Oregon Caves NM, Oregon, USA Photograph by David Olson   Western North America: Western United States Temperate Coniferous Forests   19,400 square miles (50,300 square kilometers) -- about half the size of Virginia Critical/Endangered

· A Very Cool Hot Spot
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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A Very Cool Hot Spot

A global center of biodiversity, the Klamath-Siskiyou Forests is one of the four richest temperate coniferous forests in the world. The diverse habitats that make up this ecoregion are filled with unusual communities and many species found nowhere else in the world. Not only does this ecoregion include many different forest types, but it also includes the largest concentration of wild and scenic rivers in the United States. Some of the interesting plants and animals that call this ecoregion home include the northern spotted owl, tailed frog, several species of Pacific salmon, bald eagle, and large carnivores such as the mountain lion and wolverine. Even some of the local plants are meat-eaters, such as the cobra lily. This is just one of the 3,500 native plants species found here.

Special Features

The rugged coastal mountains here give this region the nickname "the Klamath Knot." Within the ecoregion, varied habitats range from wet coastal temperate rain forests to moist inland forests-a diversity of forest communities that is unmatched in the western United States. The extraordinary biodiversity of this ecoregion may be due to the fact that the region escaped extensive glaciation during recent ice ages, providing both a refuge for many species and long periods of relatively favorable conditions for species to adapt to specialized conditions.

	One hundred and thirty-one plant species are found only in the Klamath-Siskiyou.

Wild Side

The Klamath-Siskiyou Forests ecoregion is one of Earth's most extraordinary expressions of temperate biodiversity. In just one square mile of a single valley, scientists found seventeen different species of conifers-an astounding number. Many of the pines and firs here live for hundreds of years and provide habitat for the marbled murrelet, northern goshawk, and spotted owl. And some trees, such as the Brewer spruce and Port Orford cedar, can truly be called ancient. These species are ice-age survivors and are found nowhere else on Earth. The mosaic of habitats in this region includes the highly toxic serpentine soils, hosting many specialized plants, and bogs where cobra lilies trap insects in their water-filled pitchers. The rivers and streams here teem with freshwater mussels, nine species of native salmon and trout, and many species of snails and salamanders that are restricted to small areas.

Cause for Concern

Despite the incredible biological richness of this ecoregion, only 10 percent is legally protected from logging. This is alarming, considering the growing threats from logging, mining, road-building, and grazing by sheep and cattle. Within the last decade, logging has destroyed several of the only known habitats for some endemic species of spiders, land snails, and other invertebrates. Only a quarter of the ecoregion is considered to be relatively intact, and many species have already been lost, including bighorn sheep and grizzly bears. Many of the larger rivers and tributaries have been severely degraded by dredging for gold, toxic runoff from mining operations, and sedimentation from poorly managed logging practices. Introduced species, such as the brown trout, have also altered many natural communities, especially in aquatic habitats.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.