Progressive forest canopy water loss during the 2012–2015 California drought
PNAS Plus January 12, 2016 vol. 113 no. 2, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1523397113
This study uses new remote-sensing and modeling techniques to assess changes in the canopy water content of California's forests from 2011 to 2015. Approximately 10.6 million ha of forest containing up to 888 million large trees experienced measurable loss in canopy water content during this drought period. Severe canopy water losses of greater than 30% occurred over 1 million ha, affecting up to 58 million large trees.
Maps presented in this paper of progressive canopy water stress identify at-risk forest landscapes and watersheds at fine resolution, and offer geographically explicit information to support innovative forest management and policies in preparation for climate change.