The drought in California destroyed a third of the forest, died 102 million trees
Deadwood survivors among the trees in a California forest. August 24, 2016.
New aerial photography US Forest Service has increased the scale of the tragedy of an unprecedented drought that hit California in the last five years. Especially in 2016. According to new data, the number of dead trees increased by 36 million units compared to the previous aerial photography in May 2016.
Thus, the total amount of forest loss to 102 million trees has increased since 2010. That's 3.11 million hectares of dried land, that is one third of the total forest cover of the state. In 2016 alone, 62 million trees were lost.
In recent years, the planet's surface heats up quickly. Almost new temperature records are recorded every month. According to climate models, the temperature is unevenly distributed on the surface of the planet. Some areas may be a slight cooling - and other sharp warming much above average.
According to the Paris agreement of 2015, under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the country agreed to reduce CO2 emissions in order to keep warming within 2 ° C above pre-industrial levels, as well as "efforts to limit temperature rise to within 1.5 ° C above pre-industrial levels . But the global average temperature increase of 2 ° C is significantly greater increase in mean temperatures in some regions. At the same time daily highs reach extreme values. This trend seriously threatens Mediterranean climate, including Spain and southern Italy, where forests could disappear. California, too, was affected by the extreme functions. Only here the threat of drought is no longer hypothetical, but really came to life.
The US Forest Service notes that in addition to 102 million trees completely destroyed, millions more relaxed and more likely to die in the coming months and years.
Deadwood and the surviving trees. August 23, 2016.
American foresters are trying to repair the damage as much as possible. Additional funds allocated for reforestation in priority areas: along the roads and highways in places of recreation. However, experts admit that efforts are not enough to fight the forces of nature. The mortality rate of trees continues much faster than we are able to restore the forest plantations.
And the upset tree takes decades to grow. Strongly affected by drought trees, located in the lowlands, which for the first time faced with a lack of moisture,
"We have a sugar pine - the great trees that live for 500 years, - says Adrian Das, the Geological Survey ecologist sluby US. - Now wherever you go, at least half of the dead "giants in certain parts of the forest.
The situation is exacerbated the budget deficit in California, which does not allow for a genuine mass tree planting campaign and additional measures for clearing the forests of dead wood. State authorities have taken money from foresters - and redistribute in favor of the fire, so that clearing, landing and reforestation remains less resources.
This year was a record number of fires. Only in California completely burned 12.1 thousand hectares. Evacuated 80,000 people, but only in the US southwest area of the fires exceeded 48.6 thousand hectares.
At the same time, the presence of millions of dead, dry and weakened trees increases the risk of new fires and prevent them effectively extinguish. That is, the authorities are struggling not with the cause, but the consequence, allocating more money the fire, but without putting in priority to clearing the forests of dead wood.
In addition, standing and falling trees to increase the number of incidents with injuries to people and damage to property. According to the California Tree Failure Report Program, in the middle of October 2016 has already registered 5902 such incidents, compared to 2587 in the "normal" in 2010.
Forest Service hopes that Congress will amend the state budget, which will allow to avoid further reallocations fire due to foresters. Last year, the fire contributed 56% of the total budget of the Forest Service, and if the situation does not change, then it will grow in the coming years even more.
Most of the dead forest is located in the central and southern Sierra Nevada. Experts say a significant forest mortality more and some northern regions. The unprecedented scale of the forest extinction explains five continuous years of drought, the increase in average temperatures, decreasing snow cover in the mountains and soaring bark lesions.
Deadwood and the surviving trees. August 24, 2016.
In connection with the mass extinction of forests in California in 2015. The state governor has declared a state of emergency and formed a special service Tree Mortality Task Force to help mobilize additional resources for the safe disposal of dead wood.
In the new climate conditions prolonged heat season was normal. Because of this, you want to dramatically increase costs to protect forests from fires, including lining of glades, watershed protection and forest restoration.
The state of emergency in California continues to this day. In some places the rain was no longer 95 days. For the next two weeks of sunny weather is predicted, although in some areas yesterday passed a long-awaited rains.
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