The Belknap Complex, sometimes referred to as Belknap Grove, is a
complex
Complex commonly refers to:
* Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe
** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
of three
giant sequoia
''Sequoiadendron giganteum'' (giant sequoia; also known as giant redwood, Sierra redwood, Sierran redwood, California big tree, Wellingtonia or simply big treea nickname also used by John Muir) is the sole living species in the genus ''Sequoiade ...
groves located in the
Tule River
The Tule River, also called Rio de San Pedro or Rio San Pedro, is a river in Tulare County in the U.S. state of California. The river originates in the Sierra Nevada east of Porterville and consists of three forks, North, Middle and South. The N ...
watershed of
Giant Sequoia National Monument
The Giant Sequoia National Monument is a U.S. National Monument located in the southern Sierra Nevada in eastern central California. It is administered by the U.S. Forest Service as part of the Sequoia National Forest and includes 38 of the 3 ...
, just south of
Camp Nelson,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
. It is formed from the larger McIntyre Grove and Wheel Meadow Grove, and the smaller Carr Wilson Grove. The grove is home to a rich collection of old-growth giant sequoias spread out over . The grove is fairly easy to reach by car given its close proximity to
Highway 190. Forest Trail 31E30 meanders through the heart of the complex.
During the
Castle Fire
SQF Complex or Sequoia Complex was a complex of two of the August 2020 California lightning wildfires, burning in Sequoia National Forest and adjacent areas. Sparked on August 19, it included the Castle and Shotgun fires. As of January 5, 2021, ...
of 2020, approximately 59% of the Belknap Complex was subject to high-intensity fire, which is estimated to kill between 75 and 100% of the giant sequoia in its path.
Noteworthy trees
Some trees of special note found within the complex included:
*The Patriarch Tree was the largest tree in the grove with a volume of . The tree was unusually short for a giant sequoia but had a trunk with a diameter of . The Patriarch Tree was destroyed in the Castle Fire.
*Near Gutless Tree: Second largest tree in grove with a volume of .
*Gutless Goliath: Remnants of a once larger tree, but still in volume.
*The Kathryn Tree: a giant sequoia tree with exceptionally large limbs.
See also
*
List of giant sequoia groves
This is a list of giant sequoia groves. All naturally occurring giant sequoia groves are located in the moist, unglaciated ridges and valleys of the western slope of the Sierra Nevada range in California, United States. They can be found at ele ...
*
List of largest giant sequoias
The giant sequoia (''Sequoiadendron giganteum'') is the world's most massive tree, and arguably the largest living organism on Earth. It is neither the tallest extant species of tree (that distinction belongs to the coast redwood), nor is it the ...
References
Giant sequoia groves
Sequoiadendron
''Sequoiadendron'' is a genus of evergreen trees, with two species, only one of which survives to the present:
* ''Sequoiadendron giganteum'', extant, commonly known as wellingtonia, giant redwood and giant sequoia, growing naturally in the Sie ...
Protected areas of Tulare County, California
Sequoia National Forest
{{California-protected-area-stub