Progressive forest canopy water loss during the 2012–2015 California drought

The 2012–2015 drought has left California with severely reduced snowpack, soil moisture, ground water, and reservoir stocks, but the impact of this estimated millennial-scale event on forest health is unknown. We used airborne laser-guided spectroscopy and satellite-based models to assess losses in...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 2016-01, Vol.113 (2), p.E249-E255
Main Authors: Asner, Gregory P., Brodrick, Philip G., Anderson, Christopher B., Vaughn, Nicholas, Knapp, David E., Martin, Roberta E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological Sciences
California
Climate Change
Desiccation
Drought
Droughts
Forests
Geography
Imaging, Three-Dimensional
Moisture content
Plant Leaves - physiology
PNAS Plus
Spectrum analysis
Trees
Water
Water supply
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Summary:The 2012–2015 drought has left California with severely reduced snowpack, soil moisture, ground water, and reservoir stocks, but the impact of this estimated millennial-scale event on forest health is unknown. We used airborne laser-guided spectroscopy and satellite-based models to assess losses in canopy water content of California’s forests between 2011 and 2015. Approximately 10.6 million ha of forest containing up to 888 million large trees experienced measurable loss in canopy water content during this drought period. Severe canopy water losses of greater than 30% occurred over 1 million ha, affecting up to 58 million large trees. Our measurements exclude forests affected by fire between 2011 and 2015. If drought conditions continue or reoccur, even with temporary reprieves such as El Niño, we predict substantial future forest change.
ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.1523397113