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SCIENCEMonday 28 September 2015
Scientists: Drought stressing California’s giant sequoias
BY SCOTT SMITH Giant Sequoia trees are seen in a meadow at Sequoia National Park near Visalia, Calif. endured past wildfires and
ASSOCIATED PRESS (Associated Press) droughts, but Nydick said
SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK, this fourth year of drought
Calif. (AP) -- Giant Sequoi- the treasured trees. “Peo- feet tall. There are other Roughly 75 distinct groves in California is marked by a
as growing in California’s ple come from all over the trees that live longer and that grow mostly in the record-low snow pack and
Sierra Nevada are among world to see the Giant Se- some that grow taller, but southern Sierra Nevada some of the hottest tem-
the largest and oldest liv- quoias.” Some living more researchers say the Giant were critical to founding peratures recorded in the
ing things on earth, but than 3,000 years, Giant Se- Sequoias are unique for the Sequoia National Park park. The data they col-
scientists climbing high up quoias grow to nearly 300 their size and longevity. 120 years ago. They have lect will be another impor-
into their green canopies tant piece of information
say they are seeing symp- helping forestry officials to
toms of stress caused by identify which groves need
the state’s historic drought. to be thinned through pre-
Patches of brown, dead scribed burns to allow in
foliage are appearing more sunlight and give
more than in past years, certain trees a larger share
say researchers studying of the scarce underground
the iconic trees, which only water. Nydick said that a
grow naturally in the Sierra single tree can require up
Nevada. By taking stock of to 800 gallons a day.
groves that are most vul- Anthony Ambrose, a tree
nerable, scientists say they biologist with the Univer-
can better manage the sity of California, Berkeley,
forest through the hotter, hiked deep into the Giant
drier droughts expected in Forest east of Visalia one
the future. day recently and dropped
“They’re beautiful, majestic his heavy backpack
trees,” said Koren Nydick, stuffed with a climbing har-
a National Park Service ness and 600 feet of rope.
ecologist and part of the “I’ll be climbing this tree,”
research team focused on he said.q
Environmentalists ask court to stop Hawaii tuna quota shift
AUDREY McAVOY ‘Bigeye’ tuna line the floor of the United Fishing Agency’s auc- their catch as having been Western and Central Pa-
Associated Press tion house in Honolulu. Environmentalists want a federal judge to caught by fishermen in cific Fisheries Commission,
HONOLULU (AP) — Environ- stop the National Marine Fisheries Service from allowing Hawaii- Guam, the Northern Mari- which regulates fishing
mentalists this weekend based fishermen to attribute some of their bigeye tuna catch to ana Islands and American from east and southeast
asked a federal judge to U.S. territories. Samoa. Asia to waters around Ha-
stop the National Marine “This is allowing them to waii, set a limit of about
Fisheries Service from al- (AP Photo/Eugene Tanner) fish without limits,” Henkin 3,500 metric tons for Hawaii
lowing Hawaii-based fish- said of Hawaii fishermen longline fishermen this year.
ermen to attribute some during a hearing in federal That’s about 7 percent less
of the bigeye tuna they court for a motion Earthjus- than last year.
catch to U.S. territories. tice filed on behalf of the The National Marine Fisher-
They argue the agency is Conservation Council for ies Service enforces these
enabling the fishermen to Hawaii and other environ- limits in the U.S. This year,
circumvent international mental groups. the Hawaii fishery reached
agreements aimed at Bradley Oliphant, a U.S. its annual limit in August,
controlling the overfishing Justice Department attor- several months earlier than
of a popular tuna species ney who argued on behalf in the past.
known as ahi. of the fisheries service, said The agency has also pro-
Earthjustice attorney Da- the agency carefully stud- posed rules that would al-
vid Henkin told U.S. District ied the environmental ef- low Hawaii longline fisher-
Court Judge Leslie Ko- fects of the quota transfer. men to bring in more big-
bayashi the fisheries ser- He said the arrangement eye tuna by shifting some
vice acted illegally when meets the requirements of of their catch to territorial
it created a framework al- U.S. fisheries and environ- fleets, which do not face
lowing Hawaii longline fish- mental laws. the same limits from the
ermen to record some of The 26-member nation commission.q
