Pacific Maritime Ecozone

Aaliyah, Cyndal, Ivy & Dhruv

Ecozones
What Are Ecozones?

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Topography & Geology

The Coast Mountains, located in British Columbia, rise from the fjords. The mountains are a
combination of deformed igneous and metamorphic rock. The area is built of several different Terranes
of different ages with a broad range of different tectonic origins.

Natural Vegetation
In the Pacific Maritime Ecozone there are many types of plants. For example, western red cedar,
yellow cedar, western hemlock, mountain hemlock, grand fir, and sitka spruce. Many vegetation
grows here because of the high precipitation and mild temperatures. The winters and summers are
mild, giving it perfect temperature for vegetation to grow. Infact, there are many big and old trees in
the Pacific Maritime Ecozone.

Western Red Cedar

Western Hemlock

Sitka Spruce

Soils
The soil in our ecozone contains a lot of humus,and has a generous amount of minerals. The amount
of humus and nutrients you will find depends on the elevation you are at. The soils found in this
ecozone consist of acid and well-weathered soils (also known as podzols), rock, rock debris, and
moraine.

Climate
In the Pacific Maritime ecozone, you will find the wettest weather and the tallest trees in all of the ecozones.
Since the ecozone is very close to the Pacific Ocean the climate is modified .The summers are cooler and the
winters are more mild. The average temperature for summer is 13 degrees celsius, however, the average
temperature for winter is -1.5 degrees celsius. The average precipitation is 4000 mm per year in the north, yet
some areas gets less than that. For example, the Gulf Islands get 600 mm per year.

Human
Impacts
What are the problems associated with human
activity in your ecozone? How is human activity
impacting land, wildlife, and habitat?

A lot of the south is heavily stressed by

population growth, urban development,
forestry and pulp and paper industries.
Logging and related forest industries have
changed the landscape dramatically. In
the past 120 years, over 2 million
hectares of the temperate coastal
rainforest were clear-cut. Between 1920
to 1992, when the rest of Canadas
logged area doubled each year, the
Pacific Maritimes tripled.

Natural Resources
One of the Pacific Maritimes best natural resource is the lumber industry. This includes logging and pulp
and paper industries. One out of every five jobs is tied to the lumber industry in some way. Clear-cutting is
the most popular way to cut down rainforest in this area because you can take out thousands of trees
faster than any other process. People in this ecozone depend on this industry a lot; over 337 communities
depend on the industry for the jobs it provides.

Cutting trees for wood

Agriculture, Fishing, or
Hunting
The fishing industry plays a huge part in the ecozone. Most of the prices for Sockeye, Pink and Chum
Salmon have increased since the 1960s.As a result of overfishing, habitat damage and natural factors
the Coho Salmon and Chinook stocks are low.
The southern part of this ecozone has soils that are rich in nutrients. This soils is suitable for planting
fruit trees.

Urbanization
The Pacific Maritime ecozone is a populated area over 2.5 million people live there. Two
thirds of British Columbians live there. Forestry is the primary industry in this area, which includes
logging, pulp, and paper. The second industry is fishing; most of the fish comes from the Pacific
Ocean. The tertiary industry is agriculture and farming, where many fruit trees are grown. The soil
is rich with humus because of the high precipitation causing leaching which drains the nutrients
deep into the soil. Also the ecozone in the south, therefore the climate is warmer, and more
suitable for crops. Tourism is another major activity. Tourist come to whale watch, go on
wilderness tours, and go to see the hot springs.

Whale watching in Pacific Maritime

Logging in Pacific Maritime

Oil Spills Affecting Environment

One of the greatest threats to the Pacific Maritime Ecozone is the Northern Gateway Pipeline
Project.The possible threats are:
Pipeline leaks could damage surrounding Ecosystems.
Super tankers, which carry a lot of oil, could have collisions and spills affecting the nearby
environment.
Oil could spill into nearby lakes causing the freshwater animals to die.

How oil spill

effects
environment

What Changes Are Being

Made To Promote
Sustainability?
In order to maintain sustainability the government is regularly checking the quality of
air and water. Signs that indicate poor water is high bacteria levels and lack of oxygen. The
Canadian government is investing 400 million for climate efforts. Their goal is to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions by seventeen percent that of 2005 by 2020. The government
has also provided Canadian citizens information about climate change so they can make
more informed decisions. The government is also cleaning up contaminated sites; over
5620 of 19775 sites have been cleaned up.

National Park 1

Hi my name is Orville the Orca

and I will be your tour guide for
this section!

Gulf Island National

Park
Why was this park chosen?

We choose this park for its beauty

and cultural importance to the first
nations people as well as for its
diverse wildlife.

Prevost Island in Gulf Island national park

The humans also

chose the park
since it and
Gwaii haanas are
the only national
parks in the eco
zone

History of Park
Originally Gulf Island was inhabited by the
first nations group called the Coast Salish
for over 5000 years before European
Settlers arrived. In the 1850s a gold fever
hit and propelled the town of Miners Bay to
become an active port and a crown
settlement. The borders with the U.S was
settled in 1872, and afterwards smuggling
became popular.

You can still find shell

jewelry left by ancient
first nations people in the
park today!

Landscape and Maps

The park has folded and extremely

faulted sedimentary rock
underneath it. The park is also
located in an area where it is
seismically active since it is near a
tectonic subduction zone. The
park's islands have headlands and
high ridges made of erosion
resistant sandstone that are
separated by narrow valleys and
bays that are underlain by shale.
Deposits of glacial sand and gravel
as well as striated and fluted
bedrock show evidence of
glaciation from thousands of years
ago. While the sea levels are
stable today in the past they have
fluctuated over 150 meters higher
than today's sea level.

A tectonic subduction zone

is a place where two
tectonic plates meet and one
starts to bend and slide
under the other plate. this
causes earthquakes!

Portland Island

Wildlife
In Gulf Island Park there are many different species of wildlife. some of the
more notable ones are:
orcas
Hey did you know
sea lions
that Orcas like me are
porpoises
actually more closely
related to dolphins
seals
than actual whales?
otters
we're called toothed
eagles
An Orca breaching for air
whales!
falcons
turkey vultures
many species of
seabirds
many species of
snowbirds
many species of
waterfowl
An black oystercatcher
and
many species of
deer

Vegetation
Gary oaks and
arbutus trees can
only be found in the
Gulf island park.
Most of vegetation found in Gulf
Island is at the edge of its northern
range. There are also many types
of coniferous trees such as Gary
oaks, Arbutus trees, Douglas firs,
balsam firs and western red cedar.

A Gary oak in Gulf island park

Human Activities Available in

park

There are many activities at the park for humans to enjoy. some of the more
popular ones include:

There are also

plenty of lessons
available to teach
people about
camping and nature.

boating
camping
cycling
hiking
kayaking
canoeing
picnicking
swimming

A campground with kayaks

Environmental Issues
The most major threat to Gulf
Island Park is invasive species.
They are taking away habitat and
food from native species. A notable
invasive species is the fallow deer.

The invasive fallow deer on sidney island

Invasive
species can
also bring
diseases and
make us
native species
sick!

Effects of the
Fallow Deer

National Park 2

Gwaii Haanas National Park

Why was this park chosen?

This park was chosen because of its appearance. It is very beautiful and has
many different appearances. It has high mountains, low valleys, pools, and
streams. Huge trees and moss covered grounds.

Hi Im Poppy the
Pine Marten and
I am going to be
your tour guide
for this section!

History of Park
Gwaii Haanas Crest

Gwaii Haanas National Park was established in 1988.

In 1974 logging permits began being issues on the islands. Loggers were wanting
to cut down the old cedar trees. In 1985 Haida elders, chiefs, and members
blockaded a road that loggers were going to use to get into the forest. This stopped
them from cutting down the trees on that island but trees on other islands were still
being cut down. To prevent the logging from happening the Haida members
opened Haida Heritage site in 1985.
The logging ended in 1987 when the governments of British Columbia and Canada
signed the South Moresby Memorandum of Understanding.

Landscape
Gwaii Haanas has a variety of landscapes. From deep fjords to rugged mountains,
salmon spawning streams to subalpine tundra, tidal pools to beaches. Almost 90% of
Gwaii haanas is forests, 9% is alpine and subalpine tundra. The last 1% is lakes and
wetlands. As water drains from the highest mountains, including the rugged San
Christoval Range that has peaks over 1,100 metres, it helps fill over 40 freshwater lakes.
In turn, this water drains through more than 100 salmon spawning streams.

Maps

Did you know that

there are 138
islands protected
by the Gwaii
Haanas National
Park?

Wildlife
Deer Mouse

There are many species in Gwaii Haanas that are unique and are found nowhere else in the world.
Some species are Saw-whet Owl, Hairy Woodpecker, Stellers Jay and Peales Peregrine Falcon.
Eleven species of mammals are native to Gwaii Haanas: Black Bear, Pine Marten, River Otter, Haida
Ermine, Dusky Shrew, Silver-haired Bat, California Myotis, Keens Myotis, Little brown Bat and Deer
Mouse. The eleventh species, the Dawson Caribou, became extinct in 1908. The Dawson Caribou
became extinct from overhunting and because of the lack of genetic diversity a disease lowered their
population.
Twenty-three species of marine mammals inhabit the surrounding waters, including whales, dolphins
and Steller sea lions. The sea otter was once there but was hunted to extinction.
Did you know that nearly
1.5 million seabirds from
12 species nest on the
islands? Some species
include Rhinoceros
auklets and Puffins.

Vegetation
Lower levels of rain and moderate temperatures help grow mossy forests. These
forests include Western Red Cedar, Western Hemlock, and Sitka Spruce. Some of
the trees are a thousand years old and have grown to 95 meters in height. The layer
of plants on the ground is mostly shrubs including salal, huckleberry, salmonberry,
ferns, false lily of the valley and more. In the higher parts
Did you know
of the land alpine flowers, herbs, grasses and saxifrage
that Pine
grow.
Martens live in
old trees like the
ones in this
picture?

Human Activities Available in

park

Haida Villagers
would carve
faces into trees
just like these.

While at the National park you can go

Camping
Powerboating and sailing
Kayaking
Visit Cultural Sites
Bird Watching
Marine Mammal Watching
Fishing
Hiking
Scuba Diving
Explore the ancient Haida village sites

Environmental Issues
Invasive Species
Sitka black-tailed deer
Raccoon
Squirrel
Beaver
two species of rats

Skita black-tailed deer

Because these
animals dont
have any natural
predators here
theyre
population is
exploding.

Good Bye!

Pacific Maritime Ecozone

Aaliyah, Cyndal, Ivy & Dhruv

Criteri
a

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4
4+

Provi
des
limite
d
cont
ent

Provide
sa
modera
te
amount
of
content

Provide
s
varied
content

Provide
s rich
content

Some
itinerar
y
elemen
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missin
g

Some
itinerar
y
elemen
ts
missin
g or
incomp
lete, or
treated
in
outline

Some
itinerar
y
elemen
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missin
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incomp
lete, or
treated
in
outline

All
itiner
ary
elem
ents
pres
ent
Goes
abov
e
and
beyo
nd
requi
reme
nts

Informa
tion
and
ideas
were
commu

Informa
tion
and
ideas
commu
nicated

Informa
tion
and
ideas
were
commu

Informa
tion
and
ideas
were
commu

Level 1

Knowl
edge/
Under
standi
ng

Writte
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Comm
unicati
on

Weight