The Forests of Central British Columbia 499 



the whole are very favorable, and the forests are characterized 

 by great density, rapid growth and large yield. 



The chief species are cedar, hemlock, Englemann spruce, Doug- 

 las fir, Lodgepole pine, Alpine fir and White pine. Northward 

 on the Clearwater River, Quesnel Lakes and the Upper Fraser 

 River, spruce and Balsam fir form the chief part of the stand, 

 with hemlock, cedar and Douglas fir subordinate. 



The whole region has been very severely burned. It is esti- 

 mated that during the past fifty years 75 per cent of it was 

 burned and over one hundred billion feet board measure of timber 

 destroyed, though good reproduction has appeared on most of 

 the burned areas. 



In its commercial possibilities this region is second in impor- 

 tance only to the Southern coast. It is at present practically 

 unexploited, but is capable of an enormous and sustained yield 

 of excellent lumber and pulp, etc., as soon as there are markets 

 for it. 



5. Upper Fraser Basin Region. — It includes roughly that part 

 of the great interior plateau draining into the Fraser River, from 

 Alexandria north to Nation River. The general elevation is 

 lower than the southern part of the plateau, and the soil and cli- 

 matic conditions more favorable to forest growth. The average 

 annual precipitation is probably 20 to 30 inches. The winters 

 are long and cold, with heavy snowfall, but the growing season 

 is warm, with long days of sunshine. The resulting forests are 

 very dense and the yield very great, considering the latitude. 



The chief species are Englemann spruce. Alpine fir, Lodgepole 

 pine and Douglas fir. Spruce is the most important species, often 

 forming with Alpine fir practically the only constituent of the 

 forest, and stands of 20,000 feet b.m. per acre are not uncommon. 

 Lodgepole pine occurs over the whole region, generally as a 

 result of fire, in pure stands or in mixture. Douglas fir is quite 

 common below 2,500 feet, but on account of fires is much less 

 widespread than formerly. Probably 75 per cent of the area 

 has been burned over in the past fifty years and over twenty 

 billion feet b.m. of timber destroyed. 



Commercially the forests of this region are very valuable be- 

 cause of the large quantities of excellent saw timber and pulp- 

 wood, and also because they are easily accessible. 



6. The Northern Forest Region.- — All of the remainder of 

 Central British Columbia lies within this resfion. It covers 



