California's oak woodlands face a new threat: Clim...( studies; and Brian Fulfrost coordinat...)

Blue oak and valley oak do not occur naturally outside of California. Blue oak is found in the foothills of the Coast Ranges and the western Sierra Nevada, while valley oak grows on deeper soils along rivers and streams, particularly in the Central Valley. Both species are sensitive to temperature and rainfall. The changes in their potential ranges under the climate change scenario were attributable primarily to increasing temperature and decreasing rainfall during the growing season, Kueppers said.

"If this scenario is what we can expect with climate change, then these oak woodlands are going to have to adapt pretty dramatically to new conditions or move significant distances in a relatively short period of time," Kueppers said.

The study highlights the importance of studying climate change on a regional scale, because its effects will vary from one region to another, Sloan added.

"More intense hurricanes are the issue on the Gulf Coast, while melting sea ice is important in the Arctic," she said. "In California, the strongest effects of climate change are in the mountains, creating concern for our water supply and for the natural ecosystems that attract so many visitors."

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Contact: Tim Stephens
stephens@ucsc.edu
831-459-4352
University of California - Santa Cruz
31-Oct-2005