Increasing temperatures due to climate change over the next several decades may create conditions unfavorable for giant sequoias; thus, it is necessary to develop effective management systems to preserve the health of these trees and help them weather adverse climatic conditions. Ram Ray, Research Scientist, calculated the topographic wetness indices (TWI) for 70 sequoia groves in the Sierra Nevada, California based on digital elevation model. TWI results were compared with satellite soil moisture and snow cover data to develop soil moisture stress maps. Results showed that sequoia groves located at higher elevation are less vulnerable to moisture stress than those at lower elevations. This analysis can be used to highlight groves that are potentially more vulnerable to soil moisture stress (under a changing climate), particularly by considering TWI, snow cover persistence, and satellite soil moisture together. Ray conducted this research during his tenure at the Sierra Nevada Research Institute, University of California at Merced. More details about this work can be found in the recently accepted article “Research Moisture Stress Indicators in Giant Sequoia Groves in the Southern Sierra Nevada of California, USA” in Vadose Zone Journal of the Soil Science Society of America.
Ali Fares, Ph.D.
Interim Associate Director, Cooperative Agricultural Research Center
alfares@pvamu.edu
(936) 261-5019