Thanks to “anthropogenic effects,” Redwoods are taking over the world

Thanks to “anthropogenic effects,” Redwoods are taking over the world.

Did you know the fossil record indicates that before the last ice age Redwoods once grew all over the Northern Hemisphere of our planet? And guess what? They’re using humans to reclaim their territory!

Some examples:

–The timber industry in Central-Western Oregon are taking a newfound liking to planting Redwood trees. Lane County in Oregon is the biggest timber producing county in the US and even though Redwoods don’t naturally grow there, they do now.

–The timber industry in New Zeland has been growing non-native redwood plantations for over 100 years.

–In the UK there is an entire website dedicated to finding and documenting non-native Redwoods trees, as well as whole forests.

–In Hawaii, Redwoods forests are thriving.

–Also an advocate in Southeastern US is trying to get more people to plant them.

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Redwoods in Central-Western Oregon:
They’re planting at least 20,000 coastal redwood trees a year in Lane and Douglas counties, according to the Cottage Grove seedling grower Plum Creek. They’re driven less by fancy, or the awe the big trees inspire in many people, than by what they see as the best return on their investment in 30 or 40 years, when the trees are harvested. Coastal redwoods put on volume three or four times as fast as Douglas fir, said Doug Wolf, a Douglas County forester.

They can produce a “phenomenal” 5,000 board feet per acre per year. Plant them in blackberries, they shoot up through the fir-killing shade. Cut one down, and the stump will sprout a half dozen new trees. Let a deer or elk eat the tender tops, it can still grow up to 350 feet tall. “They are quite the rejuvenator,” forester Dick Rohl said. “If you got any mass there, they’ll just take off like the dickens. Like a weed practically,” Wolf added.

But the most compelling fact for those tree farmers planting coastal redwoods this year: Redwood logs are selling for $800 to $1,300 per thousand board feet compared with less than $250 for Douglas fir, according to Random Lengths, a wood products trade publication based in Eugene. The Lane and Douglas tree farmers planting coastal redwoods are betting that time will only widen that price gap. Blaine Werner, a Eugene financial services expert and amateur tree farmer, is planting 17,000 redwoods this coming December on 60 acres he owns between Noti and Veneta. http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/web/business/21581343-41/story.csp

Redwoods in Hawaii:
On the slopes of Haleakala Crater at 6,2000 feet is the Polipoli State Park recreational area. Bordering the Kula Forest Reserve, the 10 acre park is a protected bird sanctuary. The Hawaiian word “polipoli” translates to “bosom.” The forest is a delight of exotic trees, cypress, sugi, ash, plum, cedar and pine. The redwoods are quite impressive. They tower over the other trees, with a seemingly strong root system. Many of the trees have toppled, leaving large exposed root balls. There is even a new sign posted that warns hikers of the danger of falling trees.

Two years ago there was a devastating forest fire on the slopes of Haleakala at the 6,000 foot level. Many trees were torched, and a lot of dead trees are still standing. A reforestation effort is under way. The koa tree, ( an acaia) a Hawaii native that is listed as endangered, is now being planted on the slopes. Large boars roam these forests and hill sides, and tend to root around the newly planted koa trees. Luckily, the koa trees are rather quick growing. The park has several forested trails. One of my favorite trails winds through the redwoods and passes through an area of very, very tall flowering blue and purple hydrangeas. and, pink and red fuchsias. From: http://hawaii-bed-and-breakfast.blogspot.com/2008/11/polipoli-state-park.html

Redwoods in England:
You will see a variety of examples, some in the middle of towns, towering over homes, shops and churches, others in the countryside, again towering over their neighbouring trees. You will see Giant Redwood and Coast Redwood trees of varying ages, but in the main they will be around a hundred to a hundred and fifty years old. Very young by their own standard, since they live for thousands of years, but they were only discovered and introduced to England in the 1850’s (1940’s for the Dawn Redwood).

Although they were largely forgotten for a century or so, it seems that there is something of a revival in popularity, for there are now a small but growing number of very young examples planted over the last decade or so by enterprising organisations and councils in the UK.

Redwoods in New Zealand:
Redwood has been grown in New Zealand plantations for over 100 years, and Redwoods planted in New Zealand have higher growth rates than those in California. This is due mainly to even rainfall distribution through the year and in many cases, redwood stands on favourable sites are producing as much wood volume as radiata pine stands of the same age. NZRC has co-developed a growth model based on measurements over time of redwood stands from sites around New Zealand, and this model enables us to better predict future harvest yields for stands in New Zealand.http://www.nzredwood.co.nz/redwood-history/

Rotorura, New Zealand

Redwoods in the Southeastern US:
A website dedicated to dispelling all the myth about Redwoods not growing well in the Southeastern US is here:
http://home.hiwaay.net/~redwood/rwmyths.html

Redwood in Abbeville, South Carolina