Low-elevation conifers in California's Sierra Nevada are out of equilibrium with climate.

ABSTRACT: Since the 1930s, California's Sierra Nevada has warmed by an average of 1.2 ∘ C. Warming directly primes forests for easier wildfire ignition, but the change in climate also affects vegetation species composition. Different types of vegetation support unique fire regimes with distinct probabilities of catastrophic wildfire, and anticipating vegetation transitions is an important but undervalued component of long-term wildfire management and adaptation. Vegetation transitions are more likely where the climate has become unsuitable but the species composition remains static. This vegetation climate mismatch (VCM) can result in vegetation conversions, particularly after a disturbance like wildfire. Here we produce estimates of VCM within conifer-dominated forests in the Sierra Nevada. Observa

SUBMITTER: Hill AP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9976749 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature