Northern Pacific coastal forests
The Northern Pacific coastal forests are temperate coniferous forest ecoregion of the Pacific coast of North America. It occupies a narrow coastal zone of Alaska, between the Pacific Ocean and the northernmost Pacific Coast Ranges, covering an area of 23,300 square miles, extending from the Alexander Archipelago in southeast Alaska along the Gulf of Alaska to the western Kenai Peninsula and eastern Kodiak Island. The Pacific Coastal Mountain icefields and tundra ecoregion lies inland, at higher elevations in the Coast Mountains. The ecoregion receives high rainfall, which varies considerably based on exposure and elevation. It contains a quarter of the world's remaining temperate rain forest.Flora
s are the characteristic trees, and the predominant species are Sitka spruce ', western hemlock ', and mountain hemlock ', together with shore pine ', western red cedar ', and yellow cedar '. Sites with poor drainage and along river channels are home to broadleaf trees, including alder ', black cottonwood ', and paper birch .
Much of the ecoregion lies within the Tongass National Forest, Chugach National Forest, and Glacier Bay National Park.
