Coastal western hemlock zone

The coastal western hemlock zone (CWH zone) is one of Canada's wettest climates and most productive forest areas, characterized by moist Pacific winds, cloud cover, drizzle, mist and thick underbrush in the forest canopy that covers steep coastal mountains.

Tree species descriptions

The CWH zone stretches in a broad swath along the province's entire coast. The zone covers most lower elevations west of the Coast Mountains, from the very wet and exposed outer coast to drier and more sheltered areas of the inner coast. The zone also extends east of the Coast Mountains along major river valleys.

Subzone/variants in the CWH zone

Tree species descriptions:

• vh subzone, variant 2 (PDF, 193KB)
• vm subzone, variant 1 (PDF, 190KB)
• vm subzone, variant 2 (PDF, 189KB)
• wh subzone, variant 1 (PDF, 178KB)
• wh subzone, variant 2 (PDF, 177KB)
• wm subzone (PDF, 187KB)
• ws subzone, variant 1 (PDF, 187KB)
• ws subzone, variant 2 (PDF, 187KB)