Reference conditions for old-growth redwood restoration on alluvial flats
This article is part of a larger document. View the larger document here.Abstract
We quantified structural attributes in three alluvial flat old-growth coast redwood stands. Tree size parameters and occurrences of distinctive features (e.g., burls, goose pens) were similar between stands. Occurrence of distinctive features was greater among larger trees. Tree sizefrequency distributions conformed to a reverse-J diameter distribution. The range of tree sizes was similar between study sites. Redwood density ranged from 118 to 148 trees ha-1 and upper canopy tree density ranged from 45 to 74 trees ha-1. Crown ratio was similar across study sites with an overall mean of 64.3 percent, except that crown ratio of the largest trees was lower at the site with the highest growing space occupancy. The percentage of plot area in canopy gaps ranged from 17 to 25 percent. Seedling regeneration was no more frequent beneath canopy gaps. These and other results describe structure in old-growth redwood forests and can serve as reference conditions for old forest restoration on alluvial flats.