Red Trees = Dead Trees in California National Forest Lands

SAN DIEGO - May 12, 2015 - PRLog -- The Los Angeles Times recently published an article concerning the effect of the California drought on forest trees located within the National park system. Park officials and scientists have performed aerial surveys of trees across millions of acres of parkland and have concluded over 12 million trees have already died due to drought and millions more will most likely succumb as the drought conditions continue through summer.

The ongoing dry conditions have resulted in lowered water tables and little remaining soil moisture for trees to survive.  As trees are weakened by years of drought, they become susceptible to disease and insect infestation.  There has already been a significant increase in the populations of several wood boring beetles.

Beetles are able to sense trees in weakened, stressed condtion from miles away.  A weakened, dried out tree cannot secret the normal sap flow that hinders wood boring insects.  Weakened trees become colonized by beetles, killing the host tree then moving onto other weakened or even healthy trees.  The die back from drought and beetle infestation increases the fuel load for intense wild land fires.

The drought is also causing the decline of trees located within our urban forest. Trees located in slope or other non-irrigated areas that for decades flourished are now in decline.  As turf irrigation is shut off, trees decline and die off.  Tree decline and dieback is now obvious where-ever one looks.  Even drought tolerant Eucalyptus and Oak species are declining.

The last serious drought in California was in 1975-79 when over 14 million trees died due to drought.  Is this drought going to eventually end like the drought of the seventies or is this our new California climate?  I cannot possibly imagine California without it's iconic redwoods, sequoias, oaks, sycamores and more.

To read the Los Angeles Times article, click this link http://landscapeexpertwitness.com/2015/05/11/red-trees-de...