Tofino rain forest:
Forest Giants of the West Coast
by Adrian Dorst, Tofino
Trees on the west coast grow to spectacular size. That conclusion is
pretty much inescapable to anyone who has ever driven into Tofino and
observed the Eik Street Cedar (Iron Maiden, to some). But large as
this tree is, it is not at all exceptional for this area. In places
where optimal growth conditions prevail we can sometimes find trees
that are considerably larger.
One such area is the lowland forest on Meares Island where the Big
Tree Trail is located. Here you can find a number of western red cedars
of truly impressive proportions. In fact, for a time during the mid-1980s,
one western red cedar named “the Hanging Garden Tree,” with
a girth of 20 feet, was considered the largest of its kind in Canada.
I remember a CBC radio announcer remarking on how convenient it was
that the biggest tree in the country had been found in a place over
which an environmental war was being fought. As the saying goes, timing
is everything.
After this tree’s discovery in the spring of 1984, a trail was
built, and later a boardwalk, making this tree and the forest that
surrounds it, accessible to thousands of visitors every summer, and
in the proces, providing employment for kayak guides and boat operators
as a side benefit. Like most old cedars, this tree is hollow and once,
in memory of the 1960s craze of squeezing people into a phone both,
we easily fit 8 people inside the trunk, with room to spare. No longer
is it a record tree however. It has been eclipsed by others, measured
using more modern methods.
The standard way to gauge a tree is to determine its diameter, its
height, and its crown spread. From these measurements, the tree’s
total point score is calculated, which are called af points (after
the American Forestry Association who devised the system). The diameter
is determined by first measuring the circumference of the trunk at
breast height. However, anyone familiar with the giants found on the
west coast, knows that this method is seriously flawed. Some trees
are flared at the bottom, others have gigantic burls on their trunks,
or the tree is perched on the edge of a steep incline, raising the
question of where to take the measurement. Obviously, this method had
serious shortcomings in measuring the giants of the west. Robert Van
Pelt, a research associate in forest ecology at the University of Washington,
decided there had to be a better way. And there was. For more than
a decade, he has been using a laser device that measures the diameter
of the trunk from top to bottom. He can also measure split trunks and
large branches. From these measurements he calculates the volume of
wood in cubic feet. Although he still takes measurements to determine
af points, this is done purely for the purpose of comparison. For the
past 18 years, with the help of locals who know the woods, or aided
by forestry workers, he has been scouring the western states bordering
the Pacific ocean for the biggest trees, making occasional forays into
British Columbia as well. The results have been published in a wonderful
book called Forest Giants of the Pacific Coast (available from Wildside
Books). In it, he profiles 117 individuals of 20 conifer species, accompanied
by maps, photos and pen-and-ink drawings. The results are fascinating.
How do the trees of Clayoquot stack up? Meares Island’s Big Mother,
located on the south side of Lemmens Inlet at the foot of Mt Colnett,
and accessible by a 10 minute walk from Miner’s Cove, is our
biggest tree. It was measured by Van Pelt using the laser method, and
currently ranks as the second largest western red cedar in Canada,
and sixth largest in the world. In Canada, only a cedar near Cheewat
Lake is larger. The Big Mother has a wood volume of 10,350 cubic feet,
compared to the Cheewat Cedar’s 15,870 cubic feet. That comparison
may not be entirely fair however, as the Big Mother has a single trunk
while the Cheewat Cedar splits into two trunks. The Hanging Garden
Tree has slid off the radar screen and is not even listed.
Growing a mere 30 feet from Big Mom is another tree that made Van
Pelt’s
record book, this one an Amabilis Fir (Pacific Silver Fir in the US)
with diameter of 6.9 feet. While puny compared to its neighbour, this
one also ranks number two in Canada for its species, and is number
5 in the world, thus slightly outranking its giant neighbour. What
is interesting about this tree is that it is still young and therefore
has the prospect of growing much larger yet.
One other Clayoquot tree mentioned in Van Pelt’s book is a cedar
named after big tree aficionado, the late Randy Stoltmann. This one
is located in the Clayoquot Arm Recreation Site on Kennedy Lake and
was originally discovered and measured by Randy. While the wood volume
is equal to that of the Big Mother, this tree splits into two separate
trunks. Van Pelt ranks it as 3rd in Canada and seventh in the world.
Are there still other record trees still hiding in our woods? You
can count on it. The forests in many areas of the sound have not been
thoroughly
explored, particularly not with a view to finding the largest trees.
The trick, of course, is in locating them. Look in areas with optimal
growing conditions. Good drainage is crucial, while deep soil and
shelter from high winds are also helpful. While looking for giants,
keep your
eyes open for exceptional members of the lesser species such as western
hemlock, amabilis fir and even western yew. Any hemlock approaching
9 feet in diameter could be in the running, as could an amabilis
fir at 7 feet. For western yew, a 4 foot diameter trunk could put it
in
the running. While we are unlikely to find a Douglas-fir in our area
exceeding the 14 foot diameter world record holder located near Port
Renfrew (12,320 cubic feet), ancient giants of this species do exist
in the sound, for instance on the north shore of Megin Lake, at the
foot of Lone Cone, and on the steep slopes of Flores Island. A far
more likely bet for finding a new champion, lies with western red
cedar or Sitka spruce. Currently, a tree near Port Renfrew holds the
title
of second largest Sitka spruce in the world. Somewhere in Clayoquot
Sound, standing alone and unknown, a larger one may well exist. So
let the search begin. And in the spirit of Robert Service, remember
that its not in finding the gold, its in the looking.
If you know of an unknown giant somewhere, please contact Adrian
Dorst at (250) 725-1243. Visit his website www.adriandorst.com to browse
his superb images.
Tofino rainforest article about the Big Tree Trail on Meares Island and other large trees in the Clayoquot Sound. Written by Tofino outdoor - and birdwatching guide Adrian Dorst.