why so few hardwoods in the PNW?

[Mike Hagen]

The weather IS getting distinctly californian!  I think it may be
radiating from the tourist horde which takes the woods over every
summer.  As soon as they go home, it rains like #@$%* for another ten
months.
Mike H.

Thomas Kellar wrote:
> 
> I used to live in Washington when I was a kid.  I know the
> eastern side is a practically a desert.  I remember the
> tumble weeds that we used to chase around.  However is not
> the western side, south of Puget Sound kind of wet?  The
> Olympic rain forest is there. Or has it all dried up because
> of deforestation?  That was a few years ago. (:))
> Thomas
> 
> > In article <35B52F95.C15B2DCC at forestmeister.com>,
> > redoak at forestmeister.com says...
> > > So why are conifers dominate in the PNW, a mild wet climate?
> > You been listening to the press releases again, Zorzin.  The PNW is wet
> > in the winter.  In the summer we often go 90 days with no rain at all,
> > and the whole region turns into a tinderbox.  We have a fire climax
> > ecology, where everything in sight burns to the ground every 50 years or
> > so.
> > Douglas Fir is a disaster opportunist.  Give it direct sunlight and it
> > will form a forest in a couple decades.  Give it shade and you have 90%
> > dead seedlings.
> > -- Larry
> 
> --
> Thomas Kellar   w8twk     Tkellar at fsp.com      http://www.fsp.com
>     How can I wear the harness of toil, and sweat at the daily round,
>      While in my soul forever The drums of Pictdom sound? - REHoward