HISTORY OF THE REDWOOD FOREST

The Redwood National and State Parks (RNSP) are a complex of one national park and three state parks, cooperatively managed, located in the United States along the coast of northern California.Modern day native groups such as the Yurok, Tolowa, Karok, Chilula, and Wiyot all have historical ties to the region, and some Native American groups still live in the park area today. Archaeological study shows they arrived in the area as far back as 3,000 years ago. An 1852 census determined that the Yurok were the most numerous, with 55 villages and an estimated population of 2,500. They used the abundant redwood, which with its linear grain was easily split into planks, as a building material for boats, houses, and small villages. For buildings, the planks would be erected side by side in a narrow trench, with the upper portions bound with leather strapping and held by notches cut into the supporting roof beams. Redwood boards were used to form a shallow sloping roof.

Biodiversity, flora and fauna

A single California valley might contain several microclimates. In the fog belt it might be drizzly and misty all day long, even while a mile or two away the sun is shining in the banana belt. When comparing networks of valleys, California sees just as much diversity. Redwood groves meet grassland meadows, snowy mountains fall to desert floors, and temperate belts facilitate year-round agriculture. It is estimated that old-growth redwood forest once covered close to 2,000,000 acres (8,100 km2) of coastal northern California. 96% of all old-growth redwoods have been logged, and almost half (45%) of the redwoods remaining are found in Redwood National and State Parks. The native range of coast redwood is from the northern California coast north to the southern Oregon Coast. The tree is closely related to the giant sequoia of central California, and more distantly to the dawn redwood which is indigenous to the Sichuan-Hubei region of China.The ecosystems of RNSP preserve a number of rare animal species. Numerous ecosystems exist, with seacoast, river, prairie, and densely forested zones all within the park. The tidewater goby is a federally listed endangered species that live near the Pacific coastline. The bald eagle, which usually nests near a water source, is listed as a state of California endangered species.

Old-growth forest

Stand age can also be used to categorize a forest as old-growth. For any given geographical area, the average time since disturbance until a forest reaches the old growth stage can be determined. This method is useful, because it allows quick and objective determination of forest stage. However, this definition does not provide an explanation about forest function. Old-growth forests are valuable for economic reasons and for the ecosystem services they provide. This can be a point of contention when some in the logging industry desire to harvest valuable timber from the forests, while environmentalists seek to preserve the forests in their pristine state for benefits such as maintenance of biodiversity, water purification, flood control, and nutrient cycling.

Metasequoia

Metasequoia, or dawn redwoods, is a genus of fast-growing deciduous trees, one of three species of confiers known as redwoods. The living species Metasequoia glyptostroboides is native to Lichuan county in Hubei province, China.The fossil of this genus was discovered by Shigeru Miki in 1939. In 1941, Miki published the description of the fossil plant which he gave the name "Metasequoia". In the winter of the same year, a Chinese botanist Toh Gan discovered an unusual big tree in Modaoxi. The locals called this tree shui-sha . Because it was winter, the tree already lost all its leaves, so no specimens were collected by Mr. Gan. In 1942, another botanist, Mr. Zhan Wang visited Modaoxi and collected living specimens.

Invertebrate

Invertebrates are a polyphyletic group of animals that neither possess nor develop a vertebal column (commonly known as a backbone or spine), derived from the notochord.The earliest animal fossils appear to be those of invertebrates. 665-million-year-old fossils in the Trezona Formation at Trezona Bore, West Central Flinders, South Australia have been interpreted as being early sponges. Some paleontologists suggest that animals appeared much earlier, possibly as early as 1 billion years ago though they probably became multicellular in the Tonian. Trace fossils such as tracks and burrows found in the late Neoproterozoic era indicate the presence of triploblastic worms, roughly as large (about 5 mm wide) and complex as earthworms.

Endangered species

An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and invasive species. Many nations have laws that protect conservation-reliant species which, for example, forbid hunting, restrict land developmennt, or create protected areas. Some endangered species are the target of extensive conservation efforts such as captive breeding and habitat restoration.

Steller's jay

Steller's jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) is a bird native to western North America and the mountains of Central America, closely related to the blue jay found in eastern North America. It is also known as the long-crested jay, mountain jay, and pine jay. Steller's jay is about 30–34 cm (12–13 in) long and weighs about 100–140 g (3.5–4.9 oz). Steller's jay shows a great deal of regional variation throughout its range. Blackish-brown-headed birds from the north gradually become bluer-headed farther south. The Steller's jay has a more slender bill and longer legs than the blue jay and, in northern populations, has a much more pronounced crest. It is also somewhat larger.

Black-tailed deer

wo forms of black-tailed deer or blacktail deer that occupy coastal woodlands in the Pacific Northwest of North America are subspecies of the mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus). They have sometimes been treated as a species, but virtually all recent authorities maintain they are subspecies. The black-tailed deer lives along the Pacific coast from western California up through Alaska. East of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada Ranges in Oregon and California, black-tailed deer are replaced by mule deer which have a different tail pattern. All recent authorities maintain it as a subspecies of the mule deer (O. hemionus). Strictly speaking, the black-tailed deer group consists of two subspecies, as it also includes O. h. sitkensis (the Sitka deer).

Northern spotted owl

The northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) is one of three spotted owl subspecies. A western North American bird in the family Strigidae, genus Strix, it is a medium-sized dark brown owl native to the Pacific Northwest. Northern spotted owls have dark brown plumage with white spots and no ear tufts. They are typically around sixteen to nineteen inches in length and one to one and one sixth pounds. Females are about 10-20% larger than males. Their wingspan is approximately 42 inches. They are a mainly nocturnal species, and form long-term pair bonds. While most owls have yellow to red-orange colored eyes, northern spotted owls are one of the few owls with darkish to black-colored eyes.

Big brown bat

The big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) is a species of vesper bat distributed widely throughout North America, the Caribbean, and the northern portion of South America. It was first described as a species in 1796. The big brown bat occurs widely throughout the US, Canada, Central America, and the Caribbean. Its range extends into parts of South America, found as far south as Colombia and Venezuela. It is adaptable to many habitats and is considered a generalist species. The big brown bat is not considered at risk for extinction, and is evaluated as the lowest conservation priority by the International Union for COnservation of Nature(IUCN).

Redwood Climate and season

Results thus far suggest have yielded some inspiring news: coast redwoods and giant sequoia are powerful allies in meeting the threat of climate change because of the massive amounts of carbon stored in these forests. These results demonstrate that protecting and restoring these forests should be part of the state’s overall effort to address the challenge of climate change. Protection and restoration of California’s redwood forests can also be an international model for capturing the power of nature to address climate change. In terms of vulnerabilities to future climate, the coast redwood and giant sequoia stories diverge. In coast redwood, there were some indications of minor drought stress at the extreme eastern and southern edges of the range.

Redwood Forest

Redwood Forest

Redwood Forest

HISTORY OF THE REDWOOD FOREST

Biodiversity, flora and fauna

Old-growth forest

Metasequoia

Invertebrate

Endangered species

Steller's jay

Black-tailed deer

Northern spotted owl

Big brown bat

Redwood Climate and season

Redwood Forest

Redwood Forest

Redwood Forest

HISTORY OF THE REDWOOD FOREST

Biodiversity, flora and fauna

Old-growth forest

Metasequoia

Invertebrate

Endangered species

Steller's jay

Black-tailed deer

Northern spotted owl

Big brown bat

Redwood ​Climate and season

Redwood Climate and season