This is the ranger we interviewed when we went to Sequoia National Park. He has been working there for 5 years and his title is Park Ranger Naturalist. Here is our interview with
Ranger John Lockhart.
Ranger, John Lockhart
Question: What does a Sequoia usually die of ?
They usually die of getting top heavy and fall over.
Question: When was the last time a Sequoia fell down in your park ?
One fell over a couple of months ago, but only half of it fell. Three trees have fallen over in 1999.
Question: Do you plant baby Sequoias?
Yes, where they have been disturbed by humans, and that is the only time.
Question: How many feet do they grow a year?
The seedlings grow 3 feet a year.
Question: How much water do they need a year?
The trees are drought tolerant, but if the seedlings get too much water they will die
Question: Does the Sequoia tree have any natural enemies?
They don’t have many. Some are fungus, bugs, animals, and humans.
Question: How many prescribed fires are set a year ?
Never Enough.
Question: Can they grow any where else ?
Yes, but they only grow naturally along the Western Slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range in California. In Europe there are some large Giant Sequoia,s but they
grow in tree farms planted by man.
