Have characteristics that make them healthy and strong in their environment. Their bark Is fire resistant, from 6 to 12 inches thick, and does not contain the sticky resins that can
fuel a fire. Redwoods are resistant to disease and undesirable to insects that consume
wood.
1
In paragraph 5, what does dominant mean?
A surviving
B) crowded
C growing
Tall Trees, Shallow Roots
Redwood trees have shallow roots that rest near the top of the soil, which seems
unusual for their size. They do not have the taproots that burrow deeply into the ground
like so many other trees. Redwoods form a wide radius of shallow roots around their
base, and this is what has helped them survive for so many years. These trees are able to
survive flooding and the resulting mudflows that cover the roots because they grow new
roots quickly. The old roots simply rot away from being burled so deeply.
D superior
New Beginnings
(5) In the redwood forests of California, the redwood trees are the dominant living
plants. The canopy of shade that these giant trees provide makes it extremely difficult for
many other plants to grow alongside them. Even though the redwoods have a thick bark
that is resistant to fire, repeated fires occasionally damage them. They bear the black
marks of fire damage and begin decaying. A process called stump sprouting then occurs.
The decaying tree sends out root buds that begin growing around it. Small saplings, or
beginner trees, start to grow and survive. In the forest, there are often many saplings
surrounding a fire-damaged redwood because they are the only plants that survive in the
shady, moist environment.
New Generations