Beginning in the 1840's, large stretches of California's redwoods were logged for uses as varied as buildings, piers, furniture, caskets, roadways, cesspools and pipes. More than 96 percent of the original forests were harvested, leaving only ninety thousand old growth trees. The largest redwood trees are now protected by either the state or federal government.
Earthquakes are a continuing hazard. The Cascadia subduction zone runs down the western coast of the United States beneath the biggest concentration of old-growth redwoods in the world. In the 19th century, Humboldt County's Bay indigenous tribe recounted trees falling into fissures during an earthquake. As in the past, tsunamis could also level swathes of forest. Individual trees can face challenges. Sometimes trees tip over when subsurface water saturates the area below the roots or a tree's taproot may die. When one tree topples over, others can be brought down at the same time. Wounds and fire scars provide an opening to organisms injurious to the tree. Millions of years ago, trees suffered from a lack of carbon dioxide. While we have an abundance now, the accompanying side effects of drought and fires, higher temperatures and increased insect infestations pose their own risks. Twelve Trees: The Deep Roots of Our Future was written by Daniel Lewis and published by Avid Reader Press in 2024.
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AuthorI am a Northwest artist making collages from mulberry papers stamped by hand from original images that I have carved. Archives
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