By Spencer Gross Sequoia sempervirens
By Spencer Gross
Sequoia sempervirens
• The S. sempervirens can grow to be up to 375ft tall (That’s taller than the Statue of Liberty!)
• S. sempervirens is indigenous in a very small area of the Pacific Northwest
• The oldest recorded S. sempervirens is 2,200 years old
• The S. sempervirens can grow up to six feet every year
Basic Facts
To Be or Not to Be? That is The…
• Why is the S. sempervirens so tall?• How does the S. sempervirens transport water to
heights of 375 ft?• Why is the S. sempervirens indigenous to such a
relatively small geographic area? • How can a S. sempervirens live 2,200 + years?• What is the human impact on the S.
sempervirens ?• How do baby S. sempervirens manage to grow in
the shade caused by mature S. sempervirens ?
Why So Tall?
• As long a tree lives it continues to grow (Long Lifespan = Height)
• High growth rate (Up to 6ft a year)
• The S. sempervirens can condense Fog in the summer and make its own rain
• The Fog that the S. sempervirens depends on for water only occurs in a small area
• Usually resides between 30-750m above Sea Level
• This is the 450 mile long and 30 mile wide area of the Pacific Northwest that the S. sempervirens are indigenous to
• The S. sempervirens used to inhabit the entire Pacific Coast and those of Europe and Asia as well, until the last Ice Age
Location, Location, Location
The Answer is Garlic
• The S. sempervirens does not go through the process of Senescence
• When a S. sempervirens dies naturally it is through things such as Fires, Flooding, High Winds, etc
• Old S. sempervirens are somewhat fire retardant because of their thick bark
• However younger trees are much more susceptible to fire and other forms of death
• Water that is collected from the roots of the tree must travel 350+ ft against Gravity
• Since water is polar, water cohesion exists• When water evaporates it pulls the water
behind it upwards• This forms a chain bringing the water from
the bottom to the top of the tree
H2O
• …have destroyed 95% of the original Redwood Forest through logging and development
• …have started forest fires which have destroyed entire new generations of Redwoods
We The People…
It’s Cooler in the Shade
• Young S. sempervirens are 3 to 4 times more efficient with sunlight than the average tree
• Only 15% of S. sempervirens seeds are viable
• Very few S. sempervirens seeds actually start to grow
• It would take 120,000 S. sempervirens seeds to make 1lb
Mutations and Natural Selection
• Albino Redwoods are S. sempervirens that are unable to make their own Chlorophyll
• They Survive as Parasites attaching themselves to other Redwoods
• They can grow up to 60ft in height