Forest welcomes the rain

The southern edge of the San Gabriel Mountains is often a barrier to rain, holding precious moisture below Mt. Wilson, creating a dry area in the forest in its imposing shadow. Some of today’s rain did reach across the six thousand foot natural boundary, and touched the parched earth in the center of the newly created San Gabriel Mountains National Monument.

Chilao, in the heart of the forest, has been one of the local regions hardest hit by the drought. A quarter of the mature trees in the Angeles National Forest were lost in the Station Fire, and many of those were on the lower southern and western flanks of Chilao. They brought cool breezes in the summer and attracted the presence of clouds. The trees were co-creators of the cooler mountain climate. In their absence, Chilao often hovers just below triple digits in the last few summers...a temperature rarely reached in previous years.

Thirsty ground drank in the morning’s rain. At 5,000 feet, there were no long and heavy downpours; much of the storms’ moisture was in fact trapped by the mountains to fall up on the valleys below. But there was rain...gentle, sometimes steady, sometimes a heavy mist.

For many trees in Chilao, the rain comes too late...a one-two punch of drought and bark beetles has hit this popular camping, riding and hiking destination hard, with many trees succumbing to the long dry years and a total rainfall since 2011 that is over 100 inches below average. One storm cannot replace that kind of moisture...perhaps even the predicted wet winter cannot bring the ground moisture to its former normalcy. But no rain goes to waste here. Like a sponge, the soil absorbs it, puddles disappearing moments after the raindrops cease to fall.

Forestry in this changing climate - both in the local microcosm and on a grander scale - is a challenge and a learning experience for foresters. As rainfall patterns change, so does the growth of plants; in the arctic, trees encroach on the tundra, and in the Angeles, the tree line contracts. Worldwide, managers of wilderness areas observe and interact with the changes.

“Talking Trees” - a workshop hosted by Tree People and Chilao School, takes place October 3 in the Angeles National Forest and welcomes the public. This workshop will explore forests and forestry from a number of perspectives and include field visits to natural and planted tree stands in the vicinity. For more information: https://www.facebook.com/events/654475864658611/