At Least A Dozen Giant Sequoia Groves Will Lose "Significant Numbers" Of Trees In Current Wildfires

[hatrack]

More than a dozen groves of giant sequoias may lose significant numbers of trees in the wildfires now raging in the southern Sierra Nevada, even as fire crews succeed, sometimes dramatically, in keeping flames at bay in the most popular stands. Scientists surveying the damage of two active fires say the biggest losses will likely be at the south end of Giant Sequoia National Monument, where already 29 large trees have been listed as dead and many more are expected to follow.

The Windy Fire there has exploded to 87,901 acres, and it’s burning out of control through several less-known, but still-towering sequoia stands, including the stately Packsaddle Grove. The fire was just 25% contained on Wednesday.

“We should probably anticipate numbers (mortality rates) similar to what came out of the Castle Fire,” said Garrett Dickman, a botanist at Yosemite National Park, referring to last year’s blaze that in some spots killed more than 50% of the sequoia trees. “I really hope to be wildly off on this, but I don’t know.” Dickman is leading the damage assessment of sequoias in the national monument, a job that has taken on heightened significance after the extraordinary tally of sequoia deaths in recent years.

Once thought to be impervious to fire, the trees, which grow only within a limited band on the western slopes of the Sierra, have become increasingly vulnerable to California’s bigger, hotter blazes. The Castle Fire alone wiped out between 10% and 14% of the total sequoia population. Scientists worry that if wildfires continue to get worse, fueled largely by the warming climate and the buildup of unruly vegetation, the future of the species could be in real doubt.

EDIT

https://www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/Southern-Sierra-wildfires-wiping-out-giant-16497755.php

[CrispyQ]

1. "Once thought to be impervious to fire..."

I think what was really meant was, "We never thought conditions along the northern coastline of CA would deteriorate to the point where the trees would be at risk of fire."