If you’ve watched the news in the past four years, you probably already know that California is in the midst of a historic drought. It is a known fact that residents have been dealing with dry conditions for a while now, but what about the rest of nature? Is it getting the water it needs to survive?
Sick-quoias
According to scientists, this is a particularly stressful time for the sequoias in Sequoia National Park, located in southern Sierra Nevada east of Visalia, California. The trees, considered to be amongst some of the oldest living things in the world (a few are up to 3,000 years old), are a popular tourist attraction; in fact, people from all around the world come to see these massive plants, which reach about 300 feet in height. However, they are quickly browning, when they should still be green.
Saving the Trees
The trees use up to 800 gallons of water a day. That water is then recycled back to the environment. But if there is no water in the underground system, the Sequoia trees face a major dilemma. Is there anything that can be done to help them out?
Scientists from the University of California, along with US Geological Survey Researchers, are currently studying the more vulnerable parts of the Sierra Nevada Sequoia groves in an effort to determine which areas they should be most concerned about. In order to conduct a series of tests, researchers have already started to take samples of trees with browned foliage.
Furthermore, information about humidity levels and temperatures in the upper canopy of the trees will be collected more often. This will help researchers determine which groves need more sunlight. The trees selected will go through a thinning process, using a controlled burn method so that more sun can ultimately reach the darker areas. The burn will also help direct the underground water to the trees that need it the most.
Fortunately, despite the severe lack of precipitation, a large amount of the sequoias have not died off. Other trees have not fared so well under the same conditions.
