The 6 degree Fahrenheit drop in the coast vs inland temperature gradient has resulted in a 33% reduction in coastal fog drip.
This is definitely not good for our Coastal Redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains, given their reliance on high fog density. Such a reduction in fog will result in smaller trees and a reduced growth rate. As a result, the more aggressive tanoak and douglas fir species will proliferate and dominate the limited Redwood forests.
It sounds far off, but this is definitely news worth considering if you are planning a timber harvesting operation. Given that these trees take between 20-50 years to grow back, such logging operations could drastically change the surrounding ecosystem.
I believe that the Redwood forests are one of northern California's most amazing gifts, and I would be extremely sad to see them go.
