A giant sequoia is an ecosystem unto itself. The species here represent just a sample of the living things that call the tree home. Most are insects—from beetles to butterflies to wasps. Some are familiar, like the young robin and the lodgepole chipmunk. All make good use of the sequoia’s offerings. Bats roost in the foliage and under loose bark. Ample shade nurtures plants like the pink pygmy rose and the wildflower called little prince’s pine, with its pealike center. The Columbian emerald moth and the northern flying squirrel prefer the heights of the crown. Click on the images in the collage below to investigate the sequoia’s inhabitants more closely and learn their names.
SPECIES WERE PHOTOGRAPHED AT THE PRESIDENT TREE IN SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK AND AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY’S WHITAKER FOREST RESEARCH STATION AND SAGEHEN CREEK FIELD STATION. SPECIES NOT SHOWN TO SCALE
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