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National Geographic Features Region’s Big Trees

Climbing a sequoia from National Geographic story.Photo by Michael Nichols

The latest issue of the National Geographic Magazine (December) features a cover story on climbing Sequoia National Park’s Big Trees to study and measure them. One recent study led by researcher Steve Sillett reports that a new measure finds the 3200 year old President Tree is ranked number 2 largest sequoia behind the Sherman Tree. Both these trees are within walking distance to each other in Giant Forest. The new measurement moves the Grant Tree in Kings Canyon to number 3.

The article’s author David Quammen sums up the piece.” A tree-climbing scientist and his team have learned surprising new facts about giant sequoias by measuring them inch by inch.”

Quammen  points to the  longevity of these trees noting that man has made his mark, at first in a negative way. “Another factor that can end the lives of big trees, of course, is logging. Many giant sequoias fell to the ax during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. But the wood of the old giants was so brittle that trunks often shattered when they hit the ground, and what remained had little value as lumber. It went into shingles, fence posts, grape stakes, and other scrappy products. Given the difficulties of dealing with logs 20 feet thick, broken or unbroken, the trees were hardly worth cutting. Sequoia National Park was established in 1890, and automobile tourism soon showed that giant sequoias were worth more alive.”

The photos in the article are done by Michael Nichols.

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