Coast Range (EPA ecoregion) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Coast Range ecoregion
From Ecola State Park, Oregon, a view of coastal uplands (foreground) and volcanic mountains (background)
Level III ecoregions in the Pacific Northwest, with the Coast Range ecoregion marked as (1)
Ecology
Realm	Nearctic
Biome	Temperate coniferous forests
Borders	List Puget Lowland (2) Willamette Valley (3) Southern and Central California Chaparral and Oak Woodlands (6) North Cascades (77) Klamath Mountains (78)
Geography
Country	United States
States	Washington, Oregon and California
Coordinates	43°00′N 123°48′W / 43.0°N 123.8°W / 43.0; -123.8

The Coast Range ecoregion is a large natural area, or "ecoregion," found along the Pacific Coast. It stretches from the top of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington all the way south to the San Francisco Bay in California. This region includes the lower parts of the Olympic Mountains, the Oregon Coast Range, and the North Coast Ranges in California, along with the flatlands around them.

This ecoregion is known for its low mountains and very wet, green forests. These forests are home to some of the world's tallest conifer trees! You can find the amazing Coast redwood, the towering Coast Douglas-fir, and the mighty Sitka spruce here.

In the past, Sitka spruce trees grew mostly along the foggy coast. Inland, you would find a mix of western redcedar, western hemlock, and Douglas-fir. Today, many areas have been replanted with Douglas-fir trees because of logging. The type of rock in the ground also affects how the land is managed. Slopes with soft, sedimentary rock can be more easily damaged by logging and road building than those with hard volcanic rock.

The Coast Range ecoregion is divided into fifteen smaller, unique areas called Level IV ecoregions.

Exploring the Coast Range's Different Areas

Level IV ecoregions in the Coast Range in Washington and Oregon. Areas in California are still being mapped.

Coastal Lowlands: Beaches and Wetlands

The Coastal Lowlands area includes beautiful beaches, sand dunes, and flat coastal areas that are not very high up. You'll find wet forests, shallow freshwater lakes, and marshes where rivers meet the ocean. Many wetlands here have been turned into pastures for dairy farms, which can affect the local streams.

The forests in this area are filled with Sitka spruce, western hemlock, and Douglas-fir trees. Underneath, you'll see plants like salal, sword fern, and vine maple. Along rivers, red alder and bigleaf maple trees grow with salmonberry bushes. This region is important for wildlife and includes several National Wildlife Refuges and state parks.

Coastal Uplands: Foggy Hills

The Coastal Uplands are the higher hills and low mountains surrounding the Coastal Lowlands. They get a lot of rain in winter and plenty of fog in summer, which helps plants stay moist. This area used to be covered in Sitka spruce forests. Now, after a lot of logging, Douglas-fir and western hemlock trees are more common. You can still find plants like salal, sword fern, and rhododendron here.

Wetter slopes and river areas have red alder, bigleaf maple, and western redcedar trees. Some headlands (cliffs sticking out into the sea) are covered in grasslands. This region is much larger than the Coastal Lowlands. It includes parts of the Siuslaw National Forest and wildlife refuges.

Low Olympics: Lush Rainforests

The Low Olympics ecoregion is made up of the foothills and lower mountains of the Olympic Range in Washington. Some higher parts were once covered by glaciers. This area gets a huge amount of rain, sometimes up to 200 inches (500 cm) a year! This rain helps create a lush, green rainforest filled with western hemlock, western red cedar, and Douglas-fir. Higher up, you'll find Pacific silver fir.

Many forests here have been logged multiple times. However, a part of this region is inside Olympic National Park. This park protects amazing ancient forests that have a huge amount of living plant material.

Volcanics: Rocky Mountains and Capes

The Volcanics ecoregion has steep mountains and capes (land sticking out into the sea) made of hard, fractured volcanic rocks. These mountains might have been underwater seamounts millions of years ago! You can see cool rock formations here.

Streams and rivers in this area flow strongly even in summer because the volcanic rock holds water well. These streams are important for salmon and steelhead fish. While many Douglas-fir forests here are logged, mature forests still have Douglas-fir, western hemlock, and various shrubs. Grassy coastal areas and mountaintops have different types of grasses and wildflowers. This ecoregion is found in both Oregon and Washington.

Outwash: Flat Terraces

The Outwash ecoregion is a gently sloping area made of material left behind by glaciers. It forms flat terraces and plateaus. This region is not directly affected by the ocean's influence. Its streams have less water in summer compared to other parts of the Coast Range.

Most of the original forests of Douglas-fir, western hemlock, and red alder have been replaced by tree plantations for timber. This is the smallest of the Coast Range's subregions, located north of Aberdeen, Washington.

Willapa Hills: Rolling Hills and Logging

The Willapa Hills ecoregion has low, rolling hills and gently sloping mountains. It's named after the Willapa Hills. Logging is common here because the land is easy to access. Almost all the original forests have been replaced by timberland. The soil, made of silt and clay, can easily wash away when disturbed, which affects the quality of the streams.

The forests are mainly Douglas-fir and western hemlock, with plants like sword fern and salal underneath. Wetter areas have red alder, western redcedar, and bigleaf maple. Large groups of Roosevelt elk spend their winters in this region. This area is in southwestern Washington and northwestern Oregon, a bit inland from the coast.

Mid-Coastal Sedimentary: Rugged Mountains

The Mid-Coastal Sedimentary ecoregion is a mountainous area mostly made of sandstone and siltstone. It's more rugged than the Willapa Hills. The Douglas-fir forests here are heavily managed for logging. The slopes can easily collapse when disturbed, especially south of the Siuslaw River. This means more dirt and mud can end up in streams.

Mature forests have Douglas-fir and western hemlock. Drier slopes in the south might have tanoak trees. Wetter areas support bigleaf maple, western redcedar, and grand fir. This is the largest of the Coast Range subregions, found in the central and southern parts of the Oregon Coast Range.

Southern Oregon Coastal Mountains: A Diverse Mix

The Southern Oregon Coastal Mountains ecoregion is a very special area because it's a transition zone. It blends features of the Coast Range with the Klamath Mountains to the east. This means it has the climate of the Coast Range but the varied rocks and plants of the Klamath Mountains.

You'll find a mix of northern and southern plant species here, making it very diverse. Trees like Douglas-fir, western hemlock, tanoak, Port Orford cedar, and western redcedar all grow together. This remote area in southwestern Oregon includes the Grassy Knob Wilderness.

Redwood Zone: Giant Redwoods

The Redwood Zone ecoregion is entirely within the coastal fog zone. Historically, huge redwood forests kept the local climate cool and moist by trapping the coastal fog. Some parts of these ancient redwood forests still exist in Oregon.

Today, this region is mostly covered by a mix of coast redwood and Douglas-fir trees. Underneath, you'll find plants like vine maple, rhododendron, and sword fern. This small ecoregion is in the very southwestern corner of Oregon. Larger parts of the Redwood Zone in northwestern California are still being mapped.

Gallery

Flora

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  Coast Douglas-fir, Oregon's state tree

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  Sitka spruce logged in the Oregon Coast Range

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  Port Orford cedar, found only in the Southern Oregon Coastal Mountains

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  Coast redwood trees in Northern California

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  Vine maple

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  Grasses help stabilize the Oregon Dunes.

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  Salmonberry blossom

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  Salal flowers

Fauna

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  Coho salmon

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  Douglas squirrel near the Oregon Coast

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  Snowy egret hunting fish

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  Black-tailed deer in the Northern Oregon Coast Range

Landscapes

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  Rock Creek Wilderness supports salmon, steelhead, and cutthroat trout.

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  Clearcutting and road building, as in this area near the source of the Lewis and Clark River, can lead to landslides and affect water quality.

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  Olympic rainforests have the most living plant material on Earth.

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  The changing Lanphere Dunes in Humboldt County show a typical coastal dune forest.