By Phyllis Benson
Facts About Redwood National Park
Redwood National Park, located in northwestern California, contains an ecosystem of trees, animals, birds and waterways centered on the world's last large stand of giant redwoods. One of the park's stated missions is to protect old-growth redwoods.
Redwoods
Redwoods grow to 350 feet and may live up to 2,000 years. A redwood tree produces millions of seeds during its lifetime. Few seeds survive to grow into trees.
History
Ancient redwoods covered nearly 2 million acres in California and Oregon before modern western expansion. Most were logged between 1851 and 1920.
Joint Protection
The national park shares the responsibility of preserving the redwoods with three adjacent state parks: Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park.
Precipitation
Coastal redwoods require abundant water to thrive. The coast receives up to 100 inches of annual rainfall. Fog contributes about a quarter of the moisture required by the giant trees.
Species
The redwood ecosystem is home to the banana slug, marbled murrelet seabird, northern spotted owl, Roosevelt elk and other species. The wildlife thrives in the evergreen forests.
Trails
The park has more than 200 miles of walking, hiking and horseback trails. It is open year-round and offers many guided and unguided tours.
About the Author:
Phyllis Benson is a professional writer and creative artist. Her 25-year background includes work as an editor, syndicated reporter and feature writer for publications including "Journal Plus," "McClatchy Newspapers" and "Sacramento Union." Benson earned her Bachelor of Science degree at California Polytechnic University.
Photo Credits:
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, GNU Free Documentation License
