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Stephen C. Sillett

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In addition to studying redwood canopies, Sillett studies other tall forests in the US, Canada, and Australia. He has climbed and measured the tallest of each of the six tallest trees species. Sillett and his team do not disclose precise locations of the world's tallest trees. Sillett allows only
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found in their canopies. Additionally, Sillett studies how water is transported up the tree in an effort to understand the limits to tree height. One of his chief interests is in determining the maximum attainable heights of the 6 tallest tree species.
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Sillett, wife Marie Antoine, brother Scott, and other climbing and research companions including Michael Taylor and Chris Atkins are featured in Richard Preston's book
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To reach the canopies, he uses an arrow to set a climbing line, then ascends using a modified arborist-style safety swing involving ropes, leather harnesses, and
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His wife, Marie E. Antoine, a fellow botanist, lectures at Cal Poly Humboldt and assists Sillett in his field research. They were married on December 8, 2001.
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Chair in Redwood Forest Ecology at Cal Poly Humboldt. This is the world's first and only endowed chair supporting the study of one tree species. The
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to study the plant and animal life residing in their crowns and is generally recognized as an authority on tall trees, especially redwoods (
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students and research team members to climb with him, to maintain both the security of the trees and the safety of fellow researchers.
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Sillett began climbing redwoods in 1987, becoming the first scientist to enter the old-growth redwood forest canopy.
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in 1996, where he dedicates much of his time to field study of not only coast redwood but also giant sequoia (
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Douglas-fir trees during his undergraduate years at Reed College. While working on his Masters, he studied a
905: 286: 86: 219:, as well as in academic journals, general interest magazines, and nature television programs. He lives in 1151: 472:. The book details some notable climbs, including his first ascent into the crown of a tall redwood tree. 489: 309: 278: 667: 1146: 1071: 665:
Woolley, L. P., T. W. Henkel, and S. C. Sillett. 2007. Reiteration in the monodominant tropical tree
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After moving to northwestern California, Sillett began studying old-growth redwood forests and the
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tree of each of the five tree species known to grow over 100 m (300 ft) tall.
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Sillett has been profiled on nature television programs such as National Geographic's
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as the world's tallest tree at 115.55 m (379.1 ft). Previous record-holder
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Sillett's research has been published in a number of academic journals including
1012: 804: 774: 957: 361: 336: 174:, exploring, and studying tall trees. Sillett has climbed many of the world's 17: 644: 1120: 654:
Williams, C. B., and S. C. Sillett. 2007. Epiphyte communities on redwood (
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on a web of climbing ropes. To reach outlying branches, Sillett deploys a
155: 403: 370:). His doctorate work focused on old-growth Douglas-fir forests in the 332: 255: 254:, to pursue his interest in botany, later refocusing on tall trees and 243: 192: 395: 375: 262: 139: 932: 592:
The William Sterling Sullivant Award for Best Bryophyte Paper (1995)
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Sillett, S. C., and R. Van Pelt. 2007. Trunk reiteration promotes
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University of Florida College of Liberal Arts and Sciences alumni
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He has climbed and measured the height of the tallest known
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and water storage in an old-growth redwood forest canopy.
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is designed to promote field research of redwood canopies.
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University of Florida College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
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California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt faculty
775:"Ken Fisher Chair to Take Redwood Ecology to New Heights" 588:, some of Sillett's awards and acknowledgments include: 319:), and the tallest trees of the Southern Hemisphere, 929:"Kenneth L. Fisher Chair in Redwood Forest Ecology" 444:In 2006, Sillett measured and verified the redwood 135: 105: 97: 64: 39: 32: 840: 339:, and Forest Canopy Ecology at Cal Poly Humboldt. 331:. He currently teaches courses in General Botany, 616:American Bryological and Lichenological Society 1093:"Humboldt State University - Academic Affairs" 162:canopies. As the first scientist to enter the 902:"Eureka: New tallest living thing discovered" 843:The Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring 8: 954:"About the Chair Founder, Kenneth L. Fisher" 739: 737: 735: 685:"Climbing the Redwoods," Richard Preston, 602:The Beinecke Brothers Memorial Scholarship 29: 976: 974: 671:and its potential adaptive significance. 563:Sillett was named Scholar of the Year at 511:. His research has also been profiled in 895: 893: 923: 921: 795: 793: 791: 731: 1038:"Inside the hanging gardens of Arcata" 831: 829: 827: 825: 823: 821: 584:In addition to being a Grantee to the 1111: 1109: 1013:"The Life, Death, and Life of a Tree" 692:"Tall For Its Age," Richard Preston, 154:(born March 19, 1968) is an American 7: 1157:People from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 231:Sillett was born March 19, 1968, in 777:. Newswise Science News. 2006-02-03 658:) in northwestern California, USA. 455:Sillett is the first holder of the 25: 1036:Ananthaswamy, Anil (2002-11-09). 801:"About Professor Stephen Sillett" 452:is 112.83 m (370.5 ft). 689:, February 14, 2005, p. 212 620:Northwest Scientific Association 1011:McClintock, Jack (2002-01-05). 705:: A Story of Passion and Daring 624:California Native Plant Society 170:, he pioneered new methods for 118: 1192:People from Arcata, California 1167:Oregon State University alumni 629:California Faculty Association 1: 696:, October 9, 2006, p. 32 611:Ecological Society of America 27:American botanist (born 1968) 633:International Canopy Network 1095:. Humboldt State University 900:Glen, Martin (2006-08-07). 597:National Science Foundation 1213: 484:American Journal of Botany 297:Sillett began teaching at 1117:"Stephen C. Sillett's CV" 700:Preston, Richard (2007). 423:Discovery of the redwood 145: 128: 586:Save the Redwoods League 427:in 1998, accompanied by 410:between adjacent trees. 304:Sequoiadendron giganteum 233:Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 227:Early life and education 191:Chair in Redwood Forest 57:Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 906:San Francisco Chronicle 749:"Climbing the Redwoods" 580:Awards and affiliations 495:Ecological Applications 287:Oregon State University 246:as an undergraduate at 87:Oregon State University 873:"Doing Canopy Science" 606:Affiliations include: 517:(by Richard Preston), 195:for the Department of 649:Ecological Monographs 490:Ecological Monographs 418:Major accomplishments 310:Pseudotsuga menziesii 279:University of Florida 656:Sequoia sempervirens 283:Doctor of Philosophy 181:Sequoia sempervirens 1177:Reed College alumni 1162:American ecologists 1074:on February 3, 2006 1067:National Geographic 638:Recent publications 532:National Geographic 277:in Botany from the 197:Biological Sciences 1197:American foresters 1187:Forestry academics 1062:"Treetop Scholars" 986:"Tall for its age" 558:Oregon Field Guide 450:Stratosphere Giant 367:Ficus tuerckheimii 322:Eucalyptus regnans 267:old-growth forests 221:Arcata, California 203:He is featured in 201:Cal Poly Humboldt. 152:Stephen C. Sillett 34:Stephen C. Sillett 858:978-1-4000-6489-2 718:978-1-4000-6489-2 668:Dicymbe corymbosa 565:Cal Poly Humboldt 503:Northwest Science 457:Kenneth L. Fisher 408:Tyrolean traverse 372:Cascade Mountains 313:), Sitka spruce ( 299:Cal Poly Humboldt 275:Master of Science 271:Pacific Northwest 189:Kenneth L. Fisher 160:old growth forest 149: 148: 130:Scientific career 16:(Redirected from 1204: 1132: 1131: 1129: 1128: 1119:. Archived from 1113: 1104: 1103: 1101: 1100: 1089: 1083: 1082: 1080: 1079: 1070:. Archived from 1058: 1052: 1051: 1049: 1048: 1033: 1027: 1026: 1024: 1023: 1008: 1002: 1001: 999: 998: 982:Preston, Richard 978: 969: 968: 966: 965: 956:. Archived from 950: 944: 943: 941: 940: 931:. Archived from 925: 916: 915: 913: 912: 897: 888: 887: 885: 884: 875:. Archived from 869: 863: 862: 846: 837:Preston, Richard 833: 816: 815: 813: 812: 803:. Archived from 797: 786: 785: 783: 782: 771: 765: 764: 762: 761: 745:Preston, Richard 741: 722: 316:Picea sitchensis 307:), Douglas-fir ( 265:associated with 252:Portland, Oregon 242:Sillett studied 187:He is the first 158:specializing in 122: 120: 111:Marie E. Antoine 53: 49: 47: 30: 21: 1212: 1211: 1207: 1206: 1205: 1203: 1202: 1201: 1137: 1136: 1135: 1126: 1124: 1115: 1114: 1107: 1098: 1096: 1091: 1090: 1086: 1077: 1075: 1060: 1059: 1055: 1046: 1044: 1035: 1034: 1030: 1021: 1019: 1010: 1009: 1005: 996: 994: 980: 979: 972: 963: 961: 952: 951: 947: 938: 936: 927: 926: 919: 910: 908: 899: 898: 891: 882: 880: 871: 870: 866: 859: 835: 834: 819: 810: 808: 799: 798: 789: 780: 778: 773: 772: 768: 759: 757: 743: 742: 733: 729: 719: 699: 682: 680:Further reading 640: 582: 574: 540:Wild Chronicles 425:Grove of Titans 420: 384: 350: 345: 295: 281:in 1991, and a 260:nitrogen-fixing 229: 205:Richard Preston 124: 121: 2001) 116: 112: 85: 76: 60: 54: 51: 45: 43: 35: 28: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 1210: 1208: 1200: 1199: 1194: 1189: 1184: 1179: 1174: 1169: 1164: 1159: 1154: 1149: 1139: 1138: 1134: 1133: 1105: 1084: 1053: 1028: 1003: 991:The New Yorker 984:(2006-10-09). 970: 945: 917: 889: 864: 857: 817: 787: 766: 754:The New Yorker 747:(2005-02-15). 730: 728: 725: 724: 723: 717: 703:The Wild Trees 697: 694:The New Yorker 690: 687:The New Yorker 681: 678: 677: 676: 663: 652: 639: 636: 635: 634: 631: 626: 621: 618: 613: 604: 603: 600: 593: 581: 578: 573: 570: 569: 568: 561: 536: 514:The New Yorker 473: 469:The Wild Trees 464: 453: 442: 435: 432: 429:Michael Taylor 419: 416: 383: 380: 352:Sillett began 349: 346: 344: 341: 294: 291: 237:The Wild Trees 228: 225: 216:The Wild Trees 210:New York Times 147: 146: 143: 142: 137: 133: 132: 126: 125: 114: 110: 109: 107: 103: 102: 99: 95: 94: 66: 62: 61: 55: 50:March 19, 1968 41: 37: 36: 33: 26: 24: 18:Steven Sillett 14: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1209: 1198: 1195: 1193: 1190: 1188: 1185: 1183: 1180: 1178: 1175: 1173: 1170: 1168: 1165: 1163: 1160: 1158: 1155: 1153: 1152:Living people 1150: 1148: 1145: 1144: 1142: 1123:on 2007-09-27 1122: 1118: 1112: 1110: 1106: 1094: 1088: 1085: 1073: 1069: 1068: 1063: 1057: 1054: 1043: 1042:New Scientist 1039: 1032: 1029: 1018: 1014: 1007: 1004: 993: 992: 987: 983: 977: 975: 971: 960:on 2007-09-29 959: 955: 949: 946: 935:on 2007-07-09 934: 930: 924: 922: 918: 907: 903: 896: 894: 890: 879:on 2007-07-14 878: 874: 868: 865: 860: 854: 850: 845: 844: 838: 832: 830: 828: 826: 824: 822: 818: 807:on 2007-09-29 806: 802: 796: 794: 792: 788: 776: 770: 767: 756: 755: 750: 746: 740: 738: 736: 732: 726: 720: 714: 710: 706: 704: 698: 695: 691: 688: 684: 683: 679: 674: 670: 669: 664: 661: 657: 653: 650: 646: 642: 641: 637: 632: 630: 627: 625: 622: 619: 617: 614: 612: 609: 608: 607: 601: 598: 594: 591: 590: 589: 587: 579: 577: 572:Personal life 571: 566: 562: 559: 555: 551: 550: 545: 541: 537: 534: 533: 528: 527: 526:New Scientist 522: 521: 516: 515: 510: 509: 504: 500: 496: 492: 491: 486: 485: 480: 479: 474: 471: 470: 465: 462: 458: 454: 451: 447: 443: 440: 436: 433: 430: 426: 422: 421: 417: 415: 411: 409: 405: 402:using motion 401: 397: 392: 389: 381: 379: 377: 373: 369: 368: 363: 359: 355: 347: 342: 340: 338: 334: 330: 329: 324: 323: 318: 317: 312: 311: 306: 305: 300: 292: 290: 288: 284: 280: 276: 272: 268: 264: 261: 257: 253: 249: 245: 240: 238: 234: 226: 224: 222: 218: 217: 212: 211: 206: 202: 198: 194: 190: 185: 183: 182: 177: 176:tallest trees 173: 169: 165: 161: 157: 153: 144: 141: 138: 134: 131: 127: 108: 104: 100: 96: 92: 88: 83: 79: 74: 70: 67: 63: 58: 52:(age 56) 42: 38: 31: 19: 1125:. 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Index

Steven Sillett
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Reed College
BA
University of Florida College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
MS
Oregon State University
PhD
Botany
botanist
old growth forest
redwood
canopy
climbing
tallest trees
Sequoia sempervirens
Kenneth L. Fisher
Ecology
Biological Sciences
Cal Poly Humboldt.
Richard Preston
New York Times
The Wild Trees
Arcata, California
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
biology
Reed College
Portland, Oregon
Lobaria
nitrogen-fixing

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