Atlas Grove
Encyclopedia
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park is a state park, located in Humboldt County, California, near the town of Orick and 50 miles north of Eureka...
. It contains the third largest coast redwood, Iluvatar
Iluvatar (tree)
Iluvatar is a redwood tree in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park in Northern California that has been confirmed to be at least in diameter at breast height, and in height. Measured by Stephen C. Sillett, it is the world's third-largest coast redwood, the largest being Lost Monarch.Iluvatar is...
.
According to author Richard Preston, the Atlas Grove was discovered by naturalist Michael Taylor
Michael Taylor (forester)
Michael W. Taylor is a leading discoverer of champion and tallest trees - most notably Coast Redwoods. In 2006, Michael co-discovered the tallest known tree in the world, a coast redwood now named "Hyperion"...
in 1991.
Among tree hunters and botanists, some trees are given names unofficially. On the other hand, over 900 groves have been named in honor of people, families or organizations: said to be an "everlasting memorial to an individual, family or organization". Nobody has openly disclosed or discounted whether the Atlas Grove is one of over 900 dedicated memorial groves.
A part of the Atlas Grove was studied; referred to as the Atlas Project, confined to approximately 1 hectare. The location of this stand of trees is undisclosed. For importance, the Atlas Grove is virtually on par with the Grove of Titans
Grove of Titans
The Grove of Titans is a redwood grove in Del Norte County, Northern California, which includes several massive Coast Redwood trees, some being the largest known redwoods in terms of wood volume. The largest Coastal Redwood tree in the grove by volume is Lost Monarch...
, another undisclosed grove with titan redwoods.
Trees in the stand were measured with tapes and laser range finders. 20 days, with 5 climbers, was spent just for measuring Iluvatar. Scientific studies were done with moisture, light and sap flow sensors. Wildlife in the grove was studied too, including the wandering salamander
Wandering Salamander
The Wandering Salamander is a species of salamander in the Plethodontidae family.It is found in Canada and the United States.Its natural habitat is temperate forests.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
(Aneides vagrans).
This grove contains other old coast redwoods including Atlas Tree, Gaia, Pleiades, Ballantine, Prometheus, Bell and others. Neighboring species include Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis), bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum), Cascara buckthorn (Rhamnus purshiana
Rhamnus purshiana
Rhamnus purshiana Rhamnus purshiana Rhamnus purshiana (Cascara Buckthorn, Cascara, Bearberry, and in the Chinook Jargon, Chittam or Chitticum; syn...
), California laurel (Umbellularia
Umbellularia
Umbellularia californica is a large tree native to coastal forests of California and slightly extended into Oregon.It is the sole species in the genus Umbellularia....
californica), western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla), Port Orford–cedar (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana is a cypress in the genus Chamaecyparis, family Cupressaceae, known by the name Lawson's Cypress in the horticultural trade, or Port Orford-cedar in its native range . C...
) and tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus).