Snowbound: Big Trees Boost Water in Forests by Protecting Snowpack
Published:15 Mar.2022 Source:S.J. & Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources, Utah State University
Big trees play an outsized role in old-growth forests -- from offering fire resistance to producing strong genetic offspring, big trees give forests multiple ecological advantages. New research gives managers yet another reason to honor the behemoths -- big trees protect melting snowpacks in water-stressed environments.
The research from Michaela Teich, Kendall Becker and Jim Lutz from the Department of Wildland Resources at Utah State University and colleague Mark Raleigh from Oregon State University, details the ecological puzzle for how big trees interact with forest snow.