Abstract
Although they were widely distributed during Cainozoic times, both the Sierra Redwood (Sequoiadendron giganteum) and the Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) became restricted to greatly reduced ranges in California (and, in the latter instance, southernmost Oregon) during the late Tertiary and Quaternary periods. Today, the Sierra Redwood occurs in about 70 scattered groves, occupying an aggregate of 144 km2 on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada; about 66% of the areas of these groves remain unlogged, and most of these virgin stands are protected within national parks.Fire suppression policies of the National Park Service and other government land agencies have created conditions that are both unsuited for Sierra Redwood reproduction and hazardous to existing trees. Successful seed germination requires a mineral seed-bed, such as is usually exposed through fire. Burned sites also enhance seedling survival through increased sunlight penetration, reduced competition, and improved soil-moisture content. Fire suppression has, however, allowed the accumulation of large volumes of combustible fuels, increasing the probability of destructive crown-fires. In order to rectify these problems, the National Park Service has begun a programme of prescribed burning in Sequoia–Kings Canyon National Parks; to date, about 3.4 km2 have been treated. Thus, the environmental issues facing the Sierra Redwood involve perpetuating the tree within parks that are secure from commercial utilization.
Publisher
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Subject
Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis,Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law,Nature and Landscape Conservation,Pollution,Water Science and Technology
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Cited by
2 articles.
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