1998 annual report: forest canopy research in Redwood National and State Parks
Sillett SC. 1998. 1998 annual report: forest canopy research in Redwood National and State Parks
This paper reports the year's results for a study at Godwood Creek (Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, Redwood National Park) of canopy characteristics in old-growth Sitka spruce and redwood trees. In permanent reference stands, the author mapped the architecture of tall coast redwood trees, identifying the numerous reiterated trunks (resprouted trunks growing either from the main trunk or from branches). The study also included examination of the distribution of epiphytic ferns (particularly of Polypodium scouleri) in the canopies of both spruce and redwood. Additional new discoveries include canopy roots of the host tree extending into fern mats, abundant Clouded Salamanders in large fern mats in redwoods, abundant vertebrates (now being identified), and 'waterfalls' in redwood crowns ('semi-permanent running water' draining slowly from accumulations of humus). Includes 12 figures (drawings of stand layout and tree architecture; graphs of fern mat size and location) and 6 tables (correlations and other statistical information).
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Sillett, Stephen
- Date of Issue
- 1998
- Units
- REDW
- Keywords
- Aneides ferreus, canopy waterfalls, clouded salamander, Coast Redwood, Ecology, epiphyte distribution, Forest Canopy, Forest Structure, Godwood Creek, leathery polypody, Old-Growth Forest, Picea sitchensis, Plant Studies, Plots, Polypodium scouleri, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, Presence (Biodiversity), Sequoia sempervirens, Sitka Spruce, Taxa Links To References, tree architecture