Flora Lobaria oregana on the forest floor The dominant species in the rainforest are Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) and western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla); some grow to tremendous size, reaching 95 metres (312 ft) in height and 7 metres (23 ft) in diameter. Coast Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii), western redcedar (Thuja plicata), bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum), red alder (Alnus rubra), vine maple (Acer circinatum), and black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa) are also found throughout the forest. Many unique mosses and lichens are also present in the rainforest, such as lettuce lichen (Lobaria oregana), which requires the cool, moist conditions found under the canopy of old-growth forests and is consumed by deer, elk, and other animals.[2] Fauna Many native fauna also make the Hoh Rainforest their home, including the Pacific tree frog (Pseudacris regilla), northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina), bobcat (Lynx rufus), cougar (Felis concolor couguar), raccoon (Procyon lotor), Olympic black bear (Ursus americanus altifrontalis), Roosevelt elk (Cervus canadensis roosevelti), and black-tailed deer (Odocoileus columbianus). The area is also home to the banana slug (Ariolimax columbianus), which has recently been threatened by the encroachment of a new species of slug, the black slug (Arion ater), an invasive species from Northern Europe.[3] Sights The Hoh Rainforest is home to a National Park Service ranger station, from which backcountry trails extend deeper into the national park. Near the visitor center is the Hall of Mosses Trail, a short trail—0.8 miles (1.3 km)—which gives visitors a feel for the local ecosystem and views of maples draped with large growths of spikemoss. There is also the Spruce Nature Trail (1.2 miles (1.9 km)), which includes signs that identify various trailside trees and plants.
Posted on: Sun, 27 Oct 2013 03:18:12 +0000
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