Researchers in Florida who were gearing up to study water use by trees in residential areas saw their research take a sharp turn when they discovered that some of their focal pine trees were infested with bark beetles. But what might seem like a setback turned out to be a golden opportunity to study how environmental conditions, bark beetles and human interventions to fight beetle infestation affect water use by urban trees in real time.
ESA Research News
In the summer of 2010, Los Angeles lost about 100 gallons of water per person per day to the atmosphere through evaporation, mostly from overwatering of lawns and trees. Lawns accounted for 70 percent of the water loss, while trees accounted for 30 percent, according to a study published today in the journal Water Resources Research.
NSF News Release University of Utah News
How much water does your lawn really need? A University of Utah study re-evaluated lawn watering recommendations by measuring water use by lawns in Los Angeles. The standard model of turfgrass water needs, they found, lacked precision in some common urban southern California conditions.
University of Utah News
After four years of terrible drought, last winter brought a little reprieve for water-starved California. The heavy rain and snow filled reservoirs and built up the snowpack. It made enough of a dent in the drought that the Water Resources Control Board eased its statewide water restrictions to allow regions with more water supply to conserve less this summer. But though people will be able to water their lawns again, the drought is far from over.
Next City Article
UC Irvine’s redwoods sit like forlorn Christmas trees near the campus power plant and the Crawford Hall parking lot. They’re miniatures of Northern California’s ancient giants, a dwarf grove with drooping branches. But they’re still standing. The trees began life with fanfare three decades ago.
University of California Irvine News