Climate
Redwoods are so immense that they live in three climate zones at once. The base of each tree is in one set of climate conditions, the stem in another, and crown in yet another zone.
You have been walking in a semi-shaded moist environment. Look up into the highest branches of the trees. These trees may be experiencing cool moist conditions at their base, and at the same time have dry, windy conditions at their tops.
Look for the two types of redwood needles on the forest floor. Needles growing on most of the tree branches are broad and flat so they can catch more available sunlight. However, needles near the top have tight scale-like spikes which reduce evaporative surfaces for the drier conditions found there.
Learn more about the types of needles in the video below.
Redwoods need great amounts of moisture to survive. The 65 inches per year of typical rainfall in the region plus the summer fog (often personified as Karl the Fog in San Francisco) moderate the climate. Redwoods help create their own microclimatees through the transpiration of moisture from the leaves to the atmosphere.
A large redwood tree can release up to 500 gallons of water into the air per day.
How much water can a redwood tree release into the air per day?
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Two of the most common ferns in this grove are sword ferns and lady ferns. See how the leaves differ in the images below.
