California Forestry
» Overview
Overview
An Overview of California Forests
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California has some of the most ecologically diverse and commercially productive temperate forests in the world. They are mostly concentrated in the northern and central part of the state, gracing the slopes of the Coast Range and the great Sierra Nevada.
31% of California's 100 million acres are covered by forested ecosystems. That's a land area of 48,821 square miles. California forests are home to more than 4,000 species of plants and 400 species of animals. (Source: Fire and Resource Assessment Program (FRAP), 1999; FRAP, 2002b)
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The state is home to dozens of native tree species, including the giant sequoia and coast redwood--majestic trees that are native to nowhere else. In fact, the world's largest tree is the giant sequoia and the tallest is its coastal cousin, the redwood.
On the north coast the dominant tree species are redwood and Douglas fir. Mixed firs and pines are found in the interior and in the forests of Southern California.