2: Historic, current, and protected global distribution of coastal temperate rainforests in millions of acres Cover Photo: Tongass National Forest, © Laurent Dick Center Back Photo: Oregon CTRF © Sam Beebe Back Photos (left and right): Cinquefoil and Arctic Lupine © Adriane Honerbrink Figure 1 and 3. DellaSala, Dominick, et al. Temperate and Boreal Rainforests of the World: Ecology and Conservation. 2011. Island Press. Figure 2. Data from (1) Dellasala, Dominick et al. Temperate and Boreal Rainforests of the World: Ecology and Conservation. 2011 and (2) Kellogg, Erin-Coastal Temperate Rain Forests: Ecological Characteristics, Status and Distribution Worldwide, 1992. ctrf coastal temperate rainforests (cont’d) 1. Alaback, Paul. Comparative Ecology of Temperate Rainforests of the Americas along Analogous Climatic Gradients. 1991. 2. Hagen, Bettina Von. and Peter K. Schoonmaker. Rainforests of Home: Profile of a North American Bioregion. Washington, DC. 1998. 3. DellaSala, Dominick., et al. Temperate and Boreal Rainforests of the World: Ecology and Conservation. 2011. Island Press. 4. Biodiversity Hotspots. Web. 05 Apr. 2012. <http://www.conservation.org/where/ priority_areas/hotspots/Pages/hotspots_main.aspx>. 5. DellaSala, Dominick., et al Temperate and Boreal Rainforests of the World: Ecology and Conservation. 2011. Island Press. 6. Hagen, Bettina Von., and Peter K. Schoonmaker. Rainforests of Home: Profile of a North American Bioregion. Washington, DC. 1998. 7. Kellogg, Erin. Coastal Temperate Rain Forests: Ecological Characteristics, Status and Distribution Worldwide. Portland, OR. Ecotrust. 1992.
