 Coast
Redwood Forest
Annual precipitation
50-100
inches
Drippy,
dark and closed in. Cut the forest down and you usually get
Northern Coastal Scrub.
Common Animals of the Redwood Forest.
Stellar's
Jay, Chickadee,
Racoons,
Banana Slug, Hummingbirds,
Vaux Swift,
Common Plants
Coast
Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), California
Huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum),Yerba
de Selva (Whipplea
modesta),
California rose-bay (Rhododendron macrophyllum), Western
Sword Fern, (Polystichum munitum) , Redwood
Sorrel, (Oxalis oregona),Salmon
Berry (Rubus spectabilis),
Thimbleberry,
(Rubus parviflorus),Wood
Rose (Rosa gymnocarpa)
Soil and climate notes:
acidic
sandy soils, usually with hard pan
 The
Redwood Forest is found along the ocean side of the coast ranges
of California. It is almost endemic to California with the
exception of a small portion in the most extreme south western
corner of Oregon. The redwood forest can be found as far south as
Monterey county, in coastal canyons. Common species in the
Redwood Forest include Coast
Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), Douglas
Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), California rose-bay
(Rhododendron macrophyllum), Western
Azalea, (Rhododendron occidentale) and Tanbark
Oak (Lithocarpus densiflora), The keystone species of
the Redwood Forest, the Coast
Redwood tree (Sequoia sempervirens), can live for more
than a thousand years. The Coast Redwood is the world's tallest
tree, reaching in excess of 300 feet tall. It is prized for its
lumber which inhibits rot. Its heart wood is filled with its own
biological waste which makes it unfavorable to many organisms
that usually prey on untreated lumber.
The forest floor is covered with
Western Sword Fern, (Polystichum munitum) and
Redwood
Sorrel, (Oxalis oregona) in the dense shade and Salmon
Berry (Rubus spectabilis), Thimbleberry,
(Rubus parviflorus) and California
Huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum) in more open
areas.
The Climate in the Redwood Forest
  The
rainfall can vary anywhere from 40 to 100 inches; much of the
summer precipitation comes as fog. The temperatures are mild
although it often freezes in the more northern areas. Summer
temperatures rarely exceed 90 degrees. The forest is so moist
that a banana slug is quite happy sliming along in the middle of
the day, with no fear of dessication. The forest under the canopy
is very dark, cool and wet. It is probably the closest thing
California has to a rain forest. Wood
Rose (Rosa gymnocarpa) can be seen flowering in a
little sunlight. Road sides or along streams are the best places
to see wild flowers.
The importance of mulch in the Redwood forest
Debris is very important in the forest. Fallen
trees provide habitat as well as a source of nutrients after
decomposition. On the forest floor it is not uncommon to see
ferns and other small herbaceous plants take root on top of a
fallen tree. Young redwood trees can actually be seen growing out
of dead logs.
 About
the Coast Redwood Tree
The Coast Redwood is one of the only
coniferous trees that can tolerate burial. In fact it often
enjoys the silt deposited from creeks when flooded; it can often
be seen growing in alluvial fans. When a live redwood falls over
it will often just keep growing even after the original trunk is
buried. The original trunk is similar to an underground rhizome.
The coast redwood can also sprout back from stumps cut by logging
or even burned by fire; hence its name sempervirens, or
'evergreen'. To learn more go to the
coast redwood page.
How to create a coastal redwood forest in
your garden
 To
make a Redwood Forest in your garden you need high humidity. One
way to simulate this is with a series of misters; place one every
few feet, up on on the redwood tree. This may be difficult, as
California's Coastal Redwood is the tallest tree in the world.
Sprinkling it in the mornings can raise the humidity and simulate
fog. Also, if you plant a grove of redwood trees instead of just
one, the trees will be more healthy, as the association is more
than the sum of its parts! If you're not that adventurous you can
plant under cover of other trees . The coast redwood can
withstand an extended period of dense shade (100's of years). If
planting in the shade of other established species you still will
have to augment your normal rainfall in the summer if you are in
a more arid climate. The coast redwood can be grown in full sun
in hot, dry environments if it is given sufficient water;
however, it will look a little sick and have quite a few burnt
tips, unless the humidity is kept high, throughout the growing
zone. Use plenty of mulch in your redwood forest; redwoods enjoy
the added nutrients from decomposition by fungi and the increased
moisture.
More
BIG redwood forest pictures
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