Were Northern Calfornia’s ‘golden hills’ covered with trees 300 years ago? If yes, were they Redwoods?
I’ve wondered for a while if most of the grassy hills around the San Francisco Bay area were once covered in Redwoods. It seems likely, since they cover most of the coastal range, but I was wondering if someone knew the answer in more detail.
2 Responses
candy2mercy
09 Feb 2010
deenerzz
09 Feb 2010
Well they were not eucalyptus that’s for sure.
Many of the same trees we have here now. Probably easier to figure out whcih trees have been introduced since that time.
Depends on how long ago you’re talking about. I think they were covered in redwoods longer than 300 years ago, but by the 1700’s the climate had changed enough so they may have been only in wetter areas, more coastal. Pollen records support a much higher density of redwood before the 1800’s (when europeans came and started some serious logging).