Sequoia sempervirens
Sequoia sempervirens in Redwood National and State Parks
Conservation status
Vulnerable
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Pinophyta Class: Pinopsida Order: Pinales Family: Cupressaceae Genus: Sequoia Species: S. The conservation status of a Species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species remaining extant either in the present day or the near future A vulnerable species is a Species which is likely to become endangered unless the circumstances threatening its survival and reproduction improve Plants are living Organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. The Order Pinales in the Division Pinophyta, Class Pinopsida comprises all the extant Conifers This order was formerly known as the The Cupressaceae or Cypress family is a Conifer family with worldwide distribution sempervirens
Binomial name
Sequoia sempervirens (D. Don) Endl.

Sequoia is a genus in the cypress family Cupressaceae (formerly treated in Taxodiaceae), containing the single living species Sequoia sempervirens. David Don ( 21 December 1799 - 15 December 1841) was an English Botanist, Professor of Botany at King's Stephan Ladislaus Endlicher ( June 24 1804 &ndash March 28 1849) was an Austrian Botanist, numismatist and Sinologist A genus (plural genera from Γένος Latin genus "descent family type gender" is a low-level Taxonomic The Cupressaceae or Cypress family is a Conifer family with worldwide distribution The Taxodiaceae was at one time regarded as a distinct Plant family comprising the following ten genera of Coniferous Trees Athrotaxis Common names include Coast Redwood and California Redwood (it is one of three species of trees known as redwoods). The Cupressaceae or Cypress family is a Conifer family with worldwide distribution It is an evergreen, long-lived, monoecious tree living for up to 2,200 years, and this species includes the tallest existing trees in the world, reaching up to 115. In Botany, an Evergreen plant is a plant having leaves all year round Plant sexuality covers the wide variety of Sexual reproduction systems found across the Plant kingdom A tree is a perennial Woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or 5 m (379. 1 ft) in height and 8 m (26 ft) diameter at breast height.

The name Sequoia is also used as a general term for the subfamily Sequoioideae in which this genus is classified together with Sequoiadendron (Giant Sequoia) and Metasequoia (Dawn Redwood). The Cupressaceae or Cypress family is a Conifer family with worldwide distribution Sequoiadendron giganteum ( Giant Sequoia, Sierra Redwood, or Wellingtonia) is the sole species in the genus Sequoiadendron Metasequoia ( Dawn Redwood) is a fast growing Tree genus in the conifer family Cupressaceae of which Metasequoia glyptostroboides

Detail: bark

The crown is conical, with horizontal to slightly drooping branches. The bark is very thick, up to 30 cm (12 in), and quite soft, fibrous with a bright red-brown when freshly exposed (hence the name 'redwood'), weathering darker. Bark, also known as periderm is the outermost layer of stems and Roots of Woody plants such as Trees It overlays the Wood and consists The root system is composed of shallow, wide-spreading lateral roots. ROOT is an object-oriented program and library developed by CERN. The leaves are variable, being 15-25 mm long and flat on young trees and shaded shoots in the lower crown of old trees, and scale-like, 5-10 mm long on shoots in full sun in the upper crown of older trees; there is a full range of transition between the two extremes. In Botany, a leaf is an above-ground Plant organ specialized for Photosynthesis. They are dark green above, and with two blue-white stomatal bands below. In Botany, a stoma (also stomate; plural stomata) is a tiny opening or pore found mostly on the underside of a Plant Leaf Leaf arrangement is spiral, but the larger shade leaves are twisted at the base to lie in a flat plane for maximum light capture. The seed cones are ovoid, 15-32 mm long, with 15-25 spirally arranged scales; pollination is in late winter with maturation about 8-9 months after. A cone (in formal botanical usage Strobilus, plural strobili is an organ on Plants in the division Pinophyta ( Conifers Pollination in angiosperms and Gymnosperms is the process that transfers pollen grains, which contain the male Gametes (sperm to where the female Each cone scale bears 3-7 seeds, each seed 3-4 mm long and 0. A seed (in some plants referred to as a kernel) is a small embryonic Plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat usually with some stored 5 mm broad, with two wings 1 mm wide. The seeds are released when the cone scales dry out and open at maturity. The pollen cones are oval, 4-6 mm long. The species is monoecious, with pollen and seed cones on the same plant. Plant sexuality covers the wide variety of Sexual reproduction systems found across the Plant kingdom Its genetic makeup is unusual among conifers, being a hexaploid (6n) and likely autoallopolyploid (AAAABB). Genetics (from Ancient Greek grc-Latn genetikos, “genitive” and that from grc-Latn genesis, “origin” a discipline of Biology, is Polyploidy occurs in cells and Organisms when there are more than two homologous sets of Chromosomes. Polyploidy occurs in cells and Organisms when there are more than two homologous sets of Chromosomes. The mitochondrial genome is (unlike other conifers) paternally inherited (Neale et al. 1989).

Range and ecology

Sunlight shining through sequoia trees in Muir Woods

Coast Redwoods occupy a narrow strip of land approximately 750 km (470 miles) in length and 8-75 km (5-47 miles) in width along the Pacific coast; the elevation range is mostly from 30-750 m, occasionally down to sea level and up to 920 m (about 3,000 feet) (Farjon 2005). Sunlight, in the broad sense is the total spectrum of the Electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun. Muir Woods National Monument is a unit of the National Park Service in Marin County The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions They usually grow in the mountains where there is more precipitation from the incoming moisture off the ocean. The tallest and oldest trees are found in deep valleys and gullies, where year-round streams can flow, and fog drip is regular. The trees above the fog layer, above about 700 m, are shorter and smaller due to the drier, windier, and colder conditions. In addition, tanoak, pine and Douglas-fir often crowd out redwoods at these elevations. Lithocarpus densiflorus, commonly known as the Tanoak or Tanbark-oak, is an Evergreen Tree in the beech family Fagaceae This article is about the tree For other uses of the term "pine" see Pine (disambiguation. Douglas-fir is the common name applied to coniferous Trees of the Genus Pseudotsuga in the family Pinaceae. Few redwoods grow close to the ocean, due to intense salt spray, sand and wind.

Fog is of major importance in Coast Redwood ecology. Fog is a cloud that is in contact with the ground Stratus clouds are usually the only clouds that touch the ground Redwood National Park. The "Redwood National and State Parks" (RNSP are located in the United States along the coast of northern California.

The northern boundary of its range is marked by two groves on the Chetco River on the western fringe of the Klamath Mountains, 25 km (15 miles) north of the California-Oregon border. The Chetco River is a river in southwestern Oregon in the United States, approximately 55 mi (88 km long Rogue River Oregon USAjpg|thumb|250px|Rogue River Gorge Oregon]]The Klamath Mountains, sometimes called the Salmon Mountains, are a rugged lightly populated Mountain range California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Oregon ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The largest (and tallest) populations are in Redwood National and State Parks (Del Norte and Humboldt Counties) and Humboldt Redwoods State Park (Humboldt County, California). The "Redwood National and State Parks" (RNSP are located in the United States along the coast of northern California. Del Norte County sits in the far northwest corner of the US state of California, located on the Pacific coast south of Oregon. Humboldt County is located on the far North Coast of California. Humboldt Redwoods State Park is located 30 miles (50 km south of Eureka California in southern Humboldt County, within northern California. Humboldt County is located on the far North Coast of California.

This native area provides a unique environment with heavy seasonal rains (of up to 2,500 mm or 100 inch annually). Cool coastal air and fog keep this forest consistently damp year round. Several factors, including the heavy rainfall, create a soil with less nutrients than are necessary, causing the trees to depend heavily on the entire biotic community of the forest, and complete recycling of the trees when dead. This forest community includes Douglas fir, Western Hemlock, Tanoak, Madrone, and other trees along with a wide variety of ferns, Redwood sorrel, mosses and mushrooms. Douglas-fir is the common name applied to coniferous Trees of the Genus Pseudotsuga in the family Pinaceae. Tsuga heterophylla ( Western Hemlock) is a species of hemlock native to the west coast of North America, with its northwestern limit on the Lithocarpus densiflorus, commonly known as the Tanoak or Tanbark-oak, is an Evergreen Tree in the beech family Fagaceae Arbutus is a Genus of at least 14 species of Flowering plants in the family Ericaceae, native to warm temperate regions of the Mediterranean A fern is any one of a group of about 20000 Species of Plants classified in the phylum or division Pteridophyta, also known as Filicophyta Redwood sorrel ( Oxalis oregana) is a species of the wood sorrel family Oxalidaceae, native to moist Douglas-fir and Coast Redwood forests Mosses are small soft Plants that are typically 1–10  cm (0 A fungus (ˈfʌŋgəs is a eukaryotic Organism that is a member of the kingdom Fungi (ˈfʌndʒaɪ Redwood forests provide habitat for a variety of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Old growth redwood stands provide habitat for the federally threatened Spotted Owl and the California-endangered Marbled Murrelet. Ancient Woodland Old growth forest, (also termed primary forest, ancient forest, virgin forest, primeval forest, frontier The Spotted Owl, Strix occidentalis, is a species of owl. It is a resident species of forests in western North America, where it nests in tree holes The Marbled Murrelet ( Brachyramphus marmoratus) is a small Seabird from the North Pacific.

The thick, tannin-rich bark, combined with foliage that starts high above the ground provides good protection from both fire and insect damage, contributing to the Coast Redwood's longevity. Tannins are Astringent, bitter plant Polyphenols that either bind and Precipitate or shrink Proteins The astringency from the tannins is what A wildfire, also known as a wildland fire, forest fire, brush fire, vegetation fire, grass fire, Peat fire, Insects ( Class Insecta) are a major group of Arthropods and the most diverse group of Animals on the Earth with over a million described The oldest known Coast Redwood is about 2,200 years old (Gymnosperm Database); many others in the wild exceed 600 years. The numerous claims of older trees are incorrect (Gymnosperm Database).

The prehistoric fossil range of the genus is considerably greater, with a subcosmopolitan distribution including Europe and Asia until about 5 million years ago. FOSSIL is a standard protocol for allowing serial communication for Telecommunications programs under the DOS Operating system.

Statistics

Dried sap of a sequoia tree

An example of a bonsai Redwood, from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Bonsai (盆栽 literally "potted plant" is the art of Aesthetic miniaturization of Trees by growing them in containers Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG is a world-renowned Botanic garden in Brooklyn New York USA located near the neighborhoods Prospect Heights, Crown Heights

Trees over 60 m (200 feet) are common, and many are over 90 m (300 feet).

• The current tallest tree is Hyperion, measuring at 115. Hyperion is the name of a coast redwood tree in Northern California that has been confirmed to measure, which ranks it as the world's tallest known living tree 55 m [1] (379. 1 feet). The tree was discovered in Redwood National Park during Summer 2006 by Chris Atkins and Michael Taylor and has been measured as the world's tallest living thing. The "Redwood National and State Parks" (RNSP are located in the United States along the coast of northern California. The previous record holder was the Stratosphere Giant in the Humboldt Redwoods State Park, at 112. Stratosphere Giant was once considered the tallest tree in the world Humboldt Redwoods State Park is located 30 miles (50 km south of Eureka California in southern Humboldt County, within northern California. 83 m, last measured in 2004 (was 112. 34 m in Aug 2000 and 112. 56 m in 2002). Until it fell in March 1991, the "Dyerville Giant" was the record holder. It too stood in Humboldt Redwoods State Park; it was 113. 4 metres high and estimated to be 1,600 years old.
• There are 15 known living trees more than 110 m (361 feet) tall.
• There are 47 trees that are more than 105 m (344. 5 feet) tall.
• A tree claimed to be 115. 8 m (380 feet) was cut down in 1912.
• The tallest non-redwood tree is a 100. 3 m (329 foot) tall Douglas-fir. Douglas-fir is the common name applied to coniferous Trees of the Genus Pseudotsuga in the family Pinaceae.

An 'albino' Sequoia sempervirens exhibiting lack of chlorophyll

In 2004, an article in Nature reported that the theoretical maximum potential height of Coast Redwoods (or any other tree) is limited to between 122 and 130 m (between 400 and 425 feet), due to gravity and the friction between water and the vessels through which it flows. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Nature is a prominent Scientific journal, first published on 4 November 1869

The largest Coast Redwood in volume is the "Lost Monarch", with an estimated volume of 42,500 cubic feet; it is 320 feet tall with a diameter of 26 feet at breast high (DBH). Lost Monarch is the name of a redwood tree in Northern California that has been confirmed by measuring to be at least in diameter at DBH (diameter breast height It is located in the Grove of Titans. The Grove of Titans is a redwood tree grove including several massive redwood trees in Northern California. Among current living trees there are only 7 known Giant Sequoias that are larger; these are shorter, but have thicker trunks overall, giving the largest Giant Sequoia, General Sherman, a volume of 1,487 cubic metres (52,510 cubic feet), making it the world's largest known tree. Sequoiadendron giganteum ( Giant Sequoia, Sierra Redwood, or Wellingtonia) is the sole species in the genus Sequoiadendron General Sherman is the name of a Giant Sequoia. It is one of the tallest Giant Sequoia Trees in the world with a height of about 275 feet (84 A redwood cut down in 1926 had a claimed volume of 1,794 m³ (63,350 cubic feet), but this is not verified.

About fifty 'albino' redwoods (mutant individuals that cannot manufacture chlorophyll) are known to exist, reaching heights of up to 20 m. Chlorophyll is a green Pigment found in most Plants Algae and Cyanobacteria. ^[1] These trees survive as parasites, obtaining food by grafting their root systems with those of normal trees. A parasitic plant is one that derives some or all of its sustenance from another plant Grafting is a method of asexual Plant propagation widely used in Agriculture and Horticulture where the tissues of one Plant are encouraged to While similar mutations occur sporadically in other conifers, no cases are known of such individuals surviving to maturity in any other conifer species.

Reproduction

This is an example of a "fairy ring" sprouted from a stump. All the sprouts are identical clones with exactly the same genomic material.

Coast Redwood reproduces both sexually and asexually. Seed production begins at 10-15 years of age, and large seed crops occur frequently, but viability of the seed is low, typically well below 15%. ^[2] The low viability may be an adaptation to discourage seed predators, which do not want to waste time sorting chaff (empty seeds) from edible seeds. The winged seeds are small and light, weighing 3. 3-5 mg (200-300 seeds/g; 5,600-8,500/ounce). The wings are not effective for wide dispersal, and seeds are dispersed by wind an average of only 60-120 m (200-400 feet) from the parent tree.

Growth of seedlings is very fast, with young trees known to reach 20 m (65 feet) tall in 20 years. Coast Redwoods can also reproduce asexually by layering or sprouting from the root crown, stump, or even fallen branches; if a tree falls over, it will regenerate a row of new trees along the trunk. This is the reason for many trees naturally growing in a straight line. Sprouts originate from dormant or adventitious buds at or under the surface of the bark. The dormant sprouts are stimulated when the main adult stem gets damaged or starts to die. Many sprouts spontaneously erupt and develop around the circumference of the tree trunk. Within a short period after sprouting, each sprout will develop its own root system, with the dominant sprouts forming a ring of trees around the parent root crown or stump. This ring of trees is called a "fairy ring". Sprouts can achieve heights of 2. 3 m (8 feet) in a single growing season.

Redwoods may also reproduce using burls. A burl is a woody lignotuber that commonly appears on a redwood tree below the soil line, though when above, usually within 3 m of the soil. Burls are capable of sprouting into new trees when detached from the parent tree, though exactly how this happens is yet to be studied. Shoot clones commonly sprout from burls and are often turned into decorative hedges when found in suburbia.

The species is very tolerant of flooding and flood deposits, the roots rapidly growing into thick silt deposits after floods. A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land a deluge

Largest Trees

The four largest coast redwoods by volume.

Tallest Trees

The ten tallest trees in the world as of 2007. ^[3]

Cultivation and uses

Coast Redwood is one of the most valuable timber species in California, with 364,000 ha of redwood forest, all second growth, managed for timber production [2]. Lumber or timber is Wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural Material for Construction, or Coast Redwood lumber is highly valued for its beauty, light weight, and resistance to decay. Its lack of resin makes it resistant to fire.

P. H. Shaughnessy, Chief Engineer of the San Francisco Fire Department wrote:

In the recent great fire of San Francisco, that began April 18th, 1906, we succeeded in finally stopping it in nearly all directions where the unburned buildings were almost entirely of frame construction and if the exterior finish of these buildings had not been of redwood lumber, I am satisfied that the area of the burned district would have been greatly extended. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city

Because of its impressive resistance to decay, redwood was extensively used for railroad ties and trestles throughout California. A railroad tie, cross tie, or railway sleeper is a rectangular object used as a base for Railroad tracks. Many of the old ties have been recycled for use in gardens as borders, steps, etc. Redwood burls are used in the production of table tops, veneers, and turned goods.

The Coast Redwood is locally naturalized in New Zealand, notably at Rotorua. In Biology, naturalisation is the process when foreign or cultivated plants or animals have spread into the Wild, where they multiply by natural regeneration New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Rotorua is a city on the southern shore of Lake Rotorua in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand, and Rotorua Other areas of successful cultivation outside of the native range include Great Britain, Italy, Portugal^[4], the Queen Charlotte Islands, middle elevations of Hawaii, a small area in central Mexico (Jilotepec) and the southeastern United States from eastern Texas to Maryland. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. The Queen Charlotte Islands or Haida Gwaii ("Islands of the People" and originally in Haida, Xhaaidlagha Gwaayaai ("islands on The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the Jilotepec de Molina Enríquez and Jilotepec de Abasolo are a town and a municipality located northwest zone of the State of Mexico, in Mexico. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State.

See also

• Cryptomeria japonica - Sugi
• Orders of magnitude (length)
• Mother of the Forest

References

External links

• Farjon & members of the Conifer Specialist Group (2006). Sequoia sempervirens. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data List) created in 1963 is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes a lengthy justification of why this species is vulnerable
• Farjon, A. (2005). Monograph of Cupressaceae and Sciadopitys. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. ISBN 1-84246-068-4
• Neale, D. B. , Marshall, K. A. , & Sederoff, R. R. (1989). Chloroplast and Mitochondrial DNA are Paternally Inherited in Sequoia sempervirens (D. Don) Endl. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86 (23): 9347-9349. Available online
• Noss, R. F. , ed. (2000). The Redwood Forest: history, ecology and conservation of the Coast Redwood. Island Press, Washington DC. ISBN 1-55963-726-9
• Gymnosperm Database - Sequoia sempervirens
• US National Park Service
• Humboldt Redwoods State Park (CA)
• Save-the-Redwoods League
• Sempervirens Fund
• Photo gallery with meteorology and plant physiology sensors installed in "Stratosphere Giant" by Prof Stephen Sillet & team
• Preston, Richard. "Climbing the Redwoods" - 2/14-21/2005 New Yorker article with detailed insights into intricate upper canopy biology. Dr Stephen C Sillett (born March 19, 1968) is a Botanist specializing in Old growth forest canopies The New Yorker is an American Magazine that publishes reportage commentary criticism essays fiction satire cartoons and poetry
• More about Sequoia sempervirens: images and detailed info of the world's tallest tree
• Prof Stephen Sillett's webpage with photogallery including: a general gallery, canopy views, epiphytes, and arboreal animals. The canopy is one of the uppermost levels of a Forest, below the emergent layer, formed by the Tree crowns Canopy trees refers to the trees An epiphyte is an organism that grows upon or attaches to a living plant Arboreal is a word meaning "related to or resembling trees"
• www.redwoodworld.co.uk giant redwoods in the U. K.
• Photos of Largest Coast Redwoods: including Lost Monarch & Del Norte Titan

Further reading

• Preston, Richard "The Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring", Random House, 2007, ISBN 978-1-4000-6489-2. Richard Preston (b August 5, 1954) is a New Yorker writer and bestselling Author best-known for his alarming books about Infectious