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The ancient and spectacular redwood trees that dominate the Northern California Coastal Forests ecoregion are among the biggest, tallest, and oldest trees in the world. Many of these trees have been growing for more than 2,000 years, with some reaching heights of more than 300 feet (90 meters). The life that flourishes within these ancient forests is highly diverse. In fact, only a few other forests in the world can compare in terms of their complex structure and biodiversity. From the luxuriant growth of moss and fungi on the forest floor to the rare marbled murrelets that nest only in ancient trees, these towering giants support communities of plants and animals much more diverse than those found in younger forests.
The most distinguishing feature of the Northern California Coastal Forests ecoregion is its distribution of redwood trees. From central California to the Oregon border, these towering giants are generally found within 40 miles (65 kilometers) of the coast. They are distributed among a wide variety of communities, including Douglas fir-tanoak forests, oak woodlands, closed-cone pine forests, bogs, and coastal grasslands. Most of the redwood-dominated forests are in valley bottoms, where there is abundant fog and periodic floods every 30 to 60 years. The environment here is moist because of Pacific storms in the winter and coastal fogs in the summer. Some ecologists suspect that without periodic disturbances such as fire and floods, ancient redwood groves may eventually be replaced by western hemlock.
When you think of the Northern California Coastal Forests, think big. This ecoregion is home to some of the largest trees on Earth, the redwoods. And on uplands where fire disturbance was once more common, a diversity of other big trees mix with the giant redwoods. These include Douglas fir, grand fir, western red hemlock, Sitka spruce, western red cedar, tanoak, bigleaf maple, California bay, and Port Orford cedar. Under these magnificent trees lies a rich understory of herbaceous plants, shrubs, treelets, ferns, and fungi. And within these forests, a great diversity of animal life includes bears, fishers, pine martens, and numerous warblers. The endangered marbled murrelet, a seabird, nests in mature forest canopies. Pacific giant salamanders and red-bellied newts scurry across the moist forest floor, while silver salmon and steelhead trout breed in coastal rivers and streams. Within the habitats created by ancient redwood trees, you can also find highly specialized beetles, spiders, millipedes, and freshwater mussels. One of the most famous residents of the Northern California Coastal Forests is the bright yellow-orange banana slug.
The immense size of the mighty redwood trees, and the beauty of their wood, has made them a target for loggers for more than a century. Ancient redwoods are still being cut on private land. Another major type of old-growth forest in this ecoregion, the Douglas fir-tanoak forest, has also been the target of extensive logging. Even logging in surrounding watersheds can have severe repercussions for redwood groves, since it can cause severe flooding, fires, and sedimentation. The spread of urban areas between Monterey and San Francisco, along with the introduction of exotic plants into these ancient forests, exacerbate the problems. Given these threats, many scientists feel that the only hope for long-term survival of functioning redwood ecosystems lies in Redwood National Park. Sadly, this represents a very, very small percentage of the original forest that once covered this region. For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report. All text by World Wildlife Fund © 2001
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