Jason Chin » Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences http://jasonchin.net Blog, Illustration, Books Fri, 12 Mar 2010 02:00:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Fluctuating Fog Levels on the California Coast http://jasonchin.net/2010/02/fluctuating-fog-levels-on-the-california-coast/ http://jasonchin.net/2010/02/fluctuating-fog-levels-on-the-california-coast/#comments Fri, 19 Feb 2010 03:40:29 +0000 Jason Chin http://jasonchin.net/?p=170 A new study finds fluctuating levels of fog on the California coast which could have an adverse affect on coast redwoods.   The study, conducted by biologist James Johnstone from U.C. Berkley, suggests that there has been a 30% decline in fog frequency along the coast in the past over the last century.  Redwoods rely on fog in the dry summer months to retain moisture.  When the fog rolls in, moisture condenses on the trees’ needles and falls to the ground to be soaked up by the trees’ roots.  But not only do they make their own rain, recent research has found that redwoods also absorb moisture through the needles themselves.  Over the course of one year, 30% to 40% of a redwoods total water intake is fog dependent, which is why this research has redwood enthusiasts worried.  The study appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Read more about the study on npr.org

Read the full study at pnas.org

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