Redwoods
Did you know that redwoods are the world’s “tallest of trees” (Szalay,par.7)? There is great deal of information you can learn about these giants.
For example, did you realize that they only grow on the west coast (par.7)? Or that there are many different species of animals and plants that make their home in and around them ( “davidlnelson”,sec.1)? There are countless attributes that make redwoods unique, and you’re definitely going to want to know about these aspects. There are so many facts that you need to learn about redwoods. For example, did you know that can be up to 24 ft in diameter (Szalay par.
7)? They can also reach more than 320 feet and live to be 2,000 years old(par.7). Redwoods are very fast growing “One tree that gained seven feet in diameter in 108 years”(Herbert and Snyder sec.11) These giants may be big themselves but their cones are only one inch long(“parks.ca” par.
5). Each cone has a couple dozen very tiny seeds, about as big as tomato seeds (par.5). Something else that you must know is that the world’s tallest tree is a redwood (Szalay par.7). This tree’s name is Hyperion and it’s 379.
7 ft tall (par.7)! Don’t worry, I’m not done talking about redwoods yet. You want to hear something insane? “Coast redwoods range from southern Oregon to central California, extending not more than fifty miles inland”, which means that they only grow nativley on the west coast (“parks.ca” par.1).
Redwoods have “been extensively logged. Since logging began in the 1850s, 95 percent of old-growth coast redwoods have been cut down”, so now the forest is a lot smaller(Szalay par.10). These trees need a coastal climate to thrive and we have that for them here on the west coast. “They require the area’s frequent fog to protect them from dry spells and drought.
Like sequoias, redwoods require abundant water to drink and have shallow root systems. Redwoods, however, get their water from rain rather than snowmelt, and therefore require consistent rainfall throughout the year. They even “create” their own rain by trapping fog in their lofty branches. “(par.8) So now sense has probable been made why there are so few redwoods. Although, you still have a ways to go until I’m done teaching about these giants of the west coast.
Of course you have to realize that there are many plants and animals that are found in and around redwoods. The plants that are found there include Douglas firs, ferns, and Poison Oak (“davidlnelson sec.2 and 3). Along with tanbark oak, different Mosses, and red Clintonia (sec.2 and 3). There are many animals that live in the redwood forest too such as chipmunks, spiders,and Banana Slugs (sec.
4). Also, Alligator Lizards, crawdads, and bugs (sec.4). The thing is though, most of these animals are just passing through(sec.1).
The soil in these forests is toxic because of the redwood leaves, and the trees don’t provide much food(sec.1). So, most of the plants there are either at the edge of the forest, near the river, or where trees have fallen over(sec.1). Either that or they are only found there because they’ve adapted to the conditions(sec.1).
Doesn’t sound very inviting to be a plant or animal there does it. So, now you recognize all of the different traits of redwoods. There are many plants and animals that live there(“davidlnelson” sec.1). They also only grow in the west coast (“parks.
ca” par.1), and all there is to know about the world’s tallest trees (Szalay par.7) I hope that you now know all of the interesting traits of these giants of the west coast. Works Cited “About Coastal Redwoods”parks.ca.
gov.2013.6 Feb,2014 gov/?page_id=22257> “Animals and Plants of the Redwood Forest”davidlnelson.com.June 19.2009.6 Feb,2014 md/Cazadero/AnimalsPlants.htm> Baker, Dr. Herbert G.and Snyder, James A.”The Amazing Redwood Tree”Trees of Mystery.2014. 6 Feb.,2014 6 Feb 6,2014 2014. 6 Feb,2014
