The Trees That Helped Defeat a Dam

“The real show begins at about three miles in, when groves of Western redcedars alternate with mixed stands of Western hemlock and Douglas-fir. The “islands” of cedars continue until mile six, where the valley turns north and its character changes. The Millers theorized the cedar groves represented an edaphic climax, an ecological concept meaning the trees and their environment were perfectly adapted to each other. The cedars would remain in perfect equilibrium with the soil, water, and topography around them as long as nothing disturbed them.”

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