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Sequoia sempervirens/Coast Redwood Information Sources

An image of redwood trees

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:

Bibliographies

Basic Information Sources

  • Coast Redwood: a Natural and Cultural History (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.
  • Coast Redwood: Sequoia sempervirens (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.
  • Coast Redwood Ecology and Management (Norman) "Website developed to help managers and the public appreciate how redwood forests change over time due to fire, wind, climate and human influences."
  • Coastal Redwoods (Snyder) Includes the text of James Snyder's master's thesis on "The Ecology of Sequoia sempervirens" and seven other general presentations from a series on the "California Redwoods."
  • Ecology of the Coast Redwood Region (Humboldt State College) 1963-64 (QK 941 C3 H8 Hum Co Coll) Report prepared for the National Park Service. Contains individually authored chapters on climate, fish, redwood ecology, birds, big game and miscellaneous animals.
  • Forests of Northwestern California (Sawyer), pp 253-295 IN Terrestrial Vegetation of California (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.
  • Northern California Coastal Forests (World Wildlife Fund) Contains a general description of this ecoregion. A more extensive conservation assessment appears in Terrestrial Ecoregions of North America: a Conservation Assessement (Ricketts) 1999 (print copy available in Ref Qh 77 N56 T47 1999)
  • Plants of the Coast Redwood Region (Lyons, Cooney-Lazaneo and King) 1988 (QK149 L95 1988 Hum Co Coll) 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.
  • Pocket Flora of the Redwood Forest (Becking) 1982 (QK 149 B38 1982 Hum Co Coll) Contains identification keys and descriptions of 200 common plants in the redwood forest community.
  • Proceedings of the Conference on Coast Redwood Forest Ecology & Management : June 18-20, 1996, Humboldt State University, Arcata, California (LeBlanc)1996 (print copy available in SD 397 R3 C65 1996 Hum Co Coll) 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.
  • Proceedings of the Redwood Region Forest Science Symposium: What does the future Hold? (Standiford and others) 2007 USFS General Technical Report PSW-194) (print copy available in Docs A13.88: PSW-194) 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.
  • Proceedings of Coast Redwood Forests in a Changing California: a Symposium for Scientists and Managers (Standiford, Weller, Piirto and Stuart) 2012 (USFS Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-238) Includes over 75 papers that present the current state of knowledge about coast redwood forest ecosystems and sustainable management practices.
  • Redwood (Olson and Fiske), pp 37-40 IN Silvicultural Systems for the Major Forest Types of the United States (Burns) 1983 (USDA Agriculture Handbook #445) (print copy available in Docs A 1.76:445) Summarizes the silviculture treatments for commercial growth of redwood along with associated biological factors.
  • Redwood Ed: a Guide to the Coast Redwoods for Teachers and Learners (Roa) 2007 (print copy available in QK 494.5.T3 R63 2007 Humboldt County Collection) 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.
  • The Redwood Forest and Associated North Coast Forests (Zinke) pp 679-698 IN Terrestrial Vegetation of California (Barbour and Major) 1988 (QK 149 T44 1988) Describes the ecological relationships of the redwood vegetation type.
  • The Redwood Forest: History, Ecology, and Conservation of the Coast Redwoods (Noss) 2000 (SD 397 R3 R455 2000 Hum Co Coll) Scholarly work on the biology and ecology of redwood forests with chapters on geological history, redwood biology, terrestrial fauna, aquatic ecosystems, conservation and management.
  • Redwood Forests pp 12-27 IN California Forests and Woodlands: A Natural History (Johnston) 1994 (QH 105 C2 J59 1994) Popular treatment of redwood ecology and the interrelationships between plants and animals in the redwood forest.
  • Redwoods: The World's Largest Trees (Hewes) 1981 (SD 397 R3 H48 Humboldt County Collection) Popularly written book that covers the biology, logging history, and conservation of redwood.
  • Sequoia sempervirens pp 128-139 IN Silva of California (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.
  • Sequoia sempervirens/Redwood (Olsen, Roy & Walters) pp 541-522 IN Silvics of North America (Burns & Honkala) 1990 (USDA Agriculture Handbook #654) (print copy available in ref 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.
  • Sequoia sempervirens pp 110-112 IN Softwoods of North America (Alden) 1997 (USFS General Technical Report-FPL-102) (print copy available in Docs A 13.88:FPL-102) Includes sections on nomenclature, general wood characteristics, working properties, durability, preservation, uses, and toxicity.
  • Sequoia sempervirens (Sloan and Boe) (Woody Plant Seed Manual - US Forest Service) (print copy of 1974 version available in Seeds of Woody Plants in the United States (Schopmeyer) 1974 (USDA Agriculture Handbook 450) (Docs A 1.76:45) Account includes information on growth habit; flowering and fruiting; collection of cones and extraction of seeds; seed germination; and nursery practice.
  • Sequoia sempervirens (Fire Effects Information System--U.S. 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.
  • Sequoia sempervirens (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.
  • Sequoia sempervirens (Gymnosperm Database) Includes basic information on taxonomy, description, and range. Also includes information on the largest trees and other remarks.
  • Sequoia sempervirens (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.
  • Sequoia sempervirens (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.
  • The Sequoia sempervirens (Coast Redwood) Forest of the Pacific Coast, USA (Duff), pp 221-236 IN Coastally Restricted Forests (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.
  • Silvical Characteristics of Redwood (Roy) 1966 (print copies available in the HSU Library) ( US Forest Service Research Paper PSW-28) Describes the climatic, edaphic, physiographic, and biotic habitat conditions of the natural range of redwood and how it reproduces, grows, and dies.

Last Updated: February 11, 2013, by Robert Sathrum