Determining When Trees Are Drought Stressed

By Richard Waring / On February 18th, 2019
Unlike most annual crops, the roots of long-lived trees can penetrate through soils to great depth to reach water (Figure 1).  If we can’t tell how deeply roots penetrate, how do we determine when trees run out of water?  One way is to monitor the moisture status of leaves and twigs, because these are connected through the sapwood in branches, stems, and roots to water deep underground.

Got Water? Thank (and Save) a Forest

By Maggie Hart Stebbins, Paul Summerfelt / On March 29th, 2018
If you’ve got clean, abundant water, thank a forest — and do what you can to protect it. Don’t wait for the well, or the taps, to run dry.

Rampant Wildfires Will Affect Our Drinking Water

By Edward Struzik / On October 2nd, 2017
In a world of bigger, hotter fires, it is time to think of forests as vital infrastructure, and to invest in preserving these resources for the future

Guest Opinion: We need a moon-shot for the environment more than ever

By Dominick A. DellaSala / On April 25th, 2016
This week, more than 193 nations will celebrate Earth Day. The annual event is a marker for the environmental movement begun on April 22, 1970, when Wisconsin Sen. Gaylord Nelson organized a peaceful teach-in. At the time, rivers were on fire, oil spills fouled Santa Barbara’s coastline, spaceships were headed to the moon, and the nation was at war.