Habitats of the Pacific Northwest: From Rainforests to Deserts

The Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and parts of Montana, British Columbia) hosts a remarkable mosaic of ecosystems:

Forests

• Coniferous Forests: Dominated by Douglas fir, western hemlock, pines, and spruces; cover the Cascades, Olympics, and Rockies.
• Temperate Rainforests: Coastal zones with massive Sitka spruce, western red cedar, and dense moss; e.g., Hoh Rainforest.

Grasslands

• Palouse Prairie: Rolling hills of bunchgrasses (bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue) in eastern Washington/Oregon.

Deserts

• Great Basin Desert: Rain‑shadow desert with sagebrush, bitterbrush.
• Sonoran Desert: Hot, dry; saguaro cactus, agave, yucca (mainly southern edge of region).

Alpine Habitats

• Alpine Tundra: Above treeline; lichens, mosses, wildflowers.
• Glaciers: Persistent ice on high peaks (Mt. Rainier, Mt. Baker, Glacier Peak).

Wetlands

• Marshes & Bogs: Cattail marshes, sphagnum bogs in lowlands.

This diversity stems from dramatic gradients in elevation, precipitation, and latitude.