Redwood forests generate the world’s greatest volume of living matter per unit of land surface.
Redwoods tend to dominate their environment because of their resistance to fire, drought, shade and disease and their ability to reproduce from burls. They will survive all but the very worst floods or fires and they can live with very little sunlight for decades. On floodplains they will often grow almost exclusively. In areas where they grow less vigorously such as on steeper slopes or after logging, many other plant species have learned to live alongside the redwoods. Douglas firs are one of the most common and may rival the height of the redwoods in some drier areas. The tallest tree in Muir Woods is a Douglas Fir. The Broad-leaf tan Oak is the most successful tree under the canopy – it grows very well in the shade and will grow in the decaying leaf matter, not tolerated by most other plants. Other trees include the Western hemlock, California laurel, maple, alder, huckleberry, Sitka spruce and rhododendron.
Muir Woods National Monument
The forest floor is covered in ferns, evergreen huckleberry, salal, and the western azalea. Wildflowers include redwood violets, trilliums, Douglas iris, calypso orchids, and redwood sorrel.
The floor is covered in ‘duff’, which is the decaying leaves and twigs. This duff absorbs much of the water and keeps roots moist as well as protecting them from erosion. This layer contains many fungi and bacteria, which convert the dead plant and animal matter into nutrients. A fallen redwood tree may survive for hundreds of years on the forest floor.
