Research/Project Results

Temperate Rainforest Biome

Puget Sound, Page 2

Site Description

Type of Ecosystem: 2nd growth, mixed deciduous and coniferous forest

Latitude: 47N degrees 38 min, north

Longitude: 122 degrees 32 min, west 

    Bainbridge Island is located just west of Seattle, in Puget Sound.  This is located on the Pacific Ocean.  It is a semi-rural community, with a growing population and subsequent development of housing areas in formerly forested or meadow areas.

    The island's original old growth Douglas Fir forest was mostly logged away by 1900.  The forest areas on the island are at least 2nd growth (meaning that they have grown up since the original forest - the 1st growth- was cut), and many have been cleared several times for various projects.  

    The forest was visited on the school district grounds, just north of the athletic fields.  The forest is a mixture of mostly mature deciduous and coniferous trees.  There were some sapling evident amongst the underbrush.

     Two classes of about 30 students went out on May 14, a warm spring day, to do the survey.  They staked out quadrats in random areas throughout the forest, in which to do their sampling.