A big fire came through this area in 1960 and the trees here are all about the same size. The pines came in first with the firs and incense-cedars, Calocedrus decurrens , coming in under them. This is called succession. This stand will eventually be a white pine forest unless there is more fire. The ground cover is called squaw carpet and is close to the ground around the pines and acts as a nurse crop for new pine seedlings.
White firs are the most shade tolerant with incense-cedar next.
We core a ponderosa pine and find it is about 35 years old. The soil temperature here is 52.2 and the air is 42.5 . We drive through the Martis Valley which is in the rain shadow of the Sierras. In the distance the trees end as they go down into the valley. Here grows antelope brush and rabbit sage.