2009July29: The number of large-diameter trees in Yosemite Park declined 24% between the 1930s and 1990s, according to a study by researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Washington. “Climate change is a likely contributor to these events and should be taken into consideration,” said USGS scientist emeritus Jan van Wagtendonk. “Warmer conditions increase the length of the summer dry season and decrease the snowpack that provides much of the water for the growing season. A longer summer dry season can also reduce tree growth and vigor, and can reduce trees’ ability to resist insects and pathogens” (USGS, 2009).
Reference: News Releases from the United States Geological Survey http://water-energy.lbl.gov/aggregator/sources/7
Image Description: Yosemite National Park overlooking the mountains Cathedral Rocks (right) and El Capitan (left). Photo by Rainer Marks, 1999. Image Location: Wikimedia Commons http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yosemite_National_Park.jpg Image Permission: The copyright holder of this work, hereby releases it into the public domain. This applies worldwide.
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This post is tagged 2000s Climate Change Events, 21st Century and Climate Change, Biodiversity, Climate Change Effects, Climate Change Research, Precipitation, Snowpack Reduction, Temperatures, Warming Temperatures, Water Stress
