Even though the coastal redwoods grow in a small area and are among the last representatives of a once large plant family we should not conclude that they are fragile plants. In their environment the coastal redwoods thrive, and probably even require such disruptions as flood and fire, to dominate the forests in which they live. Here you can see that a fire swept through the grove of giants some time ago ( perhaps during a dry summer period) but the thick bark prevented any damage to the sensitive growth layer, or cambium, beneath.