The history of the General Sherman tree, the largest in the world

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I like to know, to wander and to know the world.

2 years ago

Topics: Alma, International, Human, Spanish, Success, ...

There are totally incredible places and it is something that I cannot deny, however, nature also surprises us with this great creation or also known as the General Sherman Tree. But, this tree is not one of those we usually see, but this is one of the largest trees in the world by volume, isn't it amazing and interesting?

But, like all wonders it has a story to tell and we should all know it at some point, so what more perfect time than this? That being said, I am going to tell you this great story that is more years old than we think.

It is important to mention that this great tree has been around for over two thousand years, and in fact they expect it to have a few more centuries left in it. However, there is another tree that surpasses it only in height, but the Sherman is not the largest because of its height, but because of its greater volume, which is unique.

This marvel located in California (United States) germinated 2300 and 2700 years ago in that place. Thus, in 1890 was created the park where it is located, which has an area of about 1780 square kilometers. This tree is 84 meters high and has a very wide crown of 32 meters.

As I mentioned before, it is considered the largest in the world because of the volume of its trunk, since it has been calculated that it has 1487 m3, that is, its thickness is 11 meters, so it takes several people to embrace it.

But what is its true history?

There is a possibility that the General Sherman tree is named after James Wolverton in 1879. This man was a lieutenant who served in the Civil War in the years 1861-1865 that was led by William Tecumeseh Sherman. Interesting, isn't it?

It is also important to note that there was a time of concern, because in January 2006 this large tree broke the largest branch which was about 100 feet long and had a diameter of 2 meters. However, when this large branch fell, it impacted the perimeter valley and surrounding walkway, causing some major damage. However, luck was on our side that day, as no further damage, or even worse, was recorded. Falling branches are thought to be normal for this type of tree, i.e., as a coping mechanism.

However, in some habitats as in this case is California, fires are part of the ecosystem, so it helps some seedlings come out of the fruit and can germinate, but global warming also plays a role, which is not new history. It keeps changing and so do the conditions in which plants live. So, the more the temperature rises and the less it rains, the higher the risk of fires and the more serious they will be. But luckily, to protect the Shermal tree and its companions, they wrap their trunks in aluminum foil.

Giant redwoods, the species to which General Sherman's tree belongs, grow relatively fast, especially during their first decade of life. They manage to get the nutrients and water they need to live for about 3,200 years.

Personally, I had not heard or read anything about the great tree before, which at this point surprises me for the simple fact that the world, or the planet in this case, has totally wonderful things for us to learn about and appreciate. I hope at some point in my life to go to California and be able to observe this great and magnificent tree, being one more reason to take care of our planet.