There’s something eerie about this forest in the southern Sierra Nevada. Tangles of bony branches obscure the ground. Dead trees stand gray and bristly. An aura of doom hangs over the green conifers that remain.
A fifth of the Sierra Nevada’s conifer forests are out of sync with the warming climate around them, which makes them less likely to grow back after a major wildfire.
Researchers have warned that the movement of conifer forests to the north is visible on satellites and could lead to increased wildfires and new risks to biodiversity.
Oregon fish and wildlife officials have rejected a request from six conservation groups to protect the Humboldt marten – a small predator that inhabits old-growth redwood forests.
