dieoffs

At Arizonas Biosphere 2, warmer conditions made drought kill piñon pines 28% faster; researchers projected fivefold more frequent regional die-offs

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Researchers found that drought-stressed piñon pines in warmer conditions consumed stored carbon faster and died sooner. Their analysis suggests temperature increases alone could make droughts severe enough to cause forest dieback five times more often, though the experiment tested only one species. (Wikimedia Commons)

Piñon pines are adapted to dry conditions, but prolonged drought can still kill them. A group of piñons was deprived of water and left to endure several months in a laboratory setting. Raise the temperature by just a couple of degrees, however, and things go downhill rather quickly. Henry Adams and his colleagues quantified this … Read more