On a hike last summer a scientist noticed the leaves of the giant sequoias were browning and more sparse than usual.
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“We’re just trying to get a better understanding of how giant sequoia trees respond to severe drought”.
LiveScience reports that the giant sequoias of the Sierra Nevada take in thousands of gallons of water each day.
This notion that the giant sequoias could die because of drought has brought together multiple agencies, including the National Park Service, Stanford, the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Geological Survey and the Carnegie Airborne Observatory, for the first health-related study on the giant sequoia.
Sequoia, the tallest tree on earth, is in danger. These trees are, in fact, 3,000 years old and have survived many historic droughts in the Golden State but now researchers are concerned that this drought-the one California is struggling through right now-may be the final breaking point. However, the experts think that being subjected to the current drought condition, the trees look as if they are yet to face the worst.
He is planning to analyze about 50 trees which have lost more than three quarters of their leaves and wants to give the data he collects to forest managers, in order to help them prioritize their actions.
The lead study author, Koren Nydick, said that only a few of the trees have been impacted by the ongoing drought and the good news is that they are extremely resistant and they can survive many factors, including wildfires, beetles and storms. Once anchoring the end of the line to the ground, the biologists then climb up the rope up to the top of the tree, inching their way up much like worms. Rainfall sensors were set up in previous visits to measure the amount of rain falling on the region as well as groundwater levels.
The researchers plan to assess the water status of the trees and see whether or not there’s truly cause to worry.
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Researches will also study the sprigs of foliage in the laboratory. “These methods provide a short-term solution to keeping your trees alive for now, until Californians have time to redo their lawns and landscapes with drought-tolerant plants or warm-season turf and updated irrigation”.
