In our article we want to talk about what kind of miracle is this mammoth tree? For those who see it for the first time, it seems that it is magical, as if from some fairy tale. But in fact, this huge plant is nothing more than a giant sequoia.
From history…
Mammoth tree is gigantic, outwardly its branches resemble real mammoth tusks. Small plants reach a height of ten meters, and some specimens grow up to 110 meters. Apparently, the sequoia has a rather long history, because forests of such trees have existed since the time of the dinosaurs. In those distant times, they were distributed throughout the planet. Now, under natural conditions, they grow only in northern California and in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
It is very difficult to determine the average age of giant plants, it is assumed that they are at least 3-4 thousand years old, although the age of some specimens reaches 13 thousand years.
After the discovery of the mammoth tree by Europeans, it changed its name several times. The British botanist Lindley named the plant Wellingtonia (in honor ofDuke of Wellington), and the Americans suggested naming the plant Washingtonia (in honor of President Washington). But these names had already been previously assigned to other plants, so in 1939 the tree began to be called sequoiadendron.
Giant Sequoia: Description
Sequoiadendron belongs to the genus of evergreen coniferous plants of the Cypress family. The first mention of such a plant among Europeans dates back to 1833. Currently, the mammoth tree is the tallest in the world. It is also called "red tree". The plant has bluish-green needles and red-brown bark, which is more than 60 centimeters thick, which makes the tree resistant to frost. The height of the sequoiadendron is more than one hundred meters, and the diameter of the trunk at the base is 10 meters. The approximate weight of such a giant is at least two thousand tons. Such an evergreen plant grows at an altitude of up to 750 meters above sea level. Along the Pacific Ocean on the coast of California.
Giant-sized sequoias are considered the most massive trees in nature, as well as the largest living organisms. Among them there are about 50 trees over 105 meters high. The oldest tree today is about 3500 years old. An interesting fact is that these giants have their own ecosystems on the trunks. Lichens and other small plants, animals and organisms thrive here.
At a young age, mammoth trees grow very quickly (10-20 centimeters per year). They have a cone-shaped, dense crown, later it becomes moreoutstretched and held high. With age, the branches are located only on top of the trunk. Young shoots are greenish brown.
In an adult plant, the red-brown bark is very thick and soft, it is separated from the trunk by fibers. The needles remain on the shoots for up to four years. The plant blooms in April-May.
Features of the mammoth tree
Mammoth wood is a very valuable wood, most highly valued among red-hearted woods with white sapwood (or pale yellow). Sequoia bark is incredibly thick, red with deep grooves on the surface, it reliably protects the plant from external factors.
Sturdy wood of giants does not rot, which is why trees in their homeland have been exterminated since the time of gold miners and the first explorers. To this day, no more than 500 copies have survived, which are under protection and are considered reserved.
Sequoiadendron is considered one of the long-livers on Earth. It can grow over 2000 years. A tree reaches a mature age at 400-500 years.
Where does the sequoia grow?
If we talk about where the mammoth tree grows, it is worth noting that in the Cretaceous period, such evergreens were widespread throughout the northern hemisphere. But now insignificant remnants of forests have been preserved only in a limited area of North America. The trees grow in a narrow strip along the Pacific coast. The length of this strip is no more than 720 kilometers. And it is located on altitude 600-900 meters above sea level. Sequoia (photos are given in the article) is in dire need of a humid climate, and therefore the maximum distance it can move from the coast is 48 kilometers, remaining in the zone of influence of humid sea air. In other conditions, it simply cannot exist.
Mammoth tree: interesting facts
A living fallen sequoia tree does not die, but continues to grow, using its shoots for this. If no one or nothing interferes with them, then after a while they will turn into independent trees. Most of the groups of these plants were formed in this simple way. Each such family of trees is formed from the undead remains of an ancestor. As a rule, young plants grow around an old stump, forming a circle. If we analyze the genetic material of the mini-grove, we can determine that it is the same for both the stump and the entire growth.
The mammoth giant has one peculiarity - during hot periods it sheds not only needles, but also entire branches. He reacts to heat in such an interesting way.
The largest trees that have survived to this day have their own names. So, there is "General Sherman", "Father of the Forests", "General Grant" and others. The mammoth tree "Father of the Forests" no longer exists, but its description has been preserved, from which it is known that the plant reached 135 meters in height, and the diameter of the trunk at the base was 12 meters.
But the sequoia (photo is given in the article)"General Sherman" has a height of about 83 meters. It is estimated that the plant has 1500 cubic meters of fine wood, and the girth of the trunk at the base has a diameter of 11 meters. It would take a train of 25 wagons to transport such a tree.
Where can you see a sequoia?
To see what a mammoth tree looks like, you do not need to fly to another continent, just visit the Nikitsky Botanical Garden in Crimea (on the South Coast). The two largest trees grow on curtains 9 and 7 of the Upper Park of the Arboretum. One of them reaches 42.5 meters in height, and the girth of the trunk is 610 centimeters. Both plants were planted as early as 1886, and the seeds of future seedlings were obtained in 1881. It's hard to imagine, but today the trees are 136 years old.
Wood
As we already mentioned, sequoia has excellent wood and at the same time grows quite fast. Therefore, it is currently grown in forestry. Light, durable wood that does not rot is widely used as a building and joinery material. Furniture, telegraph poles, sleepers, tiles, paper are made from it. The complete absence of smell makes it possible to use it in the food and tobacco industries. It is used to make boxes and boxes for tobacco and cigars, barrels for honey.
In addition, sequoia is also used as an ornamental plant, planting in gardens, parks and reserves. It has taken root in many countries of the world, including in southwestern Europe, where the plantwas introduced in the middle of the 19th century.
Instead of afterword
The mammoth tree is a stunning and majestic plant that has come down to us from time immemorial. Next to such giants, a person seems an incredibly small creature, but at the same time, it was human influence that had a detrimental effect on the number of these incredible plants. Unfortunately, now it is not possible to restore the former number of mammoth tree plantations, the task of the current generation is to preserve the remaining historical plants and prevent their death.
