Networking the Redwoods 175
linuxwrangler writes "SF Gate is reporting that ecology researchers are outfitting a grove of trees with tiny "micromote" sensors to monitor the light, humidity and other conditions as the trees grow. The sensors, running the open-source Tiny OS, form and maintain their own network. This test of the "Smart Dust" concept (mentioned on /. earlier) only uses 50 sensors but scientists hope to be able to deploy the sensors on a large scale to help figure out why California's Redwoods are dying off at an alarming rate."
Let's get it out of the system (Score:4, Funny)
Yes, but do they run Linux?
Imagine a Beowulf cluster of these!!
In Soviet Russia, the redwoods network you!
Place smart sensors in the woods!
?????
Profit.
Does that include the $699 SCO license fee?
Re:Let's get it out of the system (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Let's get it out of the system (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Let's get it out of the system (Score:5, Insightful)
Ah yes, forestry by hearsay. Always a recipe for success. :)
I think the concern is more about the rate that mature trees are dying off than the rate replacements are germinating.
Re:Let's get it out of the system (Score:5, Interesting)
I'm not a forester, rather a geographer by education and computer geek by profession, but I've lived in Humboldt County for the last 16 years, and I think I would have heard about the redwood tree germination/fire connection if there was one.
On a side note, I've meet the professor from Humboldt State University in the article, Steve Sillett (I used to drive fieldtrips when I was a student at HSU). He (and his students) use crossbows to shoot a thin line over a sturdy branch (sometimes over 100 feet high), and then pull over sucessivly thicker lines. Then they pull out the "climbing ascenders" (pull up and clamp the right one, step up, pull up and clamp the left one, step up - repeat a couple hundred times). Every effort is made to do no harm to the trees. There truly is a whole ecosystem in those redwoods, including newts and other creatures that have never been on the ground.
There is an IMAX film called Adventures in Wild California [wildca.com] which features Steve climbing and studying tall trees (this time sequoias rather than coastal redwoods). While not the best IMAX movies I've seen, the scenery is awesome.
just my 2 cents....
Re:Let's get it out of the system (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Let's get it out of the system (Score:4, Informative)
You are right about the fog - we get tons of it in the coastal parts of Humboldt County - and the eastern edge of the redwoods clearly demarks the end of the fog belt.
The definition of rainforest that I'm more familiar with has to do with yearly rainfall - 100 inches (or 254cm). And there is at least 2 parts of California that easily exceed this amount - The Smith River valley near the oregon border and the Matole River valley in southern Humboldt County (both coastal). Last December alone, the town of Honeydew received over 100 inches IN ONE MONTH (while arcata, ca - home of HSU - had just over 30 or so inches in the same month).
Re:Let's get it out of the system (Score:1)
Last December alone, the town of Honeydew received over 100 inches IN ONE MONTH
The year of La Nina my house (in the Santa Cruiz Mtn. Redwoods) got 87in. of rain in two weeks. But that was unusual, I think we usually don't get more than 90 a year.
Re:Let's get it out of the system (Score:2, Informative)
week on the subject of forest fires -- controlled burns vs thinning vs let it just happen naturally.
Bottom line
forest, its underlying ecosystem, and past history.
Disclaimer: I live on the prairies in the Great
White North, so what do I know about trees?
Re:Let's get it out of the system (Score:1, Funny)
Worst president EVAR!
Re:Let's get it out of the system (Score:2)
Re:Let's get it out of the system (Score:2)
A joke told twice is tolerated.
BUT A JOKE TOLD FOR THE TEN THOUSANDTH TIME IS JUST A TROLL!!!
And that, oh friendly AC, includes you.
Re:Let's get it out of the system (Score:1, Funny)
Imagine a Beowulf cluster of these!!
In Soviet Russia, the redwoods network you!
Place smart sensors in the woods!
?????
Profit.
Does that include the $699 SCO license fee?
You forgot:
I for one welcome our new micromote sensor overlords!
Pollution? (Score:5, Insightful)
Umm, last time I was in the area a few months ago, given the amount of pollution and traffic in the Bay area and north of the Bay area, I am not surprised the redwoods are dying off.
Re:Pollution? (Score:2)
"I'm a lumberjack and I'm ok..."
Rus
Re:Pollution? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Pollution? (Score:1)
what (Score:2)
Re:Pollution? (Score:2, Informative)
Umm, last time I was in the area a few months ago, given the amount of pollution and traffic in the Bay area and north of the Bay area, I am not surprised the redwoods are dying off.
Except that redwoods are really tolerant (they are a common landscaping tree, for just this reason) of that kind of pollution and the die-offs are happening in the LEAST polluted areas. Also, it isn't as simple as saying pollution. What kind of pollution? How does it affect the trees? If you don't answer these questions,
Re:Pollution? (Score:1)
Just get behind one of the hundreds of log trucks going down Hyw 101 in Del Norte county and look at the size of the trees being hauled to the sawmill. It's not uncommon to see logs on the back of the trucks that are 12 to 18 feet (4 to 6 meters) in diameter.
The redwood forest is dying because the trees are being cut down by the thousands...
day after day... month after month... year after year.
Re:Pollution, Schmution... (Score:4, Interesting)
Take a look at this: (http://www.scienceagogo.com)
"14 August 2003
Cosmic Rays The Biggest Culprit In Global Warming
Global warming will not be reduced much by efforts to limit carbon dioxide emission into the atmosphere, say two scientists.
Dr. Nir Shaviv, an astrophysicist from the Racah Institute of Physics of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and Prof. Jan Veiser a geochemist at the University of Ottawa in Canada, say that temperature variations are due more to cosmic forces than to the actions of man.
In a recent article published in GSA Today, the journal of the Geographic Society of America, Shaviv and Veiser tell of their studies illustrating a correlation between past cosmic ray flux - the high-energy particles reaching us from stellar explosions - and long-term climate variability, as recorded by oxygen isotopes trapped in rocks formed by ancient marine fossils. The level of cosmic ray activity reaching the earth and its atmosphere was reconstructed using another isotopic record in meteorites.
The study showed that peak periods of cosmic rays reaching the earth over the past 550 million years coincided with lower global temperatures, apparently due to the way that the cosmic rays promote low-level cloud formation, hence blocking out the sun. No correlation was obtained, however, with the changing amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide.
The conclusion of the two scientists is that celestial processes seem to be the dominant influence on climate change, and that increased carbon dioxide release, while certainly not beneficial, is only secondary to those forces which are beyond our control.
In practical terms, says Dr. Shaviv, "The operative significance of our research is that a significant reduction of the release of greenhouse gases will not significantly lower the global temperature, since only about a third of the warming over the past century should be attributed to man." Thus, say the scientists, the Kyoto accord of 1997 - which was aimed at tackling the global warming phenomenon through limitations on carbon dioxide - is not the panacea some thought it would be.
Taking the long-range view, Dr. Shaviv and Prof. Veiser believe that fluctuations in cosmic ray emissions account for about 75 percent of climate variation throughout the millennia. They acknowledge that this position pits them against prevailing scientific opinion, which still places a heavy emphasis on the negative role of greenhouse gases. "
Re:Pollution, Schmution... (Score:2, Interesting)
redwoods around Bakersfield to the fundamental differences in soil acidity," (http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/counties/cekern/newslett e rfiles/The_Green_Scene2693.pdf)
Acidity as we all know can be increased by adding liquified SO4 (I think that's the one) which is a common pollutant (and other such harmful chemicals).
It may not be as simple as this, but pollution is more than just a few degree C temperature increases. Pollution has also altered weather patterns: he
Re:Pollution, Schmution... (Score:2)
I think we cannot ignore the massive anthropomorphic changes in CO2 and other (more potent) greenhouse gasses. That said, we should do it in a way that maximizes global economic conditions, and is based on very solid science. Current greenhouse warming models have had little predictive value, so evidently we are still learning.
Re:Pollution, Schmution... (Score:1)
The Kyoto agreement would be something to care about if it held all nations to some sort of common standard, but it doesn't. It allows the industrialized nations to move their polluting factories to developing nations w/ little or no environmental regulations. It doesn't solve the problem, but makes the proponents feel good about themselves.
Re:But you need data to counter the republicans... (Score:1)
But it's the concentration that matters. (Score:1, Insightful)
This is sort of the same issue. Human pollutants may account for 3% of the CO2 and other pollutants [*] worldwide - but it's likely to have a *huge* local effect in the area that it's released before it disperses. Don't forget that California's economy (if ranked alongside other countries separate from the rest of the US) - would be the 5t
Re:But you need data to counter the republicans... (Score:1)
When it comes to deliberate half-truths, you have to hand it to the anti-global-warming crowd, they know how to use them.
Of course, you know that natural CO2 emissions are effectively closed circuit - under normal conditions, a rainforest will take up the same amount of CO2 as it releases through resparation. The fluxes involved may be large, but they are balanced, and so have no net effect on atmospheric CO2 concentration.
Over long time periods, the CO2 concentration is set by the balance of CO2 relea
Re:But you need data to counter the republicans... (Score:2)
The thing about equilibrium is, if you upset it, it tries to reestablish itself.
In terms of the volcanic/erosion flux, adding more CO2 means a higher atmospheric concentration to keep the rate of removal up.
If you make the environment more favourable for quicker plant growth, you get more plant growth, and therefore more CO2 is eaten up.
And therefore more plant matter to decay and release CO2. Now, it appears that around half of manmade CO2 is currently being stored as extra biomass. Should this p
Now the only question is... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Now the only question is... (Score:3, Funny)
And, would the sensors detect it? (Score:1)
Re:Now the only question is... (Score:1, Interesting)
If sound is a vibration of air molecules that an average human ear can detect, then yes.
If sound is defined in some way that actually involves being measured at the time of incident, then no.
Do the nuclear reactions within the sun stop when you are not staring directly at it?
Re:Now the only question is... (Score:2, Funny)
'If a tree falls in the forest and kills the pothead greeny chained to it, does anyone care?'
Re:Now the only question is... (Score:2)
No.
But they will file it with their insurance company when it lands on their vehicle [bayarea.com]
Re:Now the only question is... (Score:1)
Re:Now the only question is... (Score:1)
It's not the Hummers. (Score:4, Funny)
Probably has nothing to do with Aaaarnold and the rest of the celebs driving around in diesel guzzling
Hummers.
Re:It's not the Hummers. (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:It's not the Hummers. (Score:2)
Re:It's not the Hummers. (Score:2)
Mind, the original Hummer is/was available in both gas and diesel versions.
Re:It's not the Hummers. (Score:1)
Maybe... (Score:4, Funny)
Maybe they're dying because people keep trying to strap boxes to them, measuring temperature, humidity and who knows what else.
Wouldn't that be ironic.
Real Reason (Score:5, Funny)
Redwoods are fighting back (Score:3, Funny)
figure out why California's Redwoods are dying (Score:2)
Redwoods dying (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Redwoods dying (Score:2)
I thought the page said... (Score:2)
Geek Test (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Geek Test (Score:1)
TinyOS ports? (Score:1)
more impressed when it gets ported to x86. I mean, even if the scheduler ballooned up to 500 bytes, the whole system would still be really small. Sorta like QNX.
(It is a joke... laugh)
Does a bear DOS in the woods? (Score:2, Funny)
Suicide (Score:2)
They all bought Silicon Valley stock during the dot-com bobble, and when it burst they got suicidally depressed?
I wonder... (Score:1)
Well here's my guess ... (Score:3, Funny)
The concept is new and untested, but I think we might see surprising results.
Re:Well here's my guess ... (Score:2)
Speeding, p2p file sharing, etc.
Glad to know you've got such a profound trust for the "system". I'll go buy my redwood furniture now.
In recent news: (Score:4, Funny)
In a suit paralleling this one, SCO also sued all of humanity for intaking the air that was produced by biological plant-based systems that utilized code in violation of SCO's terms of agreement.
Re:In recent news: (Score:2)
"We have a solution that gets you clean, gets you square with the use of Linux without having to go to the courtroom," Chief Executive Darl McBride said in a conference call Monday. - ZDNET
Are you clean?
Shit, just having this guy ask that question makes me want to go take a long hot shower.
A deepness in the sky. (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:A deepness in the sky. (Score:2)
The sensor nodes themselves weren't as important as how their data was seemlessly networked into everyone's augmented reality.
--
Re:A deepness in the sky. (Score:1)
Vinge seemed to be warning us about the dangers of overly ambitious 'network optimization' on the part of governments, which seems erriely related to the recent power grid problems.
I can't remember his exact words, but Vinge talks about how once the network effect takes off, it becomes very tempting for governments to promise more than they can deliver in terms of solving the problems
Too late to be useful. (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Too late to be useful. (Score:2, Insightful)
-theGreater Zealot.
It's never too late to understand (Score:4, Informative)
Each tree is growing - or dying - slightly differently from its neighbouring trees due to different local conditions. This means we can study the differences between trees and relate them to differences in local conditions. If we can work out why some trees are doing better than others, then we have a chance of working out how to improve the conditions for the trees that are dying. The micromote project is collecting basic information on local conditions such as temperature and humidity which will enable this research to reach conclusions in the next couple of years.
The technical side of motes. (Score:5, Informative)
Since I'm sure most of /. is more interested in coding a 1 square inch sensor than protecting a 300 foot tree, here's some programming background on the little bastards (which I work with on a daily basis, as part of a sensor network research group in a VA university).
- the architecture
The motes run 4MHz or 8MHz processors, with built in memory. The amount of memory varies across mote models (currently Rene, Rene2, Mica, Mica2, Mica2Dot [xbow.com], and SmartDust) but we're talking 16KB to 128KB of program memory, 4KB to 16KB of data memory, and 4Kb to 8KB EEPROM for permanent storage. They have a short range radio capable of I believe 10kbps, and use an active message model to provide what we know as "ports", so that you can direct a message to a specific handler based on its message type. The packet sizes top out at 36 bytes. The motes are powered by two AA batteries, which can last a surprisingly long time if the radio is put to sleep. Your main means for debugging: 3 LEDs ... you can begin to imagine the headaches I face on a daily basis.
- the bridge
When deployed, most motes are programmed with routing protocols to autonomously establish networks, which are used for data aggregation and getting sensor readings around. The network is rooted at a basestation, a "powerful" PC without the restricted computation, communication and power limitations of a mote. This way any complex processing is offloaded to the PC, and the motes don't waste battery power doing stuff the PC can do instead. So what bridges this mote network to a PC? Well, it's a programming board. You plug a mote directly into the thing, and you hook up a db-25 to your parallel port, and a db-9 to your serial port. The parallel port is used to program the mote's instruction memory, and the serial port is used to receive messages sent by the mote to the PC. The mote that's hooked up to the programming board is loaded with code to translate RF packets to UART, and vice versa.
- sensing
Motes are equipped with 10-bit resolution ADC sensors which can read light and temperature. Other sensor boards can be hooked up to motes to read vibration, acceleration, and a bunch of other stuff. The motes commonly read their sensors, stuff the data in a packet, and send it along to the basestation for processing. That's the generic application model, at least.
- security
The main part of our research deals directly with implementing security in the sensor networks. This is far from easy, since you can't even store a public/private key in the mote's limited memory, let alone do anything with it. The protocols used are complex, involving securely distributing keys, efficient authentication protocols, and all this in 16KB of program memory (on Rene2s) INCLUDING the operating system [berkeley.edu]! Just remember that the point isn't to stop a mote from being compromised, it's to realize it's compromised and drop it from the network. There are supposed to be thousands of motes in the network after all, so dropping a bunch won't hurt.
---
Here's hoping that background will help avoid the mass privacy paranoia that we /. readers love so much. At the time of this writing, motes aren't small enough or cheap ($250) enough to produce en masse, nor are they tiny enough to go unnoticed (remember the 2 AA batteries?). Yes, there are exceptions, but 1 square inch are the smallest production versions I know of (Mica2dots). And until they stop running on batteries, their biggest hindrance is their short lifetime, so they currently can't be constantly monitoring anything for months on end.
Aside: Take a look at the Spec [berkeley.edu]. It could change that whole last paragraph. :)
As for the military surveillance stuff, that's what motes are ultimately designed for, to be dropped on
Re:The technical side of motes. (Score:2, Informative)
Why don't you do the development on a virtual machine? I use simulpic for my pic programming needs - surely you have something similar?
Re: 300 foot tree
The tallest living thing was a Eucalyptus regnans felled last century from Mount Baw Baw in
Re:The technical side of motes. (Score:2, Informative)
That said, the atmel cpu used on current motes supports at least a single serial port, and have digital outputs, so you could hook up a terminal to the serial port or a lcd display and use this.
Sometimes you use all the ports and pins for something else and then
Re:The technical side of motes. (Score:2)
You've got that backwards -- they aren't cheap because they aren't produced en masse. Start cranking them out by the tens of thousands and the price would drop to the couple of dollars range. Still a few tweaks (like power supply) to do before it's worth producing them in that volume, though.
remember the 2 AA batteries?
Anything that'll run off 2 AAs will run of 2 AAAs for a shorter period of time, or nickel-size 2032 battery for a l
Backups (Score:2)
But you tell youngster that nowdays an' they'll nowt believe ye...
Xix.
Re:The technical side of motes. (Score:1, Interesting)
Yeah.... I wonder why. (Score:3, Insightful)
They are dying for the same reason 90% of our large fish are gone, frogs have 7 hind legs, mussels are jamming our water pipes, forest fires are ravaging our towns, and we are running out of fresh water.
That reason is that we are too fucking stupid to do anything except what gratifies us the most. So fight cancer with your shark cartilage, infest us with foreign species, empty out those ballast tanks, fight those needed forest fires, and take those 20 minute showers, cause we both know you are not gonna change a fucking thing you do to save the planet from yourself.
Re:Yeah.... I wonder why. (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Yeah.... I wonder why. (Score:1, Interesting)
Get a fucking life.
See, you already know people aren't going to change in any significant way. It's just the way it is. You could waste all your time and energy being a really annoying, whiney little fucker about it, or you could accept it.
Why accept it?
Because there are other ways to reduce the environmental damage, and they don't require changing human nature to acheive. Push for nuclear power - coal fired plants, which we're forced to use thanks to one-dimensional thinkers l
Re:Yeah.... I wonder why. (Score:2)
Dude, you forgot SUV's, and the Redwoods are taking revenge [yahoo.com]!
Have you tried... (Score:4, Insightful)
Seriously, '90% of our large fish are gone'? If that's the case, then I have to assume we ate them, otherwise there would be a whole lot of stinking fish laying around. Do you cry when a shark eats a fish, or a killer whale eats a baby seal? 'But wait,' you say, 'those are part of a natural, balanced, eco-system.' What do you suppose we are? Animals? That's right. Did you know that over 90% of all species that have ever existed are extinct, due to 'natural' causes, before humans existed. Must have been those darn proto-human hominid thingies, huh.
And for your information, those mussels clogging our water pipes are there becasue they LIKE IT . Usually they hang out there because the heat makes them reproduce faster. You see, the survival drive is as fundamental to them as it is to us.
Lastly, don't assume that I'm completely against enviromentalism, or conservation. I'm against wacko-enviromentalists who twist data and make up facts to preach what usually boils down to communism or some other crazy scheme. Nobody really wants to destroy the environment. This isn't Captain Planet, where people want to destroy the Earth for the sake of being evil. I'll admit that often, while pursuing other goals, humanity has been irresponsible about pollution, but we all have to live here too. Tycoons don't want to drink dirty water anymore than you do, and most of them probably bathe in the same water that you do.
So, any non foaming-at-the-mouth comments?
No foaming here... (Score:3, Insightful)
Humans are not part of one natural, balanced eco-system. We are the only species on Earth that can and has become a significant part of every eco-system. We are the only species that has ever changed the face of the earth so drastically in under 200 years. (meteors aren't species)
"Did you know that over 90% of all species that have ever existed are extinct, due to 'natural
Re:No foaming here... (Score:2)
The problems exist, you have just not studied them.
No getting around that, it's just plain obvious from your statements.
Just one point to get you to start all over really.. the land that you "fly over" is largely a dustbowl. There are real problems with soil and water everywhere. Just because there's no house or barn or skyscraper on the land doesn't mean it's usable land that is not in use.
Click her [lead.org]
Re:No foaming here... (Score:2)
The site has absolutely nothing to do with fairness. It simply has to do with fact. I use about 14.6 acres because I work at it. That's the best I can do right now. It's a fact that not everybody can live like we do.
> If they have freedom, they too can achieve this standard of living.
Fairness aside, this would be the WORST thing that could happen to everybody. If everyone lived like we do the planet could
Re:Have you tried... (Score:2)
I said it once.
Re:Yeah.... I wonder why. (Score:2)
That reason is that we are too fucking stupid to do anything except what gratifies us the most.
Gee, you should work for the Sierra Club as a PR flack.
Re:Yeah.... I wonder why. (Score:2)
desks (Score:1)
form and maintain their own network (Score:3, Funny)
Results of the Experiment... (Score:3, Funny)
Scientist 2: Jawhol, even ze von I vaz keepig for my bar-b-q... terrible, terrible... but vat a lot of excellent vood!
Scientist 1: But, our smart dust worked!
Scientist 2: You hef ze data, zen?
Scientist 1: Five hundred and thiry terrabytes of it!
Scientist 2: That vill take years to process...
Scientist 1: Decades!
Scientist 2: Zank God for ze taxpayer. Zo, ve must be starting a New Project...
Scientist 1: Yes, I've already filled in the Grant Application Form, I just need your co-signature...
Scientist 2: Let me see: "Microsensors for Measuring Domestic Charcoal Consumption". You are meaning ze bar-b-queues?
Scientist 1: We also have a study on the long-term quality of Amazonian beef.
Scientist 2: A match made in heaven!
Scientist 1: And our first shipment of barbeques arrives next week...
Scientist 2: Pity ve didn't get ze beer study as vell.
Scientist 1: Well, I know this guy, see...
Last time *I* checked (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Last time *I* checked (Score:4, Informative)
Networked trees (Score:2)
I'll get me coat.
Data Loggers (Score:2, Funny)
Tiny OS - 200 byte scheduler, 4.5 Megabyte Tarball (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Tiny OS - 200 byte scheduler, 4.5 Megabyte Tarb (Score:1)
There's also a bunch of Java code in the distribution for the PC side of things.
The 200 bytes is just the scheduler and initialisation code, any system components your application use are "extra".
Re:Tiny OS - 200 byte scheduler, 4.5 Megabyte Tarb (Score:1)
Racetrack Playa would be a good place for this... (Score:2, Interesting)
Maybe they're dying off... (Score:2)
Speaking of, has anybody considered doing a similar network to track the death of *BSD?
Java? (Score:2)
Hmmm... (Score:2)
But with all of these power alternatives I think what would truly be revolutionary is to find a way to sap a little energy from these massive organisms that would supply just enough power for these sensors, or modified ones that use less power, and still not hurt the tree. It was mentioned in the article that future sensors may use solar power. Well, I would hope
Re:Open source buffoonery... (Score:1)
Re:Open source buffoonery... (Score:1)
Re:Old Age (Score:5, Informative)
No, a tree has no life expectency as such and they do not die simply from old age. Something must kill them, be it disease, parasitic infestation or natural disaster.
The California Redwoods are not merely hundreds of years old, that's how long it takes them to merely reach maturity, say 16ish in human terms. they are thousands of years old, many predating the Christian era.
They are also very hardy trees by any terms. The "Chimney Tree" is hollow, its center being burned out in a forest fire. You can stand inside of it and look out its top at the sky.
This tree is not only still alive but gradually healing itself, regrowing material to replace that lost to the fire, and someday may live to appear completely normal again.
The bark of a redwood is up to one foot thick and acts as an insulator during forest fires and many trees can survive major conflagrations with little more than the loss of some "skin."
A fallen redwood is still alive as well and will start putting out roots into the ground, sprouting several new trunks along the length of the old one.
In their natural enviroment the California Redwood is one of the hardiest trees known to exist. If they are dying there is something terribly, terribly wrong.
While the specifics might be a mystery the generalities are plain. What is wrong is that something has changed their enviroment.
I'll give you three guesses at to what that something might be.
KFG
Re:Old Age (Score:1)
Less and less water (Score:4, Interesting)
The redwood trees are tough but that doesn't mean they're immune to any of the factors known to affect tree health. For example, one of the most basic factors affecting tree health is water supply. Any tree will start dying if water availability in its root zone is reduced below a survival threshold value. We know that compared to 50 years or more ago, California has been consuming more and more water, especially groundwater, to the extent that there are water supply arguments [water-ed.org]. In many places the water table has been dropping even during wetter years. This could be a pointer to the cause of the trees' problems.