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California Heartbeat Initiative

Consequences of fire on California ecosystems

February 25, 2021 By Kathleen Wong

Consequences of fire on California ecosystems

When fires sweep across the landscape, they do much more than incinerate flammable items in their way. Flames cause chemical changes to soils, drive out animals, and expose areas to far more sun and rain than they once experienced. In some cases, a burn can be enough to shift not only erosion patterns but entire […]

Wildfires spark burn recovery study at 9 UC Natural Reserves

November 3, 2020 By Kathleen Wong

burn recovery study

August wildfires incinerated tens of thousands of acres across seven UC Natural Reserves and affected parkland adjacent to two more reserves. This fall, the UC Natural Reserve System (NRS) will deploy rapid response teams to characterize the extent and intensity of the burns, as well as the effects of wildfire on a wide range of […]

2020 wildfires burn six UC Natural Reserves; seventh threatened

August 22, 2020 By Kathleen Wong

2020 Wildfires

Wildfires are burning at an unprecedented six reserves in the UC Natural Reserve System across northern and central California, and threaten a seventh. Blazes sparked by both lightning and arson have consumed nine buildings and one vehicle, as well as an untold number of acres of grassland, forest, chaparral, and other natural habitats. Beginning the […]

Arbor Creek Experimental Watershed: watching the flow of water through oak woodlands

April 28, 2020 By Kathleen Wong

Arbor Creek Experimental Watershed

Foothill oak woodlands are among the most familiar ecosystems in California. Supporting deer and squirrels, acorn woodpeckers and oak moths, these habitats occupy tens of thousands of acres across the state. Yet change is coming to these widespread habitats. Like much of the West, California’s foothills are predicted to experience shifts in climate in coming […]

California Heartbeat Initiative soars ahead

October 2, 2019 By Kathleen Wong

CHI research

A University of California project to study the availability of water in California’s ecosystems is off to a soaring start. The California Heartbeat Initiative (CHI) uses drones, sap flow meters, and other remote sensing techniques to monitor the water status of plants across large swaths of the landscape. The project aims to interpret water status […]

Tracking water through California ecosystems

December 12, 2017 By Kathleen Wong

OAKLAND, California—The University of California Natural Reserve System has received a $2.179 million grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation to monitor the pulse of water through state ecosystems. The California Heartbeat Initiative-Freshwater (CHI-Freshwater) will link plant responses to environmental conditions such as heat waves, rainstorms, and drought on a landscape scale. The results […]

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California Ecology and Conservation

California Ecology and Conservation brings together 27 students from across the UC system for seven weeks of intensive learning at NRS reserves.

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