Tall Trees Walking Tour Stop 8

When a parent tree falls away from its clones, it’s hard to tell which are individual trees.

NPS Photo

Quick Facts

Location:

41.20783323940, -124.01152063700

The Life and Death of a Redwood

The massive log that fell here was once a tree that likely sprouted from a seed. Over its lifetime, after weathering various disturbances, it responded by cloning new trunks from the basal burl tissue found around the base of its trunk. Observe the two groups of redwood clones separated by the gaping hole left behind by this fallen giant. Cloned redwoods experience less competition than seedlings since they already have a well-established root system.

The ecological value of a redwood tree does not diminish once it has fallen. Logs play an important role in carbon storage, water storage, and nutrient recycling. Did you know old-growth coast redwood forests store more carbon than any other forest on Earth? Not to mention, as this log eventually decays, it will one day become a juicy nursery log, home to many other plants and organisms.

Before you arrive at the redwood named “Tall Tree,” you will observe a huge redwood that has fallen. Notice the domino effect these trees can have when they come crashing down. This tree stood for centuries, but it probably only took a few minutes for the last branches to settle as gravity brought its life to the ground. From destruction comes rebirth. There is now a new window of light above, space for new trees to grow, another revolution in the cycle of life, another notch in the wheels of time.


Please note: hike the loop trail clockwise to continue the tour in the correct order.