Yale Environment 360: Few living things seem as permanent as the giant sequoia trees of Californias Sierra Nevada. The largest species of flora or fauna on Earth, these towering redwood trees have held sway for millions of years in a narrow band of their native mountain habitat. With heights reaching 300 feet and girths as large as 150 feet, some sequoias can live in excess of 3,000 years before being naturally toppled by a combination of weather and gravity.
Although giant sequoias (Sequoiadendron giganteum) have...