Minor drought conditions have little effect on trees because of their deep roots. But during a severe drought, the water table drops and even the deep-rooted trees have a hard time getting water. In 1988, there was a severe drought in Minnesota and many trees throughout Cedar Creek died, though it was unclear whether they died from the lack of water or indirectly from a disease that stress made them more susceptible to. After the drought, Cedar Creek began monitoring groundwater to provide information in case of a short-term disturbance such as another drought or a long-term disturbance such as climate change or nearby development. Eighty-seven monitoring points across Cedar Creek property are sampled at monthly or quarterly intervals from as early as April to as late as November. The key factor looked at is groundwater depth, and the data is available for analysis in relation to experiments.
