The California Tree Mortality Data Collection Network - Enhanced communication and collaboration among scientists and stakeholders

Jodi Axelson; John Battles; Beverly Bulaon; Danny Cluck; Stella Cousins; Lauren Cox; Becky Estes; Christopher J. Fettig; Andrea Hefty; Stacy Hishinuma; Sharon M. Hood; Susie Kocher; Leif Mortenson; Alexander Koltunov; Elliot Kuskulis; Adrian Poloni; Carlos Ramirez; Christina Restaino; Michele Slaton; Sheri Smith; Carmen Tubbesing

doi:10.3733/ca.2019a0001

Treesearch

The California Tree Mortality Data Collection Network - Enhanced communication and collaboration among scientists and stakeholders

Formally Refereed

Authors:

Jodi Axelson, John Battles, Beverly Bulaon, Danny Cluck, Stella Cousins, Lauren Cox, Becky Estes, Christopher J. Fettig, Andrea Hefty, Stacy Hishinuma, Sharon M. Hood, Susie Kocher, Leif Mortenson, Alexander Koltunov, Elliot Kuskulis, Adrian Poloni, Carlos Ramirez, Christina Restaino, Michele Slaton, Sheri Smith, Carmen Tubbesing

Year:

2019

Type:

Scientific Journal

Station:

Pacific Southwest Research Station

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3733/ca.2019a0001

Source:

California Agriculture. 73(2): 55-62.

Download (PDF 1.59 MB)

Download (PDF 1.59 MB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/58215.pdf

Abstract

Over 147 million dead trees were detected in the Sierra Nevada by the U.S. Forest Service Aerial Detection Survey (ADS) from 2010 to 2018 (USDA 2019). The massive tree mortality, evident in swaths of conifers with red needles, was mostly due to the 2012–2016 drought. While levels of mortality have declined in the last 2 years, the consequences will last for years to come. Trees that died will eventually fall over and surface fuels will accumulate — already the accumulation of millions of tons of dead material on forest floors is outpacing county resources to remove it. Urgent ongoing dialogue has started among UC scientists and forest managers and public agencies to find solutions to the consequences of the unprecedented tree die-off and increase the resiliency of forests in future droughts.

Keywords

US Forest Service Aerial Detection Survey (ADS), Tree Mortality Data Collection Network, tree die-off, droughts

Citation

Axelson, Jodi; Battles, John; Bulaon, Beverly; Cluck, Danny; Cousins, Stella; Cox, Lauren; Estes, Becky; Fettig, Chris; Hefty, Andrea; Hishinuma, Stacy; Hood, Sharon; Kocher, Susie; Mortenson, Leif; Koltunov, Alexander; Kuskulis, Elliot; Poloni, Adrian; Ramirez, Carlos; Restaino, Christina; Slaton, Michele; Smith, Sheri; Tubbesing, Carmen. 2019. The California Tree Mortality Data Collection Network - Enhanced communication and collaboration among scientists and stakeholders. California Agriculture. 73(2): 55-62.