Dec 29, 2015 11:43 AM EST By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

The state of California already knew the devastating effects its drought was having on its trees, but new research sought to quantify just how bad it is.

According to The Washington Post, researchers at the Carnegie Institution for Science used laser-imaging technology and data from satellites to test trees for drought-related problems. They found 888 million trees in California that have experienced a loss of water due to the drought.

The researchers published their work in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"California relies on its forests for water provisioning and carbon storage, as well as timber products, tourism, and recreation, so they are tremendously important ecologically, economically, and culturally," Greg Asner, a Carnegie staff scientist who lead the research, said in a press release. "The drought put the forests in tremendous peril, a situation that may cause long-term changes in ecosystems that could impact animal habitats and biodiversity.

"Continued airborne and satellite monitoring will enable actions on the ground to mitigate a cascade of negative impacts from forest losses due to drought, as well as aid in monitoring forest recovery if and when the drought subsides."

Calif. Gov. Jerry Brown issued a State of Emergency in October in response to an "unprecedented tree die-off." Unhealthy trees at this scale, the state said, significantly raises the danger wildfires already pose.

"The Carnegie Airborne Observatory's research provides invaluable insight into the severity of drought impacts in California's iconic forests," Ashley Conrad-Saydah, deputy secretary for climate policy at the California Environmental Protection Agency, said in the release. "It will be important to bring their cutting-edge data and expertise to bear as the state seeks to address the effects of this epidemic of dying trees and aid in the recovery of our forests."

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