Nearly Four Century Old Evergreen Falls In Yosemite
Yosemite, CA – A nearly 400-year-old sugar pine came crashing down last month in Yosemite National Park, missing a historic bridge, and will now serve a new purpose in the park.
The “enormous” pine showed signs of failing health in recent years, according to park officials. The tree was the namesake of the Sugar Pine Bridge in Yosemite Valley, and, as the picture shows, the falling evergreen narrowly missed it, landing in the river, where it will now serve a new purpose.
“Large wood, like our pine, that falls into rivers provides critical structure and habitat to a healthy river’s ecosystem,” explained Park officials, adding, “The stream’s current tosses about the wooden fragments, often lodging pieces into the banks and thereby slowing the flow of the river. At this slower pace, water can then jump up into the adjacent floodplain to nourish riparian plant species.”
Fish in the river are also aided, as the submerged wood provides shelter and nursery habitat for them along the banks. In turn, insect populations can thrive in the accumulation of trapped leaves and other woody debris, fostering the food chain for all other river dwellers.
“Our river restoration projects often mimic this natural process by reintroducing large wood back into the river to jumpstart the ecological mechanisms that support river health,” shared park officials. “You can find examples of this type of riverbank restoration project along the Merced River just downstream of the Ahwahnee Bridge and Stoneman Bridge in Yosemite Valley. These projects are part of a larger effort to restore the Merced River as outlined in the Merced River Plan.”
Further information on these projects can be found here.
