The Forests of Central British Columbia 497 



The mineral soil is as a rule thin and scanty. The most char- 

 acteristic feature of the region as a whole is the deep accumula- 

 tion of partially decomposed vegetable material, consisting of 

 down trees, branches, leaves, moss, roots, etc. This muskeg-like 

 layer, often many feet deep, is saturated with water practically 

 throughout the year. 



Western hemlock is a universal constituent of the stand, mixed 

 with Red cedar and Sitka spruce and some Yellow cedar. The 

 forest is dense, but the trees, except on the better soils, are 

 inclined to be short and defective. 



The best forests are found on Vancouver Island and the oppo- 

 site mainland, the Queen Charlotte Islands, and on the water- 

 sheds of streams like the Bella Coola, Dean, Skeena and Naas 

 Rivers, which cut through the Cascade Range. The soil and 

 climatic conditions there are more favorable than on the rugged 

 coast mountains. The reappearance of the Douglas fir, or South- 

 ern Coast type, on restricted areas inland on the Bella Coola 

 and Dean Channels, and Rivers Inlet, is due to the lesser rainfall 

 and higher summer temperature prevailing there. 



While there are some splendid stands of timber on the better 

 sites, the forests as a whole are not of great present merchantable 

 value for saw timber. They are, however, undoubtedly very 

 valuable for pulp, and their utilization for that purpose will be 

 assisted by the splendid waterpowers which are to be found 

 along the Coast. 



2. Plateau and Rocky Mountain Region. — Included in this is a 

 large part of the uneven plateau lying between the Cascade Range 

 on the west, and the Gold and Cariboo Ranges on the east. It 

 also covers the western slope of the Rockies from the railway 

 belt north to Yellowhead Pass. The general altitude is 3,000 to 

 4,000 feet, decreasing somewhat toward the northern limits. The 

 precipitation ranges from 10 to 20 inches. The winters are long 

 and cold, the summers warm and dry, with cool nights. The 

 climate on the whole is not very favorable to good forest growth. 



The forests are composed chiefly of Lodgepole pine, with 

 spruce, balsam and Douglas fir subordinate. Lodgepole pine is 

 the distinguishing species, forming practically pure forests, espe- 

 cially on the poorer sites. As a rule the stands are dense and 

 the trees small, few of them being of sawlog size. Englemann 

 spruce is common along streams and on moist good soils in gen- 



