The oldest living organisms in the world are the Bristlecomb pines of the mountain regions of California and Nevada. They can live for greater than 5,000 years and in the course of their lifetime they will see 1,000,000 sunrises!
Mapping the Inland Rainforest
Identifying and mapping a unique ecosystem for conservation
BC, Washington, Idaho and Montana have developed forests that are very similar to the Pacific Coastal rainforests, although they are far inland. These areas are called the interior Pacific Northwest, interior wet belt, or the inland rainforest. In order to better understand and conserve the inland rainforests, scientists have set out to determine exactly what an inland rainforest is and then exactly where there are areas of inland rainforest. Tree-dwelling lichens and mosses are very sensitive to moisture in the air and to temperature, so they can be used as and indicator to tell scientists what the conditions are in certain areas. Knowing what kinds of lichens and mosses live in an area can help scientists know what other kinds of plants and animals also live there. This study will result in maps of the areas of inland rainforest and a database of species that live there.
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GF Research
