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 Photo by Ismael Sandoval Interpretive Stops
1. Along Aptos Creek Additional Information
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"Big Round" Tells It Like It Was.....The remains of an old-growth coast redwood tell us that large, slow-growing, and very old trees once grew in Marcel's Forest. Heartwood Says It AllLook closely at the rings of this redwood log. Can you see the small lines that make up a ring? The tree-rings are close together, meaning that this redwood grew slowly. Can you see the lighter and darker rings? The lighter ring is wood that grew in summer, and the darker ring is wood that grew in winter. Try counting a few rings, and then guess how old "Big Round" was when it was cut or blew over. (Remember: One dark ring plus a lighter ring reflect one year's growth). Tree-rings Tell Us the Age?According to an expert dendrochronologist (a person who studies annual rings in trees), determining the exact age of a coast redwood is next to impossible because redwood tree-rings often do not extend all the way around the circumference of the tree. However, we can obtain the approximate age of coast redwoods by counting tree-rings. "Big Round" was approximately 600 years old when it was cut or blew over, probably in the early 1900s. How Tall Are These Redwoods?Using expensive equipment, surveyors have measured to within centimeters the heights of some of these trees. However, we can estimate tree heights by using mathematical methods that have been around for centuries. If you'd like to try your hand at measuring the heights of a few trees, see Measuring Tree Height for instructions. It's a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
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