Lasqueti Coastal Douglas-Fir Forests Fact Sheet

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LASQUETI ISLAND LOCAL TRUST AREA
Coastal Douglas-fir  
Forests
What are Coastal Douglas-fir Ecosystems?
The Coastal Douglas-fir (CDF) zone encompasses coastal 
forests dominated by Douglas-fir, Garry oak woodlands, camas 
meadows, and a diversity of other ecosystems found on the east 
coast of southern Vancouver Island, the islands of the Georgia 
Basin, and a small area of the BC mainland. This assemblage of 
ecological communities is found nowhere else in Canada. Many 
ecosystems within the CDF zone are ranked as threatened or 
endangered in BC, and together they support species at risk.
Why are CDF Ecosystems Important?
CDF ecosystems have: 
•    The highest diversity of plant species in BC
•    The highest diversity of overwintering bird species in Canada
•    The highest density of species at risk in BC, including  
24 globally imperiled species
Yet 98% of the 45 ecological communities in the CDF zone are at 
risk of being lost.
In addition to supporting biodiversity, CDF forests benefit our 
communities by:
•    Mitigating climate change by capturing and storing  
carbon from the atmosphere
•    Supporting cultural and spiritual values of First Nations that 
have lived in the region since time immemorial
•    Reducing pollution by removing dust, pollen, and smoke  
from the air
•    Controlling and filtering stormwater runoff into lakes and 
streams, which protects drinking water and reduces flood risk
•    Supporting resilient food systems by providing habitat for 
native pollinators
•    Increasing property values
•    Providing recreational opportunities and spaces for relaxation
lichen, pileated woodpecker
This resource was developed by:
Photos by Kristine Mayes except lichen photo by Ken Lertzman, header and footer photos by Alex Harris for Raincoast. Map produced by Islands Trust.

Why are CDF Forests at Risk?
Since colonial settlement, almost half of the historically forested 
land in the CDF zone has been lost due to land uses such as 
forestry and development. Most of Lasqueti’s old-growth forests 
were logged in the mid-1900s. Current threats facing the forests 
on Lasqueti include climate change, fire suppression, over-
grazing of understory plants (which reduces habitat for wildlife 
and suppresses tree regeneration), and land clearing.  
CDF forests and associated ecosystems are among the most 
endangered in Canada, yet only 11% of land in the CDF zone is 
under some form of protection. Eighty percent of the land in 
the CDF zone is privately owned, highlighting the importance 
of voluntary actions to protect the beautiful, varied old-growth 
and maturing forests on Lasqueti, which represent some of the 
largest tracts of contiguous natural forest remaining in the CDF 
zone.
What You Can Do
Become a land steward:
 …Protect living trees
 …Leave large patches of natural forest intact
 …Leave standing dead trees (snags) and fallen trees to decay  
in place to provide shelter and food for wildlife
 …Restrict vehicle and livestock a

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