An ‘Unprecedented’ 102 Million Trees Have Died In California’s Drought-Stricken Forests

In California’s drought-stricken forests, trees are dying at an “unprecedented” rate, according to officials. The U.S. Forest Service said last month that 102 million trees have died across the state since 2010, including 62 million dead trees in 2016 alone.

And the die-off is showing no signs of slowing.

“Millions of additional trees are weakened and expected to die in the coming months and years,” said the Forest Service.

Five consecutive years of severe drought have been pinpointed as a primary cause of the tree deaths. The unusually hot and dry weather has put California’s trees under enormous strain, making them more vulnerable to injury, disease and organisms like the bark beetle ― an insect that attacks and kills trees. 

But experts say the drought is not the only culprit. 

Other human activities, including fire suppression policies and land development, have also fueled the problem.

“When you’re talking about tree mortality, it’s a whole bunch of things linked together,” David Rizzo, chair of the plant pathology department at the University of California Davis, told Vox. “The drought is important, but you also have to look at land-use and management decisions that go back a long time.” 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/million-tree-deaths-california-drought_us_58412918e4b0c68e0480331d