The Last Redwoods 1 | Page 10

Redwood National Park

Redwood National Park is located in a 450-mile belt along the Pacific Coast from southwestern Oregon to southern Monterey County in California (Save the Redwoods League, 2000), once covering 1,500,000 acres (Save the Redwoods League, 2000). Redwoods are still fond through this range , the majority now converted to second and third growth forests (Save the Redwoods League, 2000). Today, only 5 percent of the original old-growth coast redwood forest remains. The largest surviving stands of ancient coast redwoods are found in Humboldt Redwoods State Park, Redwood National and State Parks and Big Basin Redwoods State Park (Save the Redwoods League, 2000).

Biology

The coast redwood are one of the world’s fastest-growing conifers, or cone-bearing trees. In contrast to the tree’s size, redwood cones are very small — only about an inch long. Each cone contains a few dozen tiny seeds: it would take well over 100,000 seeds to weigh a pound! In good conditions, redwood seedlings grow quickly, sometimes more than a foot a year. Young trees also sprout from the base of their parent’s trunk, benefiting from the energy and nutrient reserves contained in the established root system (Save the Redwoods League, 2000).

Recurrent, naturally occurring fires play an important role in maintaining coast redwood forests because they clear the forest floor of combustible materials. Forest fires create open space for redwood seedlings (and other plants) to grow (Save the Redwoods League, 2000). In contrast, decades of fire suppression practices usually result in the accumulation of dead plant material that may fuel intense, destructive fires.

Redwoods can usually survive forest fires because of their thick (up to 12 inches), protective bark. Redwoods get their name from the beautiful reddish hue of their bark. Redwood bark is soft, fibrous and rich in tannins (which help prevent insect damage) (Save the Redwoods League, 2000).

Where coast redwoods thrive, temperatures are moderate year-round. Heavy rains provide the trees with much-needed water during the winter months and dense summer fog contributing moisture to the forest during the dry summer months. Redwoods even create their own “rain” by capturing fog on their leaves. The coastal fog condenses on redwood needles creating water droplets. Some of the water is absorbed by the needles and some drips to the ground, providing water to the redwood forest understory (Save the Redwoods League, 2000).

In recent years, scientists have discovered that life abounds in the canopy (the tops of old trees) and on the forest floor. Canopy research supported by Save the Redwoods League has revealed that many species can live in the redwood canopy, including worms, salamanders and plants such as Sitka spruce, ferns and huckleberry (Save the Redwoods League, 2000).