The Registry of Big Trees of British Columbia is a system to record the ten biggest specimens known for each of the Province’s native tree species. It was started in 1986 and is managed by the British Columbia Conservation Data Centre.
The second largest Pacific yew
on the Registry, with a circumference of 3.58 metres (11 ft 9 in), is reported to be 5.5 to 6 km up Muir Creek.
There are at
least nine other trees along Muir Creek that are large enough to be recorded in
the Registry. The steepness of the terrain makes it difficult to measure all of
the many large trees growing on the slopes. The Society has measured the
following large trees in its study of the area:
Western red
cedar -nine over 5m (19 ft)
in circumference, the largest 8.9m (29 ft6 in)
Sitka spruce
-seven over 5.1m (17 ft) in
circumference,
the largest 7.58m (25 ft
3 in.)
Bigleaf
maple – several between 4.2-4.5m (15-16 ft) in circumference
Douglas fir – several having a circumference
in range of
5.4-6m (18-20 ft)
The
protected valleys along the creek
have
developed into undisturbed open
woodlands.
Very large Sitka spruce from
400 to 500
years old grow in the moist
shady area
near the creek along with
western red
cedar and western hemlock.
Ancient
specimens of the slow growing
Pacific yew
occur in both the upper and
lower
reaches of the Muir Creek valley.
The heavy,
durable yew wood was prized
by First
Nations for carving and was
traded as
far away as the interior of the
province.
Douglas fir and other coniferous
species including grand fir are located higher on the bank away from the more
saturated
soils
of the creek zone.
The dominant
broadleaf species near
the creek is
the bigleaf maple. Many First
Nation
groups knew this species as “the
paddle
tree.” These maples carry a greater
load of
mosses and other plants than
any other
tree species in our area. The
crotches of
their branches accumulate
debris from
fallen leaves that eventually
turns to
soil and becomes important habitat
for a wide
variety of forest species.
Other
broadleaf species include red
alder,
arbutus, bitter cherry and Sitka
willow.
More Information
Description and Location
Forest Areas
Steelhead and Salmon
History
Timber West Logging
Species at Risk
Big trees
Big Tree Registry
Muir Creek Totem Pole