BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Cupressus bakeri | Baker Cypress 



GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS : 
Baker cypress is a native, evergreen tree with a single stem and narrow
crown [12].  It grows from 33 to 99 feet (10-30 m) tall [10,31].
Juvenile leaves are from 0.08 to 0.4 inches (2-10 mm) long and may be
produced on seedlings for several years.  They gradually give way to
mature leaves, which are 0.08 inches (2 mm) long.  Ovulate cones occur
in clusters of 15 to 30 and are 0.8 to 1.6 inches (20-40 mm) in diameter
[1].  Staminate cones are 0.08 to 0.12 inches (3-4 mm) long [10].  The
bark of Baker cypress is partially exfoliating on the main trunk
[10,31].  A well-defined taproot and numerous lateral roots are formed
the first year [12].  


RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM : 
   Phanerophyte


REGENERATION PROCESSES : 
Baker cypress reproduces exclusively from seed.  Cone production is
abundant.  Staminate cones are produced on trees that are 6 to 7 years
old [31].  Ovulate cones are produced on trees that are 14 years of age
or older and require 2 years to mature [1].  They contain from 50 to 100
seeds per cone [1,31].  The cones are closed; they persist on the tree
until opened by the heat of a fire or desiccation due to age [12,29].
Seeds are shed gradually over several months after the cones are opened
by heat [29].  Detached cones will open, but they rarely result in
seedling establishment, usually due to the lack of a suitable seedbed
[1].  Seed dispersal is primarily by wind and rain [29].

Baker cypress requires bare mineral soil for germination and seedling
establishment.  Seedlings of Baker cypress have been found in areas that
do not show signs of recent fire, but the seedlings area usually in the
immediate vicinity of fallen cypress trees and along skid roads [27].
Seedling mortality is greater in shaded situations with abundant litter 
because of damping-off [1,29].  Seedlings are sensitive to excessive
moisture [31].  


SITE CHARACTERISTICS : 
Baker cypress is restricted to well-drained soils [1].  It occurs as
disjunct stands and isolated groves in the Sierra Nevada, the Cascade
Ranges, and the Siskiyou Mountains [21,29].  In the Siskiyou Mountains
Baker cypress occurs on serpentine soils; in the Sierra Nevada and
Cascade Range it occurs on basic volcanic rock.  Soil profiles are
almost absent.  On gentle slopes trees can be found on deeper soil
profiles; where Baker cypress is associated with red fir, a good humic
layer of dark brown soil exists [5].

Baker cypress is generally found at elevations from 3,795 to 7,042 feet
(1,150-2,134 m) on north- to northeast-facing slopes [5,29]. 


SUCCESSIONAL STATUS : 
Facultative Seral Species

Cypress seedlings are shade intolerant and survive best in full sunlight
on bare mineral soil [29].  In the Mud Lake-Wheeler Peak area of Plumas
County, Baker cypress is being replaced by red and white (Abies
concolor) firs.  Hundreds of saplings and pole-sized trees have died
with no indication of insects or disease. Competition of crowns for
light, shading of the ground, and accumulation of thick, black duff
characteristic of dense true fir stands have created an unfavorable
environment for the establishment and survival of Baker cypress [30].
According to Armstrong [1], cypresses of southern California are very
sensitive to lack of light, losing their foliage when growing in shade.

  


SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT : 
Cypress (Cupressus spp.) shed pollen in late fall, winter, and spring.
Seeds mature 15 to 18 months after pollination.  Ovulate cones ripen the
second season after pollination, but remain closed until opened by heat
or age [12,31].

Related categories for Species: Cupressus bakeri | Baker Cypress