Trees need certain amounts of moisture, nutrients and
sunlight. Some trees can grow just about anywhere. Lodgepole pine isn't particularly picky
about where it lives; it occurs on the mild, rainy coast, as well as in the hot, dry
Interior. It can grow where the soil is very dry and poor in nutrients or where the soil
is very rich and moist. The one thing lodgepole pine cannot do without is sunlight.
Other trees are more demanding and will grow only in certain parts of the province.
Some trees are very particular about the amount of nutrients and moisture they receive.
For example, arbutus occurs only in southern coastal areas within a few kilometres of the
ocean, where the climate is mild in the winter and the summers are warm. It likes to grow
in dry areas, such as on rocky outcrops. Arbutus also prefers to grow where there is
plenty of sunlight.
Because trees, other plants, and animals vary in their ability to tolerate
environmental conditions, we see a variety of ecosystems throughout the province, from
lush coastal rain forests to dry, open grasslands and subalpine areas.
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