What are conifers and how do they affect the Bowker creek?

Conifers are a group of plants that reproduces/regenerates themselves by seeds produced on cones instead of flowers. They are often known as christmas trees too. They are resistant to dryness and coldness, so it is abundant in the high latitudes of the northern hemisphere. They are plants that dominate over large lands and form immense forests. The world's massive coniferous forests represent the largest terrestrial carbon sinks. The conifers are well-known for its softwood and paper production.

Conifer seeds are formed inside the cones. Each cone has about 50 seeds in them. But not every cone produces seeds. There are female and male cones. The female cones produce seeds and live for several years. They are mostly the woody cones that are seen commonly, though the cones’ shapes and colours vary in different conifer families. The male cones produce pollen, they look like tube clusters and they are smaller than the female cones and only last for a few weeks which makes them rare to be seen.

The Western red cedar is the official arboreal emblem of British Columbia. It grows up to 196 feet (60 meters) tall. It is native to the Pacific coast of North America. Western red cedar goes through the conifering process. Conifering process have allowed the trees to survive in variety of range of ecosystems for millions of years. The twigs and the leaves are eaten by elks or deers, mammals such as racoons, skunks and bears use cavities of the tree as dens and birds use their branches to nest.