page_title: Gulf Islands National Park Reserve
section_title: Ecology
hierarchical_section_title: Gulf Islands National Park Reserve / Ecology
caption_attribution_description: English: Trees (Arbutus on the left) during the sunset in Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, Sidney Island, British Columbia, Canada Español: Grupo de árboles (Arbutus) durante la puesta de sol en el Parque Nacional Gulf Islands, Sidney Island, Columbia Británica, Canadá. Čeština: Stromy (planika vlevo) při západu slunce v&#160;kanadském národním parku Gulf Islands National Park Reserve na ostrově Sidney Island, Britská Kolumbie. Magyar: Fák (szamócafa bal oldalon) naplementekor (Gulf-szigetek Nemzeti Park, Sidney-sziget, Brit Columbia, Kanada) Nederlands: Arbutus in het Gulf Islands National Park Reserve in de Canadese provincie Brits-Columbia Polski: Drzewa (chruścina po&#160;lewej)) podczas zachodu Słońca na&#160;wyspie Sidney w&#160;Parku Narodowym Gulf Islands w&#160;Kolumbii Brytyjskiej, w&#160;Kanadzie. Português: Grupo de medronheiro (Arbutus menziesii) durante o pôr do sol na Reserva do Parque Nacional das Ilhas do Golfo, Ilha Sidney, Colúmbia Britânica, Canadá. 한국어: 캐나다 브리티시컬럼비아주 시드니 섬의 걸프아일랜드국립공원 영내 나무들(왼쪽에 아르부투스 나무)의 해질녘 풍경 Македонски: Јагодници на залез. Национален парковски резерват Заливски Острови, Британска Колумбија, Канада. Jawa: Wit-witan (Arbutus ing sisih kiwa) pas wayah surup (sande kala) ing Cagar Alam Nasional Kapuloan Gulf, Pulo Sidney, British Columbia, Kanada
context_page_description: Gulf Islands National Park Reserve is a national park located on and around the Gulf Islands in British Columbia, Canada. In the National Parks System Plan, this park provides representation of the Strait of Georgia Lowlands natural region, the only place in Canada with a Mediterranean climate of dry, sunny summers and mild, wet winters, the result of a rain shadow effect from surrounding mountains between the region and the ocean. It has similar dominant vegetation as the Pacific Northwest, such as coastal Douglas-fir, western red cedar, shore pine, Pacific dogwood, bigleaf maple, and red alder, but also contains the northern extent of some of the more drought tolerant trees such as Garry oak and Arbutus. The park was created in 2003 as the fortieth national park. It covers 36 square kilometres of area on 16 islands and more than 30 islets, reefs and surrounding waters, making it the sixth smallest national park in Canada.
context_section_description: The terrestrial portion of the park lies within what the province terms the Coastal Douglas-Fir Biogeoclimatic Zone based on the climax vegetation. Coastal Douglas-fir is the most common tree species and is accompanied by western red cedar and grand fir in wetter soils and Arbutus and Garry oak in drier soils. Also present are red alder, shore pine, Pacific dogwood, bigleaf maple, and bitter cherry. In the shrub layer are salal, dull Oregon-grape, oceanspray, baldhip rose, bracken fern, sword fern, lady fern and spiny wood fern. In wetter areas salmonberry, false lily of the valley, vanilla-leaf, and skunk cabbage may be present.
  In the sea waters swim orcas, porpoises, seals, salmon, lingcod, shiner perch, saddleback gunnel and three-spined stickleback, among others. The largest land animal in the park would be the black-tailed deer. Fallow deer are also present but are an introduced species from some of the island's history as private hunting grounds. Other terrestrial animals include mink, river otters, raccoons and deer mice. Birds that be seen in the park include cormorant, bald eagle, red-tailed hawk, falcon, turkey vulture, rhinoceros auklet, Brant geese, great blue heron, Hermann's Gulls, and oystercatcher.
caption: Arbutus (on the left)
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