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Nature and EnvironmentCanada

We Come from the Cedar Tree

February 20, 2025

Canada's Great Bear Rainforest is a place where the rainforest and Pacific Ocean meet. This special forest is home to countless spruce and fir trees.

https://p.dw.com/p/4pWbY
We Come from the Cedar Tree - Life in Canada's Great Bear Rainforest
The cedar tree can reach an age of over 1,000 years, heights of over 70 metres and a diameter of almost 6 metres.Image: Cinétévé

One very special species towers above them all, giving many animals shelter: the giant arbor vitae, or ‘Tree of Life’.

We Come from the Cedar Tree - Life in Canada's Great Bear Rainforest
Image: Cinétévé

The proud giant, which can live for up to a thousand years, plays an important role in the mythology of the Nuxalk. These indigenous people communicate with their ancestors through the tree.

We Come from the Cedar Tree - Life in Canada's Great Bear Rainforest
Image: Cinétévé

But the tree of life also plays a key role in the ecosystem and is home to numerous species - from the smallest insects to stately mammals. The animals crawl into its trunk or find shelter under its bushy foliage. 

We Come from the Cedar Tree - Life in Canada's Great Bear Rainforest
Image: Cinétévé

The giant arbor vitae has watched over the Canadian rainforest and the adjacent ocean for thousands of years. Every fall, the salmon return to their native rivers in the middle of the Great Bear Rainforest after spending several years at sea.

We Come from the Cedar Tree - Life in Canada's Great Bear Rainforest
Image: Cinétévé

They fight their way upstream to spawn - and provide a feast for the bears, who devour the delicious fish in the shade of the trees. 

We Come from the Cedar Tree - Life in Canada's Great Bear Rainforest
Image: Cinétévé

Nothing is lost in the forest. Scavengers feed on any remains left among the tree roots and whatever is left nourishes the rich forest soil with nitrogen and phosphorus. Thus, even the salmon promote tree growth and contribute to a unique ecosystem. 

We Come from the Cedar Tree - Life in Canada's Great Bear Rainforest
Image: Cinétévé

Forest and ocean live in symbiosis here. When heavy rainfall erodes the soil, nutrients are transported through the rivers to the sea, where they benefit the humpback whales. Nowadays, however, this complex ecosystem is threatened by massive logging. Here, too, humans are jeopardizing a balance that has existed for thousands of years.
 

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