The History of the Brown Property ...
Forest Background
The Heritage Forest provides significant green space within the residential and golf development surroundings of Qualicum Beach. Much of the Forest was logged years ago (i.e. 1870s) so it is now primarily an older second growth forest. However, there are impressive remnant old growth Douglas fir trees that were left to grow primarily along the Beach Creek ravine. These very large trees are over 400 years old and remind us of what the east coast of Vancouver Island was like prior to development.
B.C. forest ecosystems are described on the basis of distribution, climate and vegetation types. Heritage Forest ecology lies within the moist maritime Coastal Douglas fir biogeoclimatic zone (CDFmm). This ecosystem is found at low elevations along southeast Vancouver Island ranging from sea level to about 150 meters (435 feet). The Heritage Forest lies in the rainshadow of nearby Mount Arrowsmith and experiences warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters and a very long growing season. Prevailing winds come from the southeast to southwest.
The Heritage Forest is dominated by Douglas fir, western red cedar, grand fir and hemlock with minor amounts of lodgepole pine, dogwood, sitka spruce, Garry oak and arbutus. The understory vegetation is primarily made up of salal, Oregon grape, sword fern, bracken fern, ocean-spray, vanilla-leaf and three-leafed foamflower. Less prominent species include baldhip rose, snowberry and western trumpet honeysuckle. Moist sites support salmonberry, elderberry, lady fern, skunk cabbage and false-lily-of-the-valley.
The most notable wildlife species include barred owls, pileated woodpeckers, ravens, bald eagles, black-tailed deer, raccoons, squirrels and many species of songbirds. Beach Creek supports salmon and deeply incises the Lands as it meanders its way to the nearby mouth and Pacific Ocean. Overall, the Heritage Forest supports a diverse array of flora, fauna, natural features and ecological processes (known as the Amenities).
