[A continuation today on the tragic story of the west coast forests] A study of over 76 Forest plots along the United States west coast in Washington, California, Oregon, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Southwestern British Columbia showed that trees in the West Coast are dying at double the rate they were a mere 17 years ago.

The plots studied were a combination of trees at all elevations, in all sizes and ages, yet they were affected across the board. Scientists thus looked briefly to some smaller causes that tend to explain only temporary or harmless changes in forest activity. They quickly ruled out those lesser possibilities which included the effects of air pollution, delayed fire suppression, over-crowding of forests, forest fragmentation and insect attack.

They did however assess that the most probable cause was that the “average temperature in the West rose by more than 1 degree Fahrenheit [0.6 degree Celsius] over the last few decades,” according to study team member Phil van Mantgem of the United States Geological Survey.

It may seem that a degree would be largely inconsequential to such hardy species as Forest Trees, however the chain reaction caused by that One degree increase is most certainly not. Van Mantgem stated that “it has been enough to reduce winter snowpack, cause earlier snowmelt, and lengthen the summer drought.” Drought is known to be extremely stressing on forest foliage, insect populations and disease have been known to thrive in the now warmer West Coast climate.

The increased temperature of the atmosphere has the potential to throw the forests into ecological pandemonium and possibly further the greenhouse gas issue. Even if this doesn’t point to a direct issue for our planet’s temperature, it may be said that it doesn’t bode too well for our Ozone’s state of affairs.

News Story Link:http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=2115

Science Article Link: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/sci;323/5913/521

Discussion Question: How does the Greenhouse Gas Effect work?