Giant Sequoia

The Sequoiadendron Giganteum is commonly known as Bigtree, as well as Giant Sequoia

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Growing Regions

The natural distribution of giant sequoia is restricted to about 75 groves, comprising a total area of only 35,607 acres (14,416 ha) along a limited area of the western Sierra Nevada, California. The northern two-thirds of its range, from the American River in Placer County southward to the Kings River has only eight disjunct groves. The remaining groves are concentrated between the Kings River and the Deer Creek Grove in southern Tulare County [10,28]. Groves range in size from approximately 2,470 acres (1,000 ha) with 20,000 giant sequioas to small groves with only six living trees [24].

     

General Information

The currently accepted scientific name for giant sequoia is Sequoiadendron giganteum (Lindl.) Buchholz [26,28]. There are no recognized subspecies, varieties, or forms.

Giant sequoia principally occurs in scattered groves.  Nowhere does it
grow in pure stands, although in a few small areas stands do approach a
pure condition [28].  Although the giant sequoia groves of the central
and southern Sierra Nevada represent only a specific mesic segregate of
typical white fir (Abies concolor) forest communities, these groves are
often given special community recognition.  Only giant sequoia is
restricted to the groves [24].

Typically, giant sequoia is found in a mixed conifer type dominated by
California white fir (A. concolor var. lowiana).  Characteristic
associates include sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana), Jeffrey pine (P.
jeffreyi), ponderosa pine (P. ponderosa), Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga
menziesii), incense-cedar (Calocedrus decurrens), and California black
oak (Quercus kelloggii).  Shrub types include bush chinkapin
(Castanopsis sempervirens) and mountain whitethorn (Ceanothus
cordulatus) [10,14,28].

Giant sequoia as a dominant species in the following typings:

Terrestrial natural communitites of California [29]
Montane and subalpine vegetation of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Ranges [24]

• More Giant Sequoia Information

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