Name:
Sequoia sempervirens Forest Group
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This is one of the tallest conifer forests in the world, dominated by 75- to 120-m tall evergreen needle-leaved trees. This group occurs from the Klamath Mountains south to Monterey County, California. Mature stands of <i>Sequoia sempervirens</i> may produce a deep shade, so understories can be limited, and coarse woody debris from past disturbance can be quite large. <i>Pseudotsuga menziesii</i> is the common associate among the large trees. <i>Tsuga heterophylla</i> is found in old-growth stands in the northern portion of the range, and <i>Notholithocarpus densiflorus</i> occurs as a subcanopy in almost all stands, becoming more important in the central and southern sections of the range (possibly as a result of fire suppression). The moist, coastal <i>Chamaecyparis lawsoniana</i> or <i>Picea sitchensis</i> stands from southwestern Oregon and northwestern California (often mixed with <i>Sequoia sempervirens, Pseudotsuga menziesii</i>, or <i>Tsuga heterophylla</i>) are included in this group, as ecologically they function in the same way and have the same overall floristic composition. Shade-tolerant understory species include <i>Rubus parviflorus, Oxalis oregana, Aralia californica, Mahonia nervosa, Gaultheria shallon</i>, and many ferns, such as <i>Blechnum spicant, Polystichum</i> spp., and <i>Polypodium</i> spp. The coastal redwood group generally can be found in areas of low rainfall (Mediterranean climate of dry summers and wet winters) but stands always occur within the coastal fog belt, and interior stands are limited to the fog belts inward extent. In the northern portion of the range, stands occur on upland slopes, riparian alluvial zones, or riverine terraces that are flooded approximately every 50-100 years. In the southern portion of the range, annual precipitation may be as little as 50 cm, and the group is limited to coves and ravines. Throughout its range, it is commonly found on moderately well-drained marine sediments (non-metamorphosed siltstones, sandstones, etc.).
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:40024-{CB9691AA-0A8E-4188-AD43-1E00914899E7}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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