Last updated: March 24, 2022
Place
Lady Bird Johnson Nature Trail Stop #10
Dave Van de Mark
Quick Facts
Location:
Lady Bird Johnson Trail
Significance:
Walking tour in old-growth redwoods
Designation:
National Park
Amenities
1 listed
Scenic View/Photo Spot
Forest from Ferns
Many years ago, fire swept through this corner of the forest, opening large areas under the canopy to colonization by small, yet beneficial plants. Ferns, like the dominant sword fern, thrive in the all-pervading damp of the redwood understory. Along with mosses and grasses, they are usually the first to return to a disturbed landscape.
The dense cover of ferns on the forest floor provides shade and protection for smaller plants and holds moisture in the soil. The life and death of ferns and the plants nurtured under their broad leaves enrich the soil, creating fertile ground for the wildflowers and low shrubs that will ultimately sustain the roots of the Douglas-fir, western hemlock, and the mighty redwood. Ferns are the first stage in a 1000-year succession of plants reaching its climax in a healthy old-growth redwood forest ecosystem.
Many years ago, fire swept through this corner of the forest, opening large areas under the canopy to colonization by small, yet beneficial plants. Ferns, like the dominant sword fern, thrive in the all-pervading damp of the redwood understory. Along with mosses and grasses, they are usually the first to return to a disturbed landscape.
The dense cover of ferns on the forest floor provides shade and protection for smaller plants and holds moisture in the soil. The life and death of ferns and the plants nurtured under their broad leaves enrich the soil, creating fertile ground for the wildflowers and low shrubs that will ultimately sustain the roots of the Douglas-fir, western hemlock, and the mighty redwood. Ferns are the first stage in a 1000-year succession of plants reaching its climax in a healthy old-growth redwood forest ecosystem.