Trees of Tofino, Conifer Trees, Pacific Rim National Park, Tofino Hiking Trails, Rain Forest Trail, Trail Maps, Tofino, BC
Tofino Trails, Tofino, BC, GoTofino.com

Conifer Trees of Tofino, Tofino BC

Conifer Trees of Tofino
Location: The plaque below can be found on the Rain Forest Trail - Route A
This landscape has not always been dominated by giant conifers. A journey through time reveals past forests.

August 1, 40 million years ago
It's hot and sticky. You're strolling through a leafy forest of over 40 different types of hardwood trees. The air is heavy with the scent of magnolia blossoms and thick with buzzing insects. You see no conifers, except as small patches on distant mountain slopes.

August 1, 10 million years ago
A cool breeze blows. Although you're leasrning against a sycamore tree, hardwoods are difficult to find. Instead, conifers have moved down and grown into giants. You wonder....why has the forest changed?

About 15 million years ago
About 15 million years ago the climate cooled. This was partly due to world-wide volcanic eruptions that blocked the sun with clouds of ash. Also, the slow rise of the coastal mountains changed local weather patterns. Cooler summers and wet, mild winters favoured conifers and gradually they edged out the one-flourishing hardwoods.

The apparent chaos of the rainforest creates a variety of living space for plants and animals. Each inhabitant interacts in a web of life that, left undistrubed, will continue to sustain the forest.



Tofino Rain Forest Trail, Tofino, BC, Tofino Hiking Trails

The Fibre Factory

How does a conifer build a trunk that lasts for centuries while supporting a weight of many tonnes? A tour from bark to heartwood reveals the answer.

1. Outer Bark
holds in moisture and wards off insects.

2. Inner Bark
a pipeline that transports food manufactured in the needles to other parts of the tree.

3. Cambium Call Layer
continually produces new sapwood on its inside face and new bark on its outside face.

4. Sapwood
a pipeline for water and minerals moving from the roots to the crown.

5. Heartwood
thick-walled dead cells that provide strength and rigidity.


Life Cycle of Coho Salmon
Inner Life of Tofino Conifer Trees
Temperate Rainforest Rainfall and Weather
View the Rain Forest Trail - Route A here.
View the Rain Forest Trail - Route B here.
Return to Main Rain Forest Trail page (map, photos, info).

Rain Forest Trail
Welcome To Tofino, BC


July 31 - August 1: First Annual Tofino Saltwater Classic Fishing Derby and Fundraiser


Advertise on GoTofino.com - Reach a Target Market of Up To 3.3 Million Hits a Month!

GoTofino can create or update your website! - View some of Tofino websites we've designed.

GoTofino.com - Tofino's Premier Website  Phone: 250.725.3696

Copyright ©2003-2010 GoTofino.com All rights reserved. Legal | Privacy | Clients Page | GoTofino Site Map