The Santa Cruz cypress (Hesperocyparis abramsiana; formerly classified as Cupressus abramsiana) is a species of North American tree within the Cypress family. The species is endemic to the Santa Cruz Mountains within the Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties of west-central California. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the species on the Endangered Species Act in 1987 due to increasing threats from habitat loss and disruption of natural forest fire regimes. In 2016, the conservation status of the Santa Cruz cypress changed to Threatened. The cited reasoning was a decrease in threats against their habitat. Physical description Individuals can grow 10 to 25 meters tall with branches 5–10 cm in diameter covering the trunk to nearly the ground. The shape of the tree is pyramidal, with branches longer toward the base. The tree’s leaves are light green and scale-like and can grow up to 15mm in length, persisting on branches for many years. The bark of the trunk is fibrous with thin grey vertical stripes. Individuals begin to produce cones at 11 years in age. Pollen cones can grow up to 4mm long and produce large amounts of pollen that spread in the wind. Female seed cones are produced annually on the tree and grow up to 20 to 30mm in diameter. They remain on the tree until the supporting branches die, typically as a result of natural fires. Individuals can live beyond 100 years, with one of the oldest individuals identified as being between 127 and 162 years old. Reproduction and phenology The reproductive age of the Santa Cruz cypress is on average 11 years of age. Seed viability falls to 10 percent by the time a tree is 30 years old. Like some other coniferous trees, the seed-bearing cones of the Santa Cruz cypress depend on fire to heat open the cone and release the seeds. The fires burn the vegetation in the area, including the parent tree. The seeds of the cypress are then able to germinate without the competition of other plants in the area. Ecology The habitat of the Santa Cruz cypress consists of the chaparral and closed-cone pine forest communities in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The habitat ranges from 300 to 750m in elevation, consisting of poorly developed sandstone or granitic soils. The climate of this area produces cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers, and natural fire regimes periodically destroy the vegetation