The Tree of Life: Western Red Cedar

Biology, Culture, and Survival

To stand beneath the colossal, fissured trunk of an ancient Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata) is to witness the sheer scale of biological time and cultural persistence. As a conservation photographer, I have sought out these magnificent old growth trees along the rugged, rain soaked coast of British Columbia (BC), drawn by the imperative to document their silent, endangered existence. This majestic conifer, reverently known as the "Tree of Life" by the coastal First Nations, has for millennia served as the foundation for the physical and spiritual existence of Indigenous Peoples, supplying everything from housing and transportation to medicine and ceremonial objects. Simultaneously, the species anchors the BC coastal temperate rainforest, functioning as an ecological keystone by providing unparalleled habitat, nutrient cycling, and resilience within a globally significant ecosystem.

Visiting an old growth forest on Vancouver Island, BC

Despite its irreplaceable role in both natural and human systems, the Western Red Cedar is now facing a severe existential crisis. This conflict is fueled by decades of rapid, unsustainable industrial forestry, which has prioritized short term commercial extraction over ecological preservation, and intensified by the escalating pressures of climate change. The future of Thuja plicata in its historical range is uncertain. This clash between cultural necessity and economic exploitability demands a fundamental paradigm shift in how the species is managed. Acknowledging the failure of conventional, resource focused governance, I argue that the survival of the Western Red Cedar hinges on implementing the holistic, place based stewardship principles inherent in Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK). This cumulative body of knowledge, practice, and belief must be fully integrated with adaptive ecological science to secure the long term survival of this resilient organism.

The Biological Engine of Biodiversity

The biological success of Thuja plicata is rooted in specialized physiological adaptations and a genetic profile that prioritizes long term defense over rapid growth. Unlike many of its competitors, the cedar produces a high concentration of secondary metabolites known as thujaplicins. These natural fungicides and insecticides permeate the heartwood, providing a chemical armour that allows the tree to remain structurally sound even after death. This anti fungal property is the biological engine behind its longevity, enabling individual trees to achieve lifespans exceeding 1,000 years.

The tree’s structural biology also contributes to its keystone status. As the cedar matures, it often develops a buttressed base and a fluted trunk, creating deep crevices that serve as essential habitat for diverse bryophytes and invertebrates. In the upper reaches of the canopy, the cedar’s sprawling limbs accumulate thick mats of epiphytic moss and soil, creating "canopy gardens." These aerial ecosystems provide critical nesting habitat for the

Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus). This seabird relies exclusively on the wide, mossy platforms found in old growth cedars for nesting, a specialized dependency that makes the cedar's preservation a prerequisite for the murrelet's survival in BC (Silvergieter & Lank, 2011). Without the structural complexity of these ancient crowns, the biodiversity of the upper rainforest canopy would be severely diminished.

Cultural Keystone and Living Archives

The profound biological importance of Thuja plicata is inseparable from its status as a Cultural Keystone Species (CKS). Beyond its utility in building longhouses and carving seaworthy canoes, the cedar's inner bark was harvested in the spring to be woven into water resistant clothing and baskets. This relationship is physically documented across the landscape through Culturally Modified Trees (CMTs). A CMT is a living tree that has been altered by Indigenous people as part of traditional forest use (Stryd et al., 1998). These alterations include visible scars from bark stripping or the removal of planks.

Because the tree often continues to grow after these non lethal harvests, CMTs serve as biological archives and archaeological evidence of selective harvesting practices. The presence of a CMT stands as a silent, powerful contrast to the sprawling clear cuts that dominate much of the managed landscape. The precise scar serves as a tangible record of a sustainable, generations long partnership with the land.

A Crossroads for the Coast

The survival of the Western Red Cedar is now threatened by the convergence of aggressive industrial harvesting and a rapidly warming climate. Conventional forest management has historically treated the cedar as a finite commodity, resulting in the widespread removal of old growth stands. This pressure is exacerbated by the climate crisis, which has introduced prolonged summer droughts. While environmental data confirms the rise of "top kill" in younger cedar stands, where crowns turn a brittle, scorched red due to moisture stress, the visible reality is one of profound transformation.

Cut block for commercial logging on Vancouver Island

In the face of this crisis, the path toward a sustainable future requires a synthesis of Western science and TEK. Through my photography, I have often documented the physical remnants of management failures in the form of massive, weathered cedar stumps. These sun bleached remains stand as monuments to a philosophy of total extraction. Yet, it is astonishing to observe how much life continues to flourish from these very stumps. Acting as nurse logs for a new generation, they host a vibrant micro ecosystem of mosses and young saplings.

Western Red Cedar, Vancouver Island, BC

This biological persistence mirrors the resilience of TEK informed stewardship. By integrating genomic selection tools to identify drought resistant lineages with the long term observations of Indigenous stewards, forest managers can begin to protect cedar in a way that anticipates the climate of the next century. This collaborative framework recognizes that "The Tree of Life" cannot be saved through isolated data alone. Its survival depends on restoring the cultural and spiritual connection that views the forest as a living community rather than a warehouse of timber.

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References

APTN National News. (2024, August 1). Logging, climate crisis killing the great cedar forests of Vancouver Island. https://www.aptnnews.ca/national-news/logging-climate-crisis-killing-the-great-cedar-forests-of-vancouver-island/

Gamal El-Dien, O., Shalev, T. J., Yuen, S., Van, L., Kirst, M., Yanchuk, A. D., Ritland, C., Russell, J. H., and Bohlmann, J. (2024). Genomic selection in western redcedar: From proof of concept to operational application. New Phytologist, 244(2), 588–602. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.20022

Gregory, S. C., Nelson, J. T., and Smith, L. K. (2018). The economic legacy of western red cedar in British Columbia: From timber barons to conservation. University of Washington Press.

Nanwakolas Council. (2020). Nanwakolas operational protocol for large cultural cedar. https://nanwakolas.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/LCC-Declaration-Final.pdf

Nelson, R. K. (2004). The material and spiritual life of the coastal Salish: An investigation of the traditional uses of western red cedar on the northwest coast of North America. University of Columbia Press.

Silvergieter, M. P., and Lank, D. B. (2011). Marbled Murrelets select distinctive nest trees within old-growth forest patches. Avian Conservation and Ecology, 6(2), Article 3. https://doi.org/10.5751/ACE-00462-060203

Stryd, S., Jochim, M. A., and Latta, M. A. (1998). Sacred cedar: The cultural and archaeological significance of culturally modified trees. The David Suzuki Foundation.

Zahn, M. J., Palmer, M. I., and Turner, N. J. (2018). "Everything we do, it's cedar": First Nation and ecologically based forester land management philosophies in coastal British Columbia. Journal of Ethnobiology, 38(3), 314–332. https://doi.org/10.2993/0278-0771-38.2.314