What does a “resilient” forest look like in California’s Sierra Nevada? A lot fewer trees than we’re used to, according to a study of frequent-fire forests from the University of California, Davis.
More than a century ago, Sierra Nevada forests faced almost no competition from neighboring trees for resources. The tree densities of the late 1800s would astonish most Californians today. Because of fire suppression, trees in current forests live alongside six to seven times as many trees as their ancestors did — competing for less water amid drier and hotter conditions.
Sept. 30, 11 a.m. — Fire has always been part of the Western landscape, but the fire season gets longer and more severe every year. So far this year, California has seen four of the largest wildfires in its history, and the Dixie Fire, the second-largest in state history, is still burning after two months.
Fire is part of our future. What can we do to protect homes, neighborhoods and communities and make them more resilient to fire hazards? Hear from two UC Davis experts on these and related questions Sept. 30.
Can you identify the defensible zones around your home? What can you do to protect your home from wildfires? Learn from our expert Dr. Michele Barbato.
Dr. Michele Barbato is Professor of Structural Engineering and Structural Mechanics at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. He is also the Co-Director for the Climate Adaptation Research Center.
Updated 8:15 a.m. Aug. 24: The LNU Lightning Complex, which burned four UC Davis natural reserves, had been 22 percent contained as of this morning, according to Cal Fire. The fires had covered 350,000 acres across five counties.
UC Davis properties account for half of the eight in the UC Natural Reserve System that have been burned or threatened by wildfires in Northern and Central California over the last week.
Cats who suffered burns and smoke inhalation in recent California wildfires also had a high incidence of heart problems, according to a new study from researchers at the University of California, Davis, Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital.
At UC Davis, scientists and researchers are responding to the accelerating crisis with a broad range of research studies and innovations. Driven by the growing impact, they are narrowing in on ways to reduce the severity of wildfires, evaluate the toxicity of the smoke, document the environmental factors, treat the affected wildlife and understand the long-term impacts on health in order to mitigate the toll of wildfires on our lives and the planet.
Michele Barbato, professor of civil and environmental engineering, and Eric Prebys, professor of physics, are leading projects that will receive more than $6 million over three years from the University of California Laboratory Fees Research Program competition.
