News

‘Ground zero’ for dead trees. How California mega-drought turned Creek Fire into inferno

September 14, 2020
California’s mega-drought officially ended three years ago but may have turned the Creek Fire into a monster. By killing millions of trees in the Sierra National Forest, the historic drought that ended in 2017 left an incendiary supply of dry fuel that appears to have intensified...

SNRI Executive Named Director of State Parks

August 27, 2020
Armando Quintero’s passion for water, conservation, nature and responsible stewardship has carried him through his life, from his days as a National Park ranger, artist, teacher and leader of natural history journeys to his executive director position with the Sierra Nevada Research Institute. Now...

Precipitation and Drainage Fuel Large CO2 ‘Burps’ from Rainforest Soils, Study Finds

August 17, 2020
It is said that rainforests are the Earth’s lungs, capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, building it into lush vegetation and releasing oxygen and water back into the air. But every time there’s a big rain, the rainforest soil emits a significant burst of that CO2, according to a new study...

Reforesting After Wildfires: Which Trees Are Most Likely to Thrive?

August 11, 2020
Wildfire seasons are intensifying because of climate change. That means reforestation efforts will increase, making it important for scientists and resource managers to understand how to make sure restorations will thrive in the future. Because changes in climate challenge forests’ stability and...

World’s Tallest Trees Shape the Diversity of Life in Their Soils, Study Shows

August 10, 2020
There’s a whole world of activity beneath your feet. Soil holds a large proportion of Earth's biodiversity, and is the place where organisms interact with each other and with plants, serving important functions for their ecosystems. A new study shows that trees and rocks are important drivers of...

World’s Oldest Trees Shape the Diversity of Life in Their Soils, Study Shows

August 10, 2020
There’s a whole world of activity beneath your feet. Soil holds a large proportion of Earth's biodiversity, and is the place where organisms interact with each other and with plants, serving important functions for their ecosystems. A new study shows that trees and rocks are important drivers of...

Partner Profile: Dr. Tapan Pathak, Climate Adaptation Specialist

August 7, 2020
Dr. Tapan Pathak is a University of California (UC) Cooperative Extension Specialist in climate adaptation in agriculture at the UC Merced Sierra Nevada Research Institute and spends his days translating research into practice. An agricultural engineer by training, Pathak first brought academia...

New Engineering Research Center to Focus on Agriculture Technology

August 7, 2020
By 2050, the U.S. population is estimated to grow to 400 million, and the world population to 9.1 billion, requiring a 70 percent increase in global food production. UC Merced is one of four campuses across the country uniting to meet that challenge by harnessing the power of innovation and...

UC President Honors RadioBio

August 7, 2020
University of California President Janet Napolitano honored a student activist and a student-run science podcasting group on Thursday (July 30) with the annual President’s Award for Outstanding Student Leadership. Napolitano recognized this year’s award winners, UCLA Law’s...

New Tools Indicate How Thinning and Fire Affect Forest Water Use and Boost Runoff

July 29, 2020
Forest-management actions such as mechanical thinning and prescribed burns don’t just reduce the risk of severe wildfire and promote forest health — these practices can also contribute to significant increases in downstream water availability. New research from UC Merced’s Sierra Nevada Research...

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