Primary Role

The primary role of Tsitika Mountain Ecological Reserve is to protect representative montane and subalpine forest and bog communities. The lower elevation area of the ecological reserve is poorly drained and has a boggy lake that is flanked by two slopes. The lower elevations support extensive areas of subalpine fen and wet scrub forest around the lake and on gentler slopes. A subalpine forest is more prevalent on steeper slopes, interspersed with parallel strips of fen vegetation rising from the lake toward Tsitika Mountain. Numerous small ponds have formed in a terrace arrangement in the open areas due to high snowpack. Many alpine and

subalpine species occur here at an unusually low elevation. Better drained and higher slopes are occupied by a variety of mountain hemlock-amabilis fir communities. Alpine vegetation is restricted due to the rocky terrain at high elevation.

Animals recorded from this area include goldeneye, mew gull, black-tailed deer, cougar and wolf.

Together with Lower Tsitika River Park, Mount Derby Ecological Reserve and Robson Bight (Michael Bigg) Ecological Reserve, much of the lower end of the Tsitika River has been protected.