http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYRqN1F_DxI When I read of California’s budget crunch and the possible closing of over two hundred state parks my mind immediately went to one of the most wonderful, spectacular creations on our planet. The giant Sequoia. I have been blessed to be able to visit these trees a few times in my sixty plus years, and I hope at some point in time that everyone can see them. They make you feel very small in comparison, due to the fact you are. My six-foot husband could stand upright in a hollow trunk lying on its side. You can stand one-quarter of a mile away from one of these trees and you might get the entire tree in the frame.
When I lived in California, I could visualize all the rolling hills covered with these giants, when in actuality they had been covered with redwood trees. Leave it to man though to strip the hills bare. On the other side of the coin, California does have very distinctive hills.
It would be a shame for California to close their parks to the public. I guess the tourism brought to the state is not enough to help with the massive budget crisis.
I have placed some information about the trees below. Take a look at the video (Link at the beginning) and peruse the information. If you ever get the opportunity to see these trees, please take it. You won’t be sorry. That’s my two-cents for today.
As of 2009, the largest Giant Sequoia’s (all located within California) by volume are:[1][13]
| Rank | Tree Name | Grove | Height | Girth at ground | Volume | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (ft) | (m) | (ft) | (m) | (ft³) | (m³) | |||
| 1 | General Sherman | Giant Forest | 274.9 | 83.8 | 102.6 | 31.3 | 52,508 | 1,486.9 |
| 2 | General Grant | General Grant Grove | 268.1 | 81.7 | 107.5 | 32.8 | 46,608 | 1,319.8 |
| 3 | President | Giant Forest | 240.9 | 73.4 | 93.0 | 28.3 | 45,148 | 1,278.4 |
| 4 | Lincoln | Giant Forest | 255.8 | 78.0 | 98.3 | 30.0 | 44,471 | 1,259.3 |
| 5 | Stagg | Alder Creek | 243.0 | 74.1 | 109.0 | 33.2 | 42,557 | 1,205.1 |
| 6 | Boole | Converse Basin | 268.8 | 81.9 | 113.0 | 34.4 | 42,472 | 1,202.7 |
| 7 | Genesis | Mountain Home Grove | 253.0 | 77.1 | 85.3 | 26.0 | 41,897 | 1,186.4 |
| 8 | Franklin | Giant Forest | 223.8 | 68.2 | 94.8 | 28.9 | 41,280 | 1,168.9 |
| 9 | King Arthur | Garfield Grove | 270.3 | 82.4 | 104.2 | 31.8 | 40,656 | 1,151.2 |
| 10 | Monroe | Giant Forest | 247.8 | 75.5 | 91.3 | 27.8 | 40,104 | 1,135.6 |
| 11 | Robert E. Lee | General Grant Grove | 254.7 | 77.6 | 88.3 | 26.9 | 40,102 | 1,135.6 |
| 12 | J. Adams | Giant Forest | 250.6 | 76.4 | 83.3 | 25.4 | 38,956 | 1,103.1 |
| 13 | Ishi Giant | Kennedy Grove | 248.1 | 75.6 | 105.1 | 32.0 | 38,156 | 1,080.5 |
| 14 | Column Tree | Giant Forest | 243.8 | 74.3 | 93.0 | 28.3 | 37,295 | 1,056.1 |
| 15 | Summit Road Tree | Mountain Home Grove | 244.0 | 74.4 | 82.2 | 25.1 | 36,600 | 1,036.4 |
| 16 | Euclid | Mountain Home Grove | 272.7 | 83.1 | 83.4 | 25.4 | 36,122 | 1,022.9 |
| 17 | Washington[14] | Mariposa Grove | 236.0 | 71.9 | 95.7 | 29.2 | 35,901 | 1,016.6 |
| 18 | General Pershing | Giant Forest | 246.0 | 75.0 | 91.2 | 27.8 | 35,855 | 1,015.3 |
| 19 | Diamond Tree | Atwell Mill Grove | 286.0 | 87.2 | 95.3 | 29.0 | 35,292 | 999.4 |
| 20 | Adam | Mountain Home Grove | 247.4 | 75.4 | 94.2 | 28.7 | 35,017 | 991.6 |
- The General Sherman tree is estimated to weigh about 2100 tonnes.[15]
- The Washington Tree was previously the second largest tree with a volume of 47,850 cubic feet (1,355 m3), but after losing over half its trunk in January 2005 it is no longer of great size.
- The trees named “Franklin”, “Column”, “Monroe”, “Hamilton” and “Adams” were named by Wendell Flint and others, these five are now included on the official map of giant forest, where they are all situated.
- The Hazelwood Tree (not listed above) had a volume of 36,228 cubic feet (1,025.9 m3) before losing half its trunk in a lightning storm in 2002, if it were still at full size it would currently be the 16th largest giant sequoia on earth.
Giant Sequoia superlatives
The Muir Snag thought to be over 3500 years old
Largest
- General Sherman – Giant Forest – 52,508 cubic feet (1,486.9 m3)
Tallest
- Unnamed Tree – Redwood Mountain Grove – 311 feet (95 m)
Oldest
- Examples in Converse basin, Mountain home grove and Giant forest – 3500 years or more.
Largest Girth
- Waterfall Tree – Alder Creek Grove – 155 feet (47 m) – tree with enormous basal buttress on very steep ground.
Greatest Base Diameter
- Waterfall Tree – Alder Creek Grove – 57 feet (17 m) – tree with enormous basal buttress on very steep ground.
- Tunnel Tree – Atwell Mill Grove – 57 feet (17 m) – tree with a huge flared base, that has burned all the way through.
Greatest Mean Diameter at Breast Height
- General Grant – General Grant Grove – 29.0 feet (8.8 m)
Largest Limb
- Arm Tree – Atwell Mill, East Fork Grove – 12.8 feet (3.9 m) in diameter
Thickest Bark
- 3 feet (0.91 m) or more
Source:[1]Wikipedia