California's prolonged drought has left the state's forests weakened and vulnerable, which could mean "long-term changes in ecosystems" that affect animal habitats and biodiversity, according to a new study by researchers with the Carnegie Institution for Science.
As many as 58 million of California's large trees have lost more than a third of their canopy water, researchers said in the study, which was published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Nearly 45 percent of California is in a condition of exceptional drought, the highest level. That is up from 32 percent a year ago.
