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Redwood National Park [Photo: National Park Service]
Coastal forests are characterized by a cool, moist climate with dry summers and wet, generally snowless winters, which result in highly productive and diverse coniferous forests. This ecoregion includes a variety of forest communities, including Coastal Redwood Forests. Redwood forests are composed of redwoods (an alternative common name for sequoia trees of the region), as well as douglas fir, tanoak, Pacific madrone, redwood sorrel,and a wide variety of mushrooms, mosses and ferns. The Coastal Redwood Forests range from San Simeon, California to Brookings, Oregon, in a narrow strip along the Pacific Ocean. The redwood trees found in Northern California can grow for more than 2,000 years, with some growing to a height of 367 feet (112 m) and a width of 22 feet (7m) at their base. The complex soils on the forest floor contribute not only to the redwoods' growth, but also to a verdant array of greenery, fungi, and other trees. The understory, composed of ferns, leafy redwood sorrels, mosses and mushrooms, help to regenerate the soils.
For more information about Coastal Redwood Forests visit:
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