California drought is to blame : Sequoias threatened

 

Photo credit: Nature World News

Giant Sequoias face environmental stress from extreme drought conditions and wildfires in California. (Photo : Flickr: Matthew Fern)

California Drought: Giant Sequoias Threatened By Water Shortages and Wildfires

 

By Samantha Mathewson

Giant Sequoias, native to California’s Sierra Nevada, are some of the largest and oldest living things on earth. Some are over 3,000 years old and are nearly 300 feet tall. These large trees can suck up approximately of 800 gallons of water a day, noted Koren Nydick, a National Park Service ecologist and part of the research team focused on the treasured trees. But recently, researchers have witness an increased amount of brown dead patches scatter throughout this historic forest, and they believe the record-long, widespread California drought is to blame.

 

In an attempt to better manage these forests and control loss, scientists analyzed trees that seem most vulnerable, collecting samples from both healthy and decaying trees. They examined these trees using field surveys and overhead images taken from a plane operated by the Carnegie Airborne Observatory. In combining the data, researchers hope to identify patterns of drought stress that could be used to prevent potential die-off.

Read the full article: Nature World News