Along Oregon’s coast and lower valleys, temperate rainforests thrive where ocean storms meet mild air. These forests receive more than six feet of precipitation in many places, spread across long seasons of drizzle. Winters are cool rather than bitter, and summers are cloudy enough that soil stays moist beneath towering trees. The result is a living skyline of Sitka spruce, western hemlock, Douglas-fir, and red alder.
Rain is only part of the water story. Fog drifting in from the Pacific clings to branches and epiphytes, then drips to the ground like a slow second shower. Fog drip—the moisture that condenses on needles and moss—can equal several inches of rain each summer. Streams fed by this steady supply run cold and clear, sheltering young salmon and trout in gravel beds shaded by overhanging roots and ferns.
Old-growth stands are famous for structure. A layered canopy lets different plants share light. Fallen “nurse logs” rot slowly, holding water like sponges and sprouting new trees along their backs. Sword ferns spread in green fans, while banana slugs recycle leaf litter into nutrients. This maze of branches, cavities, and downed wood creates homes for species such as the marbled murrelet, northern spotted owl, and Pacific wren.
Disturbance shapes these forests, but fire is less common here than in drier parts of Oregon. Windstorms blow gaps in the canopy; landslides rearrange slopes after heavy rain. Decay returns minerals to the soil, and the enormous biomass stores carbon for decades. When logs jam a stream, pools deepen, creating cool refuges for fish during warm spells.
People depend on these rainforests, too. Logging built towns, and today many tracts are managed as working forests. Careful strategies—such as leaving streamside buffers, retaining snags, and harvesting selectively—aim to protect water quality and wildlife while providing wood. Restoration crews plant native trees, remove fish-blocking culverts, and partner with tribes and local groups. Managing Oregon’s rainforests means balancing timber, salmon, recreation, and climate benefits over the long term.
1. Which statement best expresses the central idea of the passage?
2. Which factor supplies water to these forests in addition to rainfall?
3. Which feature of old-growth forests most directly supports new tree growth?
4. How are salmon and forests connected as described in the passage?
5. Which management practice is presented as helping protect habitat while allowing harvest?
6. Why are wildfires generally less common in these rainforests than in drier regions of Oregon?
7. Select ALL features from the passage that increase biodiversity in Oregon’s rainforests.
8. Evidence in the text (Highlight Task)
Turn on Highlight Mode. Then highlight the sentence that best supports this claim:
“Moisture from fog meaningfully adds to the rainforest’s water supply.”
Tip: Select the sentence and release to highlight. Click a highlight to remove it.