Around the time of the Han dynasty and just before the start of the Roman Empire, a tree began growing at an elevation of about 7,000 feet in what became known as southern China. Sierra Nevada.
It’s not the largest or oldest tree in the world today, but it is the largest, measured by volume, at 52,000 cubic feet.
The unique tree is believed to be about 2,200 years old and appears to hold up well against an ancient one standing 275 feet tall and weighing 2.7 million pounds. But a few dozen of his neighbors have fallen ill and died in recent years under the threat of drought and bark beetle infestations. That’s why on Tuesday, the giant sequoia known as the General Sherman tree underwent a medical examination.
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A team of arborists from the Ancient Forest Society installed ropes and pulleys so they could scale the cinnamon bark skyscraper and look for signs of trouble. Anthony Ambrose, co-founder and director of the group, explained what the trees face:
“Less snow is coming, it’s melting sooner, so there’s less water available and (these trees) need a huge amount of water. A tree like the General Sherman can use between 800 and 1,000 gallons of water in a single day,” Ambrose said.
“Giant sequoias are generally considered to be very resistant to pests and pathogens. …And now…the double whammy of fire and drought actually makes them vulnerable to beetle attacks, whereas before they were able to fight them off.
Visitors watch as scientists climb the General Sherman tree to conduct a welfare check in Sequoia National Park.
(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
A depressing thought, no doubt, especially considering the role humans have played in the decline of the planet’s health.
But it’s impossible to stand in the center of a magnificent grove of giant trees thousands of years old and know only darkness, especially on a day when morning light breaks through the verdant canopy near the top of the Sequoia National Park. This reminded me of John Steinbeck’s description of the Northern California redwoods’ cousins, the coastal redwoods:
“Redwoods, once seen, leave a mark or create a vision that always stays with you,” Steinbeck wrote in “Travels With Charley.” “From them come silence and fear. … They are ambassadors from another time.
Larry Holland, 77, his son John, 53, and his wife Joyce, 72, watch scientists work on the General Sherman tree. “It makes you feel how small you really are,” Larry said.
(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Human time, in fact, is transformed by the enduring wonder of these treasures, and 70 years doesn’t seem so old.
“I feel like I’m 21 again,” said Sheree Keohen, 65, of Huntington Beach, who was visiting the park with her husband Mike, 69.
“We might fight like cats and dogs, but once you get to the national park, forget it,” Sheree said. “You just forget about all the bills you have. Either way, you don’t think about it once you see this beautiful landscape.
“It’s the thing you’ll remember when you die, and who knows, maybe it will be tomorrow,” Mike said. “I don’t remember the years the Lakers won the championship, but I remember going to see the Redwoods.”
Wendy Baxter, top left, and plant physiological ecologist Anthony Ambrose, both of the Ancient Forest Society, climb the General Sherman tree.
(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Larry Holland, 77, of St. Louis, was visiting the park with his family and had the same feeling about the magic of the spectacle before him. There is an arrogance in our sense of importance and an illusion of control over our own destiny, he said, but we are here and gone in a flash, preceded and survived by these gods of longevity.
“It makes you feel how small you really are,” Holland said.
Wendy Baxter, canopy ecologist and co-founder of the Ancient Forest Society, was about to climb General Sherman and perform the health check, but she took a moment to reflect on the majesty of her subjects.
“I’m inspired by their resilience. Just the fact that this organism has been thriving here in the same place for over 2,000 years is incredibly humbling,” Baxter said. “And I think they provide an example for all of us of how, if you live within your means, if you live well, and if you have the resources that you need, you can be healthy and live until to a long old age. »
A Sequoia Park Ranger shows a bark beetle at Sequoia National Park.
(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Trees have been great stewards of the planet, providing free accommodation for spotted owls, Pacific fishers, flying squirrels, and a host of other tenants while nourishing the soil beneath them and spawning new life.
On the other hand, we haven’t been the greatest stewards, especially in the last two hundred years, as changes in an increasingly energy-dependent world have made the big trees less resilient, Baxter said.
“We’ve had 40 significant redwood deaths” in just a few years, said Christy Brigham, resource management and science manager for Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks. The “relationship of trees to the landscape” is changing, she said, as a small beetle conspires with climate change to bring down the giant ambassadors.
“We have never seen beetles that can kill a large, mature redwood tree in its entirety,” Brigham said. “That’s our concern here today.”
Botanist Cameron B. Williams checks the canopy of the General Sherman tree. Three other scientists on the team also climbed the tree to look for bark beetle activity and check the overall health of the redwood.
(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Add to this the drought-flood cycle that has become the norm, with wildfires destroying millions of trees and ozone levels polluting even the national parks we have long since escaped to. take a breath of fresh air. A recent report by the National Parks Conservation Association found that 97 percent of the nation’s national parks suffer from ozone pollution, with Sequoia and Kings Canyon topping the list.
The popularity of the forest is part of the problem. Visitors from around the world flock here to stand before trees that count their ages in centuries, rooted in the ground of a spinning orb that flies through space. Visitors speak different languages and bring different life experiences and political opinions to this altar of natural wonders, where they look up and fall silent, united in respect. It’s inspiring to see that despite all our differences, what we cherish can be a unifying force.
“When I was younger, I found comfort…and resilience in nature. You see…the renewal that’s taking place, and it’s been a very healing part of my life,” said Clay Jordan, who knew early on what he wanted to do when he grew up and is now, at 62 , as superintendent of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.
A visitor communes with a giant sequoia in Sequoia National Park.
(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
For Jordan, redwoods are always symbols of stability, serenity and perseverance. But he told me that he no longer takes them for granted and that he knows that we can all play a role in preserving them, for his grandchildren and for ours.
“I might even appreciate these trees more,” Jordan said, “because I now recognize a vulnerability…that hasn’t existed for two thousand years.”
Scientists from the Ancient Forest Society, along with other members of the Coalition for Giant Sequoia Landsare on the ground, using drones, satellite imagery and tree climbing inspections to better understand vulnerability and propose strategies to save trees.
Once the arborists completed General Sherman’s physical examination, they returned to land to share the results with park officials, Forest Service representatives and other interested parties, including the Save the Redwoods League.
“I have some good news to report,” Ambrose said.
“I might even appreciate these trees more … because I now recognize a vulnerability … that hasn’t existed for a few thousand years,” said Clay Jordan, 62, superintendent of Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks .
(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Despite evidence of “attempted entry holes” in the branches of the tree’s crown, the beetles “do not appear to have had much success” as they fed on nearby redwoods.
General Sherman, known as Ambrose, preached valiantly, defying the ravages of time. The tree “seems very vigorous, the foliage is very healthy and it looks really beautiful.”
Twenty-two hundred years and counting.
Steve.lopez@latimes.com
California Daily Newspapers
