Boardwalk in the Ancient Forest – photo250News

Prince George, B.C., – The Ancient Forest will be the focus of biodiversity research this summer.

The forest, believed to be the only inland temperate rainforest in the world, was recently declared a Class A Park in B.C. The Northern Development Initiative Trust has approved a grant of $27,540 for UNBC to conduct a detailed assessment of the biodiversity within the boundaries of the Ancient Forest Park.

That work will be added to the application to have the Ancient Forest declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

“This funding is critically important as it allows us to begin biodiversity assessments in the ancient cedar stands. The information collected will be a critical part of future nomination for World Heritage Site status for the Ancient Forest.” says Darwyn Coxson, Professor, College of Ecosystem Science and Management, UNBC.

Preliminary sampling by UNBC’s plant ecology laboratory suggests the Ancient Forest area contains many rare plant species, including some that, significantly, are likely new species for science. The research will start this summer and is expected to take a year to complete.