August 25, 2012 - Redwood

[Adak]

Very huge and majestic. What most folk don't realize is that a mature Redwood forest like this, will support very few plants and animals. Once the Redwood tree's start blocking out the sunlight, and contaminating the forest floor with it's dead needle litter (which prevents nearly all species from germinating). The forest animals have to move on. Their food can't grow there, anymore.

It's more appropriate to say it's "quiet as a graveyard", instead of "quiet as a cathedral", in a mature Redwood forest.

[xoxoxoBruce]

And their root system is very shallow, no culture at all.

[ZenGum]

Originally Posted by Adak

Very huge and majestic. What most folk don't realize is that a mature Redwood forest like this, will support very few plants and animals. Once the Redwood tree's start blocking out the sunlight, and contaminating the forest floor with it's dead needle litter (which prevents nearly all species from germinating). The forest animals have to move on. Their food can't grow there, anymore.

It's more appropriate to say it's "quiet as a graveyard", instead of "quiet as a cathedral", in a mature Redwood forest.

There's plenty of life going on up in the canopy.

[Adak]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

There's plenty of life going on up in the canopy.

I lived near, ran in, and camped in redwood forests for 20 years. Mature redwood forest are a near desert of life, compared to area's where sunlight (even dappled), is allowed to reach the forest floor, and the redwood "duff" (needles it sheds), can't poison the earth.

The "Wonderful world of the mature redwood forest" crap you hear from the ecologists, is just that -- crap.

Ranks right up there with "let's spend our way out of debt".

[Happy Monkey]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

There's plenty of life going on up in the canopy.

Sequoia canopy.

[xoxoxoBruce]

One important animal that lives in the redwood forest canopy is the Clouded Salamander... snip

Neither that article, nor any others I can find, tell why this thing is important. Hyperbole I guess.

[Happy Monkey]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

There's plenty of life going on up in the canopy.

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Neither that article, nor any others I can find, tell why this thing is important. Hyperbole I guess.

It tips the balance of "life going on up in the canopy" from "some" to "plenty".

[xoxoxoBruce]

That still doesn't say why the Clouded Salamander is "important".

[Gravdigr]

Originally Posted by Adak

Very huge and majestic. What most folk don't realize is that a mature Redwood forest like this, will support very few plants and animals. Once the Redwood tree's start blocking out the sunlight, and contaminating the forest floor with it's dead needle litter (which prevents nearly all species from germinating). The forest animals have to move on. Their food can't grow there, anymore.

Reminded me of this:

"The Trees"

by Rush


There is unrest in the forest
There is trouble with the trees
For the maples want more sunlight
And the oaks ignore their pleas

The trouble with the maples
(And they're quite convinced they're right)
They say the oaks are just too lofty
And they grab up all the light
But the oaks can't help their feelings
If they like the way they're made
And they wonder why the maples
Can't be happy in their shade

There is trouble in the forest
And the creatures all have fled
As the maples scream 'Oppression!'
And the oaks just shake their heads

So the maples formed a union
And demanded equal rights
'The oaks are just too greedy
We will make them give us light'
Now there's no more oak oppression
For they passed a noble law
And the trees are all kept equal
By hatchet, axe and saw