Boole Tree
The Boole Tree is a giant sequoia in Giant Sequoia National Monument, Fresno County, California. The Boole Tree is the eighth-tallest sequoia in the world and is the largest in terms of base circumference at 113 feet (34 m).[1] It is estimated to be more than 2,000 years old.[2] The tree's stature is accentuated by its isolation above the Kings River where it towers over the rest of the forest.[3]
The Boole Tree is the largest in the Converse Basin Grove, which is 5 miles (8 km) from the General Grant Grove in Kings Canyon National Park. Converse Basin used to be a large grove, but was logged of most of its giant sequoias between 1892 and 1918. Now only perhaps 60–100 large specimens survive out of thousands. However, this grove is still the second-largest contiguous grove in the world.
Namesake
[edit]The tree is named for Frank Boole, general manager of the Sanger Lumber Company, which logged Converse Basin. Boole is thought to have ordered the tree spared during the logging of the grove.[4] The name was in use by 1902; in correspondence that year, John Muir noted that he had seen and measured the same tree in 1877, when it was known as the "Hugh Miller."[5]
Description
[edit]
The Boole Tree was once thought to be the largest tree in the world, but it is now known to be the sixth largest, with five other giant sequoias surpassing it in size: the General Sherman, General Grant, The President, Lincoln, and Stagg trees.[6] Despite this, Boole is still the largest in terms of circumference, with a base measuring 113 ft (34 m).
Located among shorter Scouler willows that have grown in the area following logging, the tree stands out at a height of 268 feet (82 m). It is likely growing faster due to a lack of competition in its modified environment, and its survival may also be attributed to the reduction of fuel in the area since logging ceased in the 1900s.[7]
Dimensions
[edit]| Height above base[8] | 268.8 ft | 81.9 m |
|---|---|---|
| Circumference at ground | 113.0 ft | 34.4 m |
| Diameter 4.5 ft (1.4 m) above highest point on ground[8] | 25.4 ft | 7.7 m |
| Diameter 60 ft (18 m) above base[8] | 15.6 ft | 4.8 m |
| Diameter 180 ft (55 m) above base[8] | 11.9 ft | 3.6 m |
| Estimated bole volume[8] | 43,931 ft3 | 1,244 m3 |
See also
[edit]- Big Lonely Doug – a large Douglas fir whose immediate surroundings were also clearcut
- List of largest giant sequoias
- List of oldest trees
- List of individual trees
- Sequoia National Forest−related topics
References
[edit]- ↑ "Sequoiadendron giganteum, giant sequoia". Fire Effects Information System. U.S. Forest Service, Research and Development. Retrieved September 20, 2026.
- ↑ "Boole Tree | Giant Sequoia National Monument". www.fs.fed.us. Retrieved 2021-12-04.
- ↑ John McKinney (April 21, 2002). "It's Clear-Cut: Converse Basin's Sequoias Were Once Majestic". Morning Tribune. Los Angelese, California. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
- ↑ "Exploring Giant Sequoia Groves". National Park Service. Retrieved September 20, 2026.
- ↑ "Letter from C. S. Newhall to John Muir, 1902 Nov 6". University of the Pacific, Holt-Atherton Special Collections. Retrieved September 20, 2026.
- ↑ "The Giant Sequoia -- Forest Masterpiece". Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park. U.S. National Park Service. 2003-02-13.
- ↑ Hartesveldt, Richard J.; Harvey, H. Thomas; Shellhammer, Howard S.; Ronald E., Stecker (1975). The Giant Sequoia of the Sierra Nevada (PDF). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. p. 55.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Flint, Wendell D. (1987). To Find the Biggest Tree. Sequoia National History Association. p. 95.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Boole Tree at Wikimedia Commons
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