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Fewer Trees, More Water: Study Finds Runoff Boost From Forest Thinning

May 7, 2018
A century of fire suppression has left Western forests overgrown. That has interrupted nature’s regular fire cycle and means that when fires do happen, they become catastrophic because there is plentiful fuel to burn. It also means forests are sucking up more water than they did historically...

Billions of Gallons of Water Saved by Thinning Sierra Forests

April 23, 2018
There are too many trees in Sierra Nevada forests, say experts from UC Merced, UC Irvine and the National Park Service working at the National Science Foundation Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory (NSF SSCZO). This comes as a surprise to those of us who see dense, verdant forests as a sign...

Sustainable California Video Highlights UC Water Academy Experience

April 13, 2018
April is Earth Month. It’s also when UC Water Academy — an intensive course aimed at training the next generation of California water experts — starts its second year. To mark the occasion, UC Water released its second video for the UCTV Sustainable California...

Helmrich Awarded Delta Science Fellowship

April 9, 2018
Environmental Systems doctoral student Stefanie Helmrich was awarded the Delta Science Fellowship, becoming UC Merced’s first recipient of the prestigious award. Helmrich received one of nine fellowships awarded this year by the state’s Delta Stewardship Council. The award...

Hart Elected Lifetime Fellow of Ecological Society

March 28, 2018

In 20 Years, Wildfires Will Be Six Times Larger

March 22, 2018
From Montana to California, wildfires in 2017 shattered record after record and cost the Forest Service an unprecedented $2 billion . The blazes ravaged rural landscapes and business centers and claimed dozens of lives , including those of at least two firefighters. This season’s...

Los Cenzontles in Concert at UC Merced

March 12, 2018
Los Cenzontles (The Mockingbirds), an award-winning band heavily influenced by Mexican folk music, is coming to UC Merced on March 14 for a free concert and a music workshop. Both events are free and open to all. The workshop takes place at 2 p.m. in the Crescent Arch Room, and the concert begins...

Study indicates that climate change will wreak havoc on California agriculture

March 9, 2018
The California we know is the breadbasket of the nation, producing more than two-thirds of the country's fruits and nuts, including almonds, pistachios, oranges, apricots, nectarines and prunes, and more than a third of its vegetables, including artichokes, broccoli, spinach and carrots. It...

Wildfire problem to increase in coming decades

March 5, 2018
Research projects substantial increases in area burned across western North America, with implications for land managers and policy makers. Above: Projected change in annual area burned for the period 2010–2039, with red colors indicating areas with the greatest increase in area...

California agriculture faces serious threats from climate change, study finds

February 27, 2018
Over the past decade, California farmers have been seeing symptoms of climate change in their fields and orchards: less winter chill, crops blooming earlier, more heat waves and years of drought when the state baked in record temperatures. Scientists say California agriculture will face much...

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