Scientist

Careers in the Redwoods

The word scientist is a term used to describe someone who researches the world to develop a better understanding of how things work. There are many different scientists including those who develop our medicines, study our solar system, and those who do research in redwoods forests. There are also many different ways to become a scientist.

All scientist have questions which they then use a scientific method to answer. Scientists working in he redwood forests have a lot of questions, including:

  • What bat species nest in redwoods?
  • How much moisture from fog to redwoods absorb?
  • How old are redwoods?
  • How do mushrooms benefit redwood forests?

In this episode of Careers in the Redwoods, the scientists are researching the question: How does a yearly variation of rainfall, with some years being wet and others being dry, affect trees in the redwood forest? Watch for the scientific tools they are using to answer this question.

This team of scientist has collected over 500 tree cores from forests across northern California. They will take them back to the lab, look at them under a microscope, and determine the effect droughts, wildfires, and other events have had on trees. This research offers both a window into the past and a way to predict the future. With some individuals living well over 2,000 years — redwoods are the ultimate timekeepers that help us understand our world a little bit better.