Root sprouts also can form from burls. This is beneficial after floods when sediment can collect several feet deep. Redwoods can resist many elements that cause most trees to fall. They are resistant to fire, insects and rot. Fires around the base of the trees actually aid in their continued reproduction.
Fire clears the ground of understory, replinishes nutrients and allows sunlight to reach the ground.
All of these factors help seeds to grow. Over the years we have allowed the numbers of Redwood old growth to fall drastically. It is estimated that 1,950,000 acres of coast Redwoods occurred naturally in nature. We now protect 80,000 acres in parks and reserves. Today we still value all that the tree has to offer for lumber purposes.