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Coast Redwood Info Sources
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Sequoia sempervirens/Coast Redwood is found along a narrow strip of coastal land in central and northern California and extreme southwestern Oregon. It is renown for its enormous biomass and exerts a dominating influence on its ecosystem. The lumber of Coast Redwood is of economic importance because of its high resistance to decay.
This research guide lists print and Internet sources that contain basic information on Coast Redwood biology, ecology, and wood characteristics. The references found within these sources lead to other more detailed studies.
For brief introductions to Coast Redwood see:
(Jacobs & McBride) 1977 (SD 397 R3 J33) Prepared for the National Park Service. Includes 311 references along with a subject index.
(Rogers) 1997 (print copy available in SD 397 R3 R65 1997) Covers literature on the biology of redwood from 1955-1997. Entries are grouped into one of seven major categories. Updates California Coast Redwood: An Annotated Bibliography.
(Fritz) 1957 (print copy available in SD 397 R3 F75) Comprehensive annotated bibliography through 1955 on all aspects of redwood. The 2,000 included references are from magazines, reports, and books. Arranged by subject with author and subject indexes.
(California Academy of Sciences) Selective list of internet sites and books on redwood.
(Evarts and Popper) 2001 (SD 397 R3 C63 2001) A popularly written work that covers redwood ecology; harvest and utilization; wildlife associated with redwood forests; and redwood preservation, conservation and management.
(Humboldt State College) 1963-64 (HumCo QK 941 C3 H8) Report prepared for the National Park Service. Contains individually authored chapters on climate, fish, redwood ecology, birds, big game and miscellaneous animals.
(Barbour and Major) 2007 (QK 149 T44 2007) Describes both the coastal temperate rain forest characterized by redwood and the interior conifer forests known for their species richness.
(Lyons, Cooney-Lazaneo and King) 2003 (QK 149 L95 2003) Popular work containing short descriptions and color photographs organized into five categories--conifers, broadleaf trees, flowers, ferns and exotic (non-native) plants. Covers the redwood forest, mixed evergreen and oak woodland plant communities.
(Becking) 1982 (LD 729.6 A62 B435 1982) Contains identification keys and descriptions of 200 common plants in the redwood forest community.
(Burns) 1983 (USDA Agriculture Handbook #445) Summarizes the silviculture treatments for commercial growth of redwood along with associated biological factors.
(Noss) 2000 (SD 397 R3 R455 2000) Scholarly work on the biology and ecology of redwood forests with chapters on geological history, redwood biology, terrestrial fauna, aquatic ecosystems, conservation and management.
(Johnston) 1994 (QH 105 C2 J59 1994) Popular treatment of redwood ecology and the interrelationships between plants and animals in the redwood forest.
(Alden) 1997 (USFS General Technical Report-FPL-102) Includes sections on nomenclature, general wood characteristics, working properties, durability, preservation, uses, and toxicity.
(Laderman) 1998 (QK 115 C63 1998) Includes sections on distribution, ecological factors influencing distribution, dominance, community status, classification, successional stages, vegetative reproduction, geological history, taxonomic relationships, genetics, and economic and conservation issues.
(SelecTree for California: A Tree Selection Guide) Contains brief information on 49 characteristics (site characteristics, tree characteristics, maintenance and use) that can be used to determine horticultural site selection.
(One Earth) Contains a general description of this bioregion. A more extensive conservation assessment appears in Terrestrial Ecoregions of North America: a Conservation Assessment (Ricketts) 1999 (QH 77 N56 T47 1999)
(LeBlanc)1996 (print copy available in SD 397 R3 C65 1996) Collection of papers presented at a redwood ecology conference. Following a section of general overview papers presented at plenary sessions there are more specific papers on silviculture, ecology and management, wildlife, watershed and restoration, and genetics and physiology.
(Standiford and others) 2007 USFS General Technical Report PSW-194) (HumCo SD 397 R3 R46 2004) Papers provide a sampling of current scientific work on coastal redwood to enable access to more detail and other sources of information and to put these findings into a context where such information can be synthesized and interpreted for applications in land and resource management. Session papers cover water and watersheds, genetics and regeneration, forest ecology, silviculture, wildlife and fisheries, erosion and physical processes, and forest policy.
(Standiford, Weller, Piirto and Stuart) 2012 Includes over 75 papers that present the current state of knowledge about coast redwood forest ecosystems and sustainable management practices.
(Roa) 2007 (print copy available in HumCo QK 494.5.T3 R63 2007) Written for teachers, naturalists and others who wants a comprehensive guide to the coast redwood forests and parks in a format that is easy-to-use and understand, rather than an in-depth scientific study. Covers both natural and human history of the redwoods. Prepared for California State Parks and the Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods.
(Zinke) pp 679-698 IN Terrestrial Vegetation of California (Barbour and Major) 1988 (QK 149 T44 2007) Describes the ecological relationships of the redwood vegetation type.
(Jepson) 1910 (print copy available in Q 11 C34 vol. 2) (Memoirs of the University of California vol. 2) Early scholarly work on the “timber trees” of California. Accounts for each species include taxonomy, geographical distribution, dendrological characteristics and economic importance.
(Burns & Honkala) 1990 (USDA Agriculture Handbook #654) (print copy available in QK 481 B87 1990) Describes the silvical characteristics of redwood, including habitat, special uses, genetics and life history during reproduction, early growth stages, sapling and pole stages to maturity.
(US Forest Service) 2008 (print copy of 2008 version available in SB 117 W86 2008) (USDA Agriculture Handbook 727) Account includes information on growth habit; flowering and fruiting; collection of cones and extraction of seeds; seed germination; and nursery practice.
(Fire Effects Information System -- US Forest Service) Contains background information on taxonomy, distribution, basic biology, and ecology along with references to pertinent literature. Emphasis is on fire and how it affects redwood.
(CalFlora) Includes brief information on nomenclature, distribution, habit and life form; a database of observations of occurence; and links to photos in the CalFlora database and to other sources of information.
(Gymnosperm Database) Includes basic information on taxonomy, description, and range. Also includes information on the largest trees and other remarks.
(Plants Database - US Natural Resources Conservation Services) Includes brief information on taxonomy, distribution, morphology and physiology, growth requirements, and reproduction. Also includes links to other species accounts and images.
(Flora of North America) 1993 (print copy available in Flora of North America, Vol. 2, p 402, QK 110 F55 1993 vol.2) Includes a taxonomic description and associated images of the needles and cones
(Roy) 1966 (US Forest Service Research Paper PSW-RP-28) Describes the climatic, edaphic, physiographic, and biotic habitat conditions of the natural range of redwood and how it reproduces, grows, and dies.