Editing Sequoiadendron giganteum (section)

==Distribution==
[[File:A014, Sequoia National Park, California, USA, 1998.jpg|thumb|The [[Generals Highway]] passes between giant sequoias in [[Sequoia National Park]]]]
The natural distribution of giant sequoias is restricted to a limited area of the western [[Sierra Nevada (U.S.)|Sierra Nevada]], [[California]]. As a [[Paleoendemism|paleoendemic]] species,<ref>{{cite journal |last1=DeSilva |first1=Rainbow |last2=Dodd |first2=Richard S. |date=2016 |title=Variation in Genetic Structure and Gene Flow Across the Range of Sequoiadendron giganteum (giant sequoia) |url=https://www.fs.fed.us/psw/publications/documents/psw_gtr258/psw_gtr258_241.pdf |journal=Proceedings of the Coast Redwood Science Symposium |access-date=January 22, 2022 |archive-date=September 23, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923042214/https://www.fs.fed.us/psw/publications/documents/psw_gtr258/psw_gtr258_241.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> they occur in scattered groves, with a total of 81 groves (see [[list of sequoia groves]] for a full inventory), comprising a total area of only {{convert|144.16|km2|acre|abbr=on}}. Nowhere does it grow in pure stands, although in a few small areas, stands do approach a pure condition. The northern two-thirds of its range, from the [[American River]] in [[Placer County, California|Placer County]] southward to the [[Kings River (California)|Kings River]], has only eight disjunct groves. The remaining southern groves are concentrated between the Kings River and the Deer Creek Grove in southern [[Tulare County, California|Tulare County]]. Groves range in size from {{convert|12.4|km2|acre|abbr=on}} with 20,000 mature trees, to small groves with only six living trees. Many are protected in [[Sequoia National Park|Sequoia]] and [[Kings Canyon National Park]]s and [[Giant Sequoia National Monument]].

The giant sequoia is usually found in a humid climate characterized by dry summers and [[snow]]y winters. Most giant sequoia groves are on granitic-based residual and [[alluvium|alluvial]] soils. The elevation of the giant sequoia groves generally ranges from {{convert|1400|-|2000|m|ft|abbr=on}} in the north, to {{convert|1700|-|2150|m|ft}} to the south. Giant sequoias generally occur on the south-facing sides of northern mountains, and on the northern faces of more southerly slopes.

High levels of reproduction are not necessary to maintain the present population levels. Few groves, however, have sufficient young trees to maintain the present density of mature giant sequoias for the future. The majority of giant sequoia groves are currently undergoing a gradual decline in density since European settlement.

===Pre-historic range===
While the present day distribution of this species is limited to a small area of California, it was once much more widely distributed in prehistoric times, and was a reasonably common species in North American and Eurasian coniferous forests until its range was greatly reduced by the last [[ice age]]. Older fossil specimens reliably identified as giant sequoia have been found in [[Cretaceous]] era sediments from a number of sites in North America and Europe, and even as far afield as New Zealand<ref>James E Eckenwalder. Conifers of the World, The Complete Reference. p. 586. Timber Press 2009. {{ISBN|978-0881929744}}.</ref> and Australia.<ref>Bryan G. Bowes. Trees and Forests, a colour guide. pp. 48–49. Manson Publishing 2010. {{ISBN|978-1840760859}}.</ref>

===Artificial groves===
[[File:Lake Fulmor (45623460051).jpg|thumb|[[Lake Fulmor]], featuring a small grove of giant sequoia trees (top center)]]
In 1974, a group of giant sequoias was planted by the [[United States Forest Service]] in the [[San Jacinto Mountains]] of [[Southern California]] in the immediate aftermath of a wildfire that left the landscape barren. The giant sequoias were rediscovered in 2008 by botanist Rudolf Schmid and his daughter Mena Schmidt while hiking on Black Mountain Trail through Hall Canyon. [[Black Mountain Grove (Southern California)|Black Mountain Grove]] is home to over 150 giant sequoias, some of which stand over {{convert|6.1|m|ft|abbr=on}} tall. This grove is not to be confused with the [[Black Mountain Grove]] in the southern Sierra. Nearby [[Lake Fulmor#Flora|Lake Fulmor Grove]] is home to seven giant sequoias, the largest of which is {{convert|20|m|ft|abbr=on}} tall. The two groves are located approximately {{convert|175|mi|km|abbr=on}} southeast of the southernmost naturally occurring giant sequoia grove, [[Deer Creek Grove]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Schmidt|first1=Rudolf|last2=Mena|first2=Schmidt|title=Naturalization of Sequoiadendron giganteum (Cupressaceae) in Montane Southern California|date=2012|journal=Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany|volume=30|issue=1|pages=19–32|doi=10.5642/ALISO.20123001.04|s2cid=84948955|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Schmidt|first1=Rudolf|last2=Mena|first2=Schmidt|date=2013|title=Sequoiadendron giganteum (Cupressaceae) at Lake Fulmor, Riverside County, California.|url=http://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1110&context=aliso|journal=Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany|volume=30|issue=2|pages=103–107|via=Scholarship @ Claremont|access-date=2019-11-27|archive-date=2020-10-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020211515/https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1110&context=aliso|url-status=live}}</ref>

It was later discovered that the [[United States Forest Service]] had planted giant sequoias across Southern California. However, the giant sequoias of [[Black Mountain Grove (Southern California)|Black Mountain Grove]] and nearby [[Lake Fulmor#Flora|Lake Fulmor Grove]] are the only ones known to be reproducing and propagating free of human intervention. The conditions of the [[San Jacinto Mountains]] mimic those of the [[Sierra Nevada (U.S.)|Sierra Nevada]], allowing the trees to naturally propagate throughout the canyon.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gizmodo.com/these-sequoia-trees-are-thriving-175-miles-south-of-the-1579409426|title=These Sequoia Trees Are Thriving 175 Miles South of Their Natural Range|website=Gizmodo|date=21 May 2014|first=Nathan|last=Masters|access-date=April 15, 2018|archive-date=8 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180408205755/https://gizmodo.com/these-sequoia-trees-are-thriving-175-miles-south-of-the-1579409426|url-status=live}}.</ref>