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<br />Very little is known about the rooting habits of trees in the <br /> <br />Sierra. However, it is felt that any changes would likely be small <br /> <br />and in the direction of less spread between trees. <br /> <br />It is also well established that soil moisture affects the numbers, <br /> <br />kinds, and activities of soil microorganisms,. Such changes could <br /> <br />affect microbial processes that affect trees. Again, no reliable <br /> <br />data are available, and there is no reason to suspect changes <br /> <br />would apprec;ably affect trees. <br /> <br />Littezo dscomposition. - Damping-off and seedling root disease fungi <br />are harbored by litter and "duff." The rate of litter decoqJosition <br />could therefore affect the survival and activity of such ftDlgi. It <br />seems that lengthf!ning of snowpack season and increasing the water <br />supply would increase the rate of litter decomposition, thereby <br />affecting seedling losses from damping-off and root rot. <br /> <br />Wounding~ injuzry~ and entrance courts. - Added snowfall due to aug- <br /> <br /> <br />mentation could increase breakage of tree boles by overloading tree <br /> <br /> <br />crowns with snow. Conifer species growing at upper elevations are <br /> <br /> <br />adapted to heavy snowfall, while those growing at lower elevations <br /> <br /> <br />are not. Trees native to high snowfall sites (i. e., true firs) <br /> <br /> <br />have dense spire-shaped crowns with short, supple branches which <br /> <br /> <br />reduce snow overloading. However, even in these species certain <br /> <br />1-13 <br />