The Olympic national park, also referred to as 'a gift from the sea', is home to some of the most beautiful trees. According to the American Forestry Association, these trees located within the park are the largest of their species.
Several of these trees have been around for 250 to 750 years with some taking a couple of centuries to decompose when fallen. One tree in particular that may take 2-3 centuries to decompose and known to be fire resistant, is the douglas fir. While others may only take a little over a century to fully decompose. When fallen, these trees provide nutrients that permit other trees to grow in their place.
Several of these trees have been around for 250 to 750 years with some taking a couple of centuries to decompose when fallen. One tree in particular that may take 2-3 centuries to decompose and known to be fire resistant, is the douglas fir. While others may only take a little over a century to fully decompose. When fallen, these trees provide nutrients that permit other trees to grow in their place.
These trees are an example of a species called Douglas Fir. These trees can get up to 300 feet tall and about 450 inches in circumference. The Douglas Fir can reach an age of 1,000-2,000 years old. Photo credit http://photography.nationalgeographic.com
The Sitka Spruce and Western Hemlock can get around 300 feet tall and in some cases even taller, with a circumference of 23 feet. Photo credit
http://eu.fotolia.com
http://eu.fotolia.com
In the Olympic National Park there is a greater abundance of the sitka spruce, western hemlock, western redceder and douglas fir. This is because the evergreen conifers are more common in a temperate rain forests than other rain forests. These trees thrive in this forest not only because of the amount of rain received each year, but the temperature almost never drops below 0 degrees and rarely exceeds 80 degrees.
Elwha river road going through the Olympic National Park. Photo credit http://total-wallpapers.com
Evergreen Forest Olympic National Park. Photo credit http://www.globeimages.net
The Big Leaf Maple has the biggest leaves of any other maple tree and is covered in epiphytic moss and fern species. Photo credit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hoh_Rain_Forest_Maples.JPG
Roger Blain, a rainforest guide for the Olympic National
Park, guided a couple of tourists’ to a secret place where there stood a “secret
tree”. The “secret tree” is a beautiful Big leaf Maple found deep within the Olympic
National Park rainforest.
Video Credit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxGeN_oqUoA
RECORD TREES
- Alaska Cedar - 124 ft
- Douglas Fir - 300 ft
- Grand Fir - 251 ft
- Sitka Spruce - 200 ft
- Subalpine Fir - 125 ft
- Western Hemlock - 241 ft
- Western Redcedar - 160 ft
These trees sit on a piece of land that is roughly 922,000 acres with a rainfall of 150 inches (12 to 14 feet) every year.
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