I’m reading The Wild Trees at the moment about the giant redwoods (sequoia sempervirens) that grow along the north coast of California. It’s an enjoyable read, – as much about the people who climb these trees as about the trees themselves. Richard Preston gives a great description of the root structures of these conifer trees and it illustrates more of what was written about forest stability in my last post
‘A redwood tree sits on a flat pancake of roots, spreading in all directions away from a tree. A redwood has no taproot. A taproot is a strong, vertical root, shaped like a carrot, that stabs straight down under a tree and acts as an anchor, helping to keep the tree upright. The pancake roots under a redwood spreads out and narrows down into a fine, dense mat of threads no more than about two feet thick. These fine roots extend outward for unknown distances from the tree, perhaps a hundred yards or more. They eventually merge with the threadlike roots of other redwoods, forming a tangled mat of roots. The roots of a redwood forest resemble a pad made of felt. The pad seems to support all the redwoods that are in a stand; they are all anchored by the common mat.’
I thought it was interesting to find that quote, and it helps to explain more fully the nature of conifers and why they often blow over in storms here.
And, – by total coincidence, my partner Gabriel was in California last week, visiting his son, Narayan, who is living there at present. They decided to head out of LA and drive north along the coast. They spent a few days in amongst the other redwoods (sequoiadendron gigantium) – some of the largest trees on earth. Look at these for shots:
A group of redwoods undoubtedly connected by a common root mat as described by Richard Preston in The Wild Trees
The tree that is called General Grant
Narayan at the base of the sequoia that is called General Grant
How wonderful to see this enormous tree growing at home amongst other naturally occurring trees of all sizes and varied species.
Seeing these pictures makes me question yet again why we place no value on big trees here, and why we keep cutting down our own forests before they have a chance to mature.
No big trees likely here. Sad land where a plantation has been clear cut. Drumshanbo, Co. Leitrim
Related posts:
It’s interesting how roots with fuse or graft together. Redwood trees and other species too.
I was up on Bald Hills Rd. above Redwood National Park 2 weeks ago at a trailhead. Around the parking area, a couple of smaller spruce had been cut, and the short stumps were callousing over with tissue, indicating that their roots systems were connected to the standing living trees a few feet away.
MDV
Oregon
Thank you for leaving a comment on my site. This is a subject that interests me greatly because of the problem of wind damage on this Atlantic island of Ireland. Here is a quote from Prof. Hans Otto from Germany in a paper he wrote for Pro Silva Ireland: “Some trees stay not only close together, but they begin to merge their roots. In such biogroups there is not only a mutual exchange of nutrients, but the trees hold each other against the impact of wind. In this way, natural forests are subdivided in a mosaic of more and less stable parts.” Prof Otto made several trips to Ireland and showed us how to identify biogroups and how to treat them in forest management. It’s so interesting. For the full paper, look on