Well, there are some important differences between berry-bearing trees and the larger conifers, as well as all the various different microbiomes we have around the sierra. There's chaparral, scrub, high desert, foothill, subalpine and alpine environments, and they all have different needs and react differently to environmental changes. The high desert stuff, for instance, is really good at coming back from extended dry hot periods. Chaparral, scrub, and foothill aren't likely to change drastically, I don't think (in my totally uneducated opinion).

I'm more worried about the subalpine forest, the kind of stuff you see in the western Sierra from about 3,000 to 8,000 foot elevation. That's where we're seeing the worst of the tree die-off and wildfire disasters, and it's an ecology that takes much longer to return to what we think of as "healthy". The watersheds in these areas is also a major, very important part of the state's water supply, so impacts on these ecosystems have the potential to affect communities all over the state.

Best wishes to you. Good to hear from you again.