Species Distribution

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REGIONS:

North America

COUNTRIES:

United States

Physical and Environmental Profile

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Environmental Profile

The current environmental status of this species within its natural growth range
in the states of California and Oregon is officially classified as Rare
(Source - World Conservation Monitoring Center - 1992 ).

Redwood is also rated as either very rare and local throughout its range (21 to 100 occurrences),
or it is only found locally, even abundantly at some of its locations in a restricted range.
The species may also be vulnerable to extinction throughout its range because of other factors.
(Source - The Nature Conservancy - Rank of relative endangerment based primarily
on the number of occurrences of the species globally).

Distribution

The growth range of the species is reported to extend from extreme southwestern Oregon
south to central California in the fog belt,
a coastal strip of land which is about 5 to 25 (8 to 56 k) miles wide.
Redwood is reported to form pure stands in lush dense forests,
and may be found in association with Douglas-fir, Port-Orford cedar, and mixed conifers.
It prefers mostly alluvial soils on flats and benches or terraces.

Product Sources

Some material from this species is reported to be available from environmentally
responsible or sustainably managed sources.

Redwood is reported to be readily available in the lumber form,
and is typically priced competitively with other construction timbers.
Redwood burls are reported to be available in limited quantities
on the west coast of the United States,
and are usually priced in the expensive range.

Tree Data

The height of the mature tree is reported to be commonly from
200 to 325 feet (61 to 99 m), with a trunk diameter of 10 to 15 feet (3 to 4.6 m).
The world's tallest tree is reported to be a Redwood,
measuring about 368 feet (112 m) in height.

Sapwood Color

The sapwood is almost white, or pale yellow.

Heartwood Color

The heartwood varies in color from light cherry red to dark
reddish-brown or mahogany.

Grain

The grain is usually variable.
Slow growth wood is typically straight- and even-grained
while secondary growth wood is usually straight- and uneven-grained.
The wood is rarely wavy-grained. Redwood burls are reported to be common.
They are sometimes 6 feet (1.8 m) in diameter, and often exhibit a wide
variety of interesting grain patterns.

Texture

The texture varies from even with narrow growth rings,
to coarse with wide growth rings, within the same tree.

Natural Durability

The wood is naturally very resistant to attack by decay-causing
fungi and other wood destroying insects.

Planing

Redwood is reported to have good planing characteristics.

Turning

Turning qualities are rated as good.

Moulding

The wood is reported to respond well to moulding operations.

Boring

Redwood is reported to bore well.

Mortising

Mortising qualities are rated as good.

Gluing

Gluing characteristics are reported to be excellent.

Nailing

Resistance to splitting in nailing operations is reported to be excellent,
but nail-holding properties are less than desirable.

Screwing

Screwing qualities are rated as excellent, but the material is reported to hold screws poorly.

Painting

Redwood is reported to accept and hold paints exceptionally well.

Strength Properties

Bending strength in the air-dried condition (about 12% moisture content) is medium.
Compression strength parallel to grain, or maximum crushing strength, is also medium.
The wood is soft, and surfaces may dent easily. Weight is medium.

Comments

Although virgin forests of Redwood still exist in several state parks,
as well as in the Redwoods National Parks and along the Redwoods Highway,
there are still some concerns about the status of the species outside these areas.
While some people advocate that the future of Redwood can be assured
through planting in tree farms and regeneration of seed trees after selective logging,
others feel that the species should be conserved and maintained at its present levels.

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Reference Sources

Numerical Data Source

USDA. 1987. Wood Handbook - Wood as an Engineering Material,
Forest Service, Agriculture Handbook No. 72,
Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.

Descriptive Data Source

Panshin, A.J. and C. deZeeuw. 1980.
Textbook of Wood Technology, 4th Edition.
McGraw-Hill Series in Forest Resources.
McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York.

Jackson, A. and D. Day. 1991.
Good Wood Handbook -
The Woodworker's Guide to Identifying, Selecting and Using the Right Wood.
Betterway Publications, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Western Wood Products Association.
19__. Woods of the Western USA.
Published and Distributed by the Western Wood Products Association,
Yeon Building, 522 S.W. Fifth Avenue, Portland, Oregon.

Little, E.L. 1980.
The Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Trees - Western Region.
Published by Arthur A. Knopf, New York.

Boone, R.S., C.J. Kozlik, P.J. Bois and E.M. Wengert. 1988.
Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Woods: Temperate and Tropical.
United States Department of Agriculture,
Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory,
General Technical Report FPL-GTR-57, Madison, Wisconsin.

USDA. 1988. Dry Kiln Operators Manual, Preliminary Copy.
Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.

Kaiser, J.
Wood of the Month:
Redwood - Redwoods Stand Tall, Unique Among U. S. Trees.
Wood & Wood Products, December, 1986. Page 38.

Kline, M. 1979. Sequoia sempervirens - Redwood.
In A Guide to Useful Woods of the World. Flynn Jr., J.H., Editor.
King Philip Publishing Co., Portland, Maine. 1994. Page 327-328.

WCMC. 1992. Conservation Status Listing: Trees and Timbers of the World.
World Conservation Monitoring Center (WCMC),
Plants Program, 219 Huntingdon Road,
Cambridge, CB3 ODL, United Kingdom.