Desolation Sound Marine Provincial Park

IUCN Category II - National Park

Look in the Desolation Sound

The Desolation Sound Provincial Marine Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. The marine reserve was established in 1973, is around 84 km ², and accessible only by boat. Because of the picturesque bays, the reserve at yacht and pleasure craft friends is very popular. On land the forested slopes rise steeply to the glaciers and mountains, where they are now and then interrupted by waterfalls. The park is located in the Powell River Regional District.

Plant

The reserve is located 32 km north of Powell River and 150 kilometers north of Vancouver in Desolation Sound. The protected area comprises the water areas within the reserve boundaries, as well as several small islands and parts of the mainland on the eastern shore of Desolation Sound. In the park is a protected area category II (National Park).

History

As with almost all provincial parks in British Columbia also applies to this, he long before the area of ​​European immigrants colonized or she was part of a park, hunting and fishing territory of different tribes of First Nations, mainly the Sliammon was.

The area in which the park is located, was explored by Europeans, under Captain George Vancouver, demonstrated for the first time in 1792.

Flora and Fauna

At the transition between Sunshine Coast and Coast Mountain Park in the prevailing climate is that of the temperate rainforest. Within the ecosystem of British Columbia, Park area of ​​Mountain Hemlock zone, the Coastal Western Hemlock zone with subzones Very Dry Maritime Dry Maritime and Very Wet Maritime and Mountain Hemlock zone, with the subzone Windward Moist Maritime. Assigned four different zones,

Here grows next to the Douglas fir and red cedar mainly the Western Hemlock ( in the English language "Coastal Western Hemlock " called ). However, deciduous trees such as red alder grow in the park. The age of the tree growth is not uniform in the park area. Mostly, these are a second growth after forestry use. Partial but are also sites with original and very old plantings. The trees are often covered with epiphytic lichens and mosses. The forest has also partially an understory of ferns and heather plants like the Shallon bill berry or red huckleberry.

The water surface of Desolation Sound Marine Park represents approximately 35 percent of the protected water areas in British Columbia.