Forest cover and structure is dramatically changing in the Southern Sierras at an alarming rate. “A recent study conducted by scientists from UC Berkeley and the U.S. Forest Service documented widespread forest disturbance from 2011 to 2020. Published in Ecological Applications, the study found that 30% of the region’s conifer forests were lost to non-forest vegetation during that time period. The researchers also found that 50% of ecologically valuable mature forest habitats and 85% of high-density mature forests transitioned to either lower-density forests or non-forest” announced Rausser College of Natural Resources (https://nature.berkeley.edu/news/2022/10/widespread-forest-disturbances-hold-potentially-grave-consequences-wildlife). The authors suggest low severity disturbance might help prevent the high severity disturbances that are driving these changes.
The full journal article can be found here: https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/eap.2763