Why is tree drought mortality so hard to predict?
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Abstract
Widespread tree mortality following droughts has emerged as an environmentally and economically devastating ‘ecological surprise’. It is well established that tree physiology is important in understanding drought-driven mortality; however, the accuracy of predictions based on physiology alone has been limited. We propose that complicating factors at two levels stymie predictions of drought-driven mortality: (i) organismal-level physiological and site factors that obscure understanding of drought exposure and vulnerability and (ii) community-level ecological interactions, particularly with biotic agents whose effects on tree mortality may reverse expectations based on stress physiology. We conclude with a path forward that emphasizes the need for an integrative approach to stress physiology and biotic agent dynamics when assessing forest risk to drought-driven morality in a changing climate.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Why is tree drought mortality so hard to predict? |
| Series title | Trends in Ecology and Evolution |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.tree.2021.02.001 |
| Volume | 36 |
| Issue | 6 |
| Year Published | 2021 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Elsevier |
| Contributing office(s) | Western Ecological Research Center |
| Description | 4 p. |
| First page | 520 |
| Last page | 523 |