3648 x 5472 px | 30,9 x 46,3 cm | 12,2 x 18,2 inches | 300dpi
Aufnahmedatum:
August 2013
Ort:
Muir Woods, Marin County, north of San Francisco, California, USA
Weitere Informationen:
Muir Woods National Monument is located on the Pacific Coast, about 12 miles north of San Francisco, in Marin County. It is known for its old growth Coast Redwood trees (Sequoia sempervirens), most of which are 500 to 800 years old, the oldest being 1, 200 years old. Coastal fogs encourage vigorous growth and are an essential source of moisture in dry summers. They grow to a height of 79 m (258 ft) and are related to the Giant Redwood of the Sierra Nevada. By the early 20th century most old growth red woods along the Pacific Coast had been cut by the lumber industry, but one inaccessible valley, Redwood Canyon, remained. US Congressman, William Kent, with the goal of protecting the redwoods, bought 247 ha from the Tamalpais Land and Water Company for $45.000. In 1907 Kent gave 119 ha of forest to the Federal Government to thwart a local water company's plans to dam Redwood Creek. On 8 January 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt declared the area a National Monument. Kent insisted it be named after John Muir, a naturalist helping to establish the US National Park System. The redwoods produce a great deal of shade. Shade-tolerant ferns are common in the ground layer below. Other trees in the forest include Red Alders (Alnus rubra), leaves of which are seen here. Portrait of afternoon sun shining through the forest trees
