A different tack.
Returning to the original topic, tree intrusion into meadows, I, a casual observer, see tree intrusion into meadows most everywhere I go in the pacific NW. Whether it be Jefferson Park, Goat Rocks, the Enchantments, Paradise in Mt. Rainier NP, there are many sapling trees growing up in what were the flower garden meadows that contributed to these areas fame. Change is a-foot.
Kudos to TeachPDX for his discussion of why this is happening, namely the roles of snow pack depth, soil moisture, soil water logging on the viability of trees in meadow areas. To those mechanisms we need to add snow creep on sloping areas and the effects of a longer sustained dry season.
This latter phenomenon is harder to explain and missed in discussion of whether or not we are experiencing drought. Taking this year as an example, we did have above average moisture the winter of 21/22 resulting in a deeper than normal snowpack above 5000 feet in the north Oregon Cascades, and an exceptionally long spring with periodic moisture until after 4 July.
Despite the deeper snowpack and late moisture, Mt. Hood and the other big snow mountains lost their seasonal snow cover. Because there were more sunlight hours, higher temperatures, and lower humidities from end-of-spring rain to beginning-of-fall-rain the benefits of above average snow and moisture were lost before summer season’s end. Consequently our montane flora again experienced drought stress and our glaciers and permanent snowfields, without summer long snow cover, continued to melt. There was drought continuation despite above average moisture.
I am perplexed by some statements made in this thread.
The basic physics underlying global warming is well understood. While there are differences of opinion about the rate of global warming’s consequences, like sea level rise, there is no disagreement that global warming is happening. Don’t misconstrue academic tinkering around the edges as denial of the main event. The Thwaites Glacier is a case in point:
https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/05/world/th ... el-climate
https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/there ... r-thwaites
The glaciers on Mt Shasta are not growing—rather, they are catastrophically collapsing.
https://www.digitaljournal.com/world/mo ... ve/article
https://www.mtshastanews.com/story/news ... 579255001/
Thank you, sgyoung for your contributions, including this one worth another view:
https://xkcd.com/1732/
Burnside
I keep making protein shakes but they always turn out like margaritas.