Change Content

Ozark Grasslands Experience Major Increase in Trees and Shrubs

Katherine E Kerlin — September 20, 2017 - 2:39pm

Woody vegetation, such as trees and shrubs, has increased dramatically in Ozark grasslands over the past 75 years, according to a study published this week in the journal Landscape Ecology.

The study examines grasslands called dolomite glades in the Mark Twain National Forest near Ava, Missouri. It analyzed historical aerial photos and found that woody vegetation cover increased from 8 percent in 1939 to 59 percent in 2014.

Earth’s Oldest Trees in Climate-Induced Race up the Tree Line

Katherine E Kerlin — September 13, 2017 - 1:11pm

Bristlecone pine and limber pine trees in the Great Basin region are like two very gnarled, old men in a slow-motion race up the mountaintop, and climate change is the starting gun, according to a study from the University of California, Davis.

Beneath the Ice in Antarctica

Katherine E Kerlin — May 08, 2017 - 10:40am

Update Aug. 14: Watch KCRA-TV's coverage of Alex Forrest as he deploys underwater glider for climate change research in Lake Tahoe.

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To outer space and the deep ocean, add “beneath the ice” to the list of rarely charted frontiers of science exploration.

Canary in the Kelp Forest

Katherine E Kerlin — April 18, 2017 - 3:06pm

The one-two punch of warming waters and ocean acidification is predisposing some marine animals to dissolving quickly under conditions already occurring off the Northern California coast, according to a study from the University of California, Davis.

‘OneClimate’ a Call to Arms

Katherine E Kerlin — March 14, 2017 - 12:14pm

Throughout �ٺ��Ƶ’ history, the university has brought scientists across disciplines to work together on the challenge of growing food. Now, Ben Houlton, director of the John Muir Institute of the Environment at �ٺ��Ƶ, is focusing his efforts on helping the campus apply that same collaborative know-how toward the problem of climate change.

High-Severity Wildfires Complicate Natural Regeneration for California Conifers

Katherine E Kerlin — December 21, 2016 - 3:31pm

A study spanning 10 national forests and 14 burned areas in California found that conifer seedlings were found in less than 60 percent of the study areas five to seven years after fire. Of the nearly 1,500 plots surveyed, nearly half showed no natural conifer regeneration at all. The study, co-led by �ٺ��Ƶ and the USDA Forest Service, presents a tool to help foresters prioritize which lands to replant immediately after a fire, and which lands they can expect to regrow naturally.

Mass Oyster Die-Off in S.F. Bay Related to Atmospheric Rivers

Katherine E Kerlin — December 13, 2016 - 1:00pm

Atmospheric rivers contributed to a mass die-off of wild Olympia oysters in north San Francisco Bay in 2011, according to a study led by �ٺ��Ƶ and the San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. The study is the first to document biological impacts of atmospheric rivers, which are predicted to increase under future climate change.

�ٺ��Ƶ Receives $6M Grant to Tame ‘Wild West’ of Regional Climate Datasets

Katherine E Kerlin — December 09, 2016 - 10:33am

Amid increasing demands for accurate climate projections, a new grant to the University of California, Davis, from the Department of Energy Regional and Global Climate Modeling Program will fund a three-year, multi-institution initiative called Project Hyperion. The project seeks to bridge gaps in climate data and help policymakers better assess regional climate change impacts.

What the Ancient CO2 Record May Mean for Future Climate Change

Katherine E Kerlin — October 24, 2016 - 11:08am

The last time Earth experienced both ice sheets and carbon dioxide levels within the range predicted for this century was a period of major sea level rise, melting ice sheets and upheaval of tropical forests.

The repeated restructuring of tropical forests at the time played a major role in driving climate cycles between cooler and warmer periods, according to a study led by the University of California, Davis and published today in the journal Nature Geoscience.

Paving the Way for Pathogens

Katherine E Kerlin — August 29, 2016 - 11:31am

Higher levels of rainfall and coastal development increase the risk of disease-causing organisms flowing to the ocean, according to a study from the University of California, Davis. The study advances earlier work by tracking the parasite T. gondii to see how human-driven land-use change and rainfall might be impacting pathogen movement from land to sea.