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California forests evolved with a suite of frequent disturbances: wildfires
(both from lightning and burning by indigenous people), bark beetle-caused
mortality, drought-caused mortality, avalanches, landslides, and windthrow,
all of which created forest heterogeneity across the landscape. This
heterogeneity included variations in surface and ladder fuels, which moderated
fire behavior and spread. The variations in stand density and forest opening
also served as critical habitats for wildlife. Forested areas are now more
homogeneous due to lack of disturbance. The lack of disturbance is evident in
the forest structure.

The Disturbance Element is described in the RRK by eleven metrics: change in
average annual climatic water deficit, cumulative tree cover loss, cumulative
shrub cover loss, risk of tree dieoff during drought, goldspotted oak borer,
multi-stressor refugia, shrublands with low natural regeneration potential
post-fire in Southern California, shrub resiliency within 15 years per year
interval since 1975, potential climate refugia (baseline historical
conditions), potential climate refugia (under modeled climate change (MIROC
model), and potential climate refugia (under modeled climate change (MIROC
model and CNRM-CM5 model)). Two metrics describe and represent the disturbance
element: risk of tree dieoff during drought and goldspotted oak borer
(indicated by asterisks). The condition scores for each of the metrics are
averaged to derive a condition score for the disturbance element.

* Metric Name: Element representation: Disturbance   

* Translation: Where is forest and shrubland disturbance processes resilient?