Droughts in Western U.S.

In a recent article, professor Matthew Bekker from Brigham Young University studied tree rings in drought-sensitive tree species. He and his team of researchers wanted to look into this since climate in the West changes more than usual since the 1900's. With his research, Bekker found several scenarios that would effect tree growth. These scenarios included long droughts, intense droughts, and consecutive worse-case scenarios.

The study took core samples from Douglas furs and pinyon pine trees. Both of these trees are especially sensitive to water supply. They were able to build a tree-ring chronology dating back 585 years for trees in the Weber River basin. Using this information and modern day stream flow measurements, the team attempted to observe a correlation between ring thickness and drought severity.

I think that Bekker's research is essential for planning for future scenarios in which we will have a intense drought. Though it probably isn't as important as other topics today, it is still important with the ever expanding human race. More information on the subject can be read from this article.