Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 13, 2025
07:14
Evaluating Dryocosmus Kuriphilus-induced Damage on Castanea Sativa
Published on: August 30, 2018
7.3K
Compound climate events increase tree drought mortality across European forests
Antonio Gazol1, J Julio Camarero1
1Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE-CSIC), E-50059 Zaragoza, Spain.
The Science of the Total Environment
|November 15, 2021
Summary
Compound climate events, like hot summers and dry years, are increasingly linked to forest defoliation and mortality across Europe. These events, driven by climate change, are expected to increase future forest drought mortality, especially in Southern and Eastern Europe.
Area of Science:
- Forest ecology and climate change impacts.
- Analysis of extreme weather events and their effects on forest health.
Background:
- Climate change is increasing the frequency of compound extreme events, such as simultaneous droughts and heat waves.
- The impacts of these compound events on forest defoliation and mortality are not fully understood.
- Forests in Europe are vulnerable to increased drought stress and rising temperatures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of compound climate events (hot summers and dry years) on forest defoliation and mortality in Europe.
- To analyze the co-occurrence of tree drought mortality and background mortality rates with these compound events.
- To assess the historical trends and future projections of forest drought mortality.
Main Methods:
- Utilized two independent datasets: a tree drought mortality database and ICP-Forest level I plots.
- Focused on analyzing tree drought mortality, background mortality rates, and their correlation with compound climate events.
- Examined defoliation and mortality data in relation to elevated vapor pressure deficit (VPD) and dry conditions.
Main Results:
- 46% of European tree mortality events coincided with rare compound events of hot summers and dry years.
- 34% of severe defoliation and 27% of mortality cases in ICP-Forest plots were linked to compound climate events.
- Increased background mortality rates were observed in regions with rising summer temperatures, VPD, and drought frequency.
Conclusions:
- Compound climate events are a significant driver of forest defoliation and mortality across Europe.
- Observed increases in summer temperatures and VPD, particularly in Southern and Eastern Europe, are likely to promote future compound events.
- An increase in forest drought mortality is anticipated in vulnerable European regions due to these climate trends.
Related Concept Videos
01:50Global Climate Change
25.0K
Throughout its ~4.5 billion year history, the Earth has experienced periods of warming and cooling. However, the current drastic increase in global temperatures is well outside of the Earth’s cyclic norms, and evidence for human-caused global climate change is compelling. Paleoclimatology, the study of ancient climate conditions, provides ample evidence for human-caused global climate change by comparing recent conditions with those in the past.
25.0K
01:57Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss
26.7K
Though evaporation from plant leaves drives transpiration, it also results in loss of water. Because water is critical for photosynthetic reactions and other cellular processes, evolutionary pressures on plants in different environments have driven the acquisition of adaptations that reduce water loss.
26.7K
02:41Responses to Drought and Flooding
11.2K
Water plays a significant role in the life cycle of plants. However, insufficient or excess of water can be detrimental and pose a serious threat to plants.
11.2K
01:16What is Climate?
19.4K
Climate refers to the prevailing weather conditions in a specific area over an extended period. As the saying goes, “Climate is what you expect. Weather is what you get.” Climate is influenced by geographic factors, such as latitude, terrain, and proximity to bodies of water.
19.4K
01:17Precipitation and Co-precipitation
2.7K
Precipitation and coprecipitation methods can be used to separate a mixture of ions in a solution. In qualitative inorganic analysis, ions that form sparingly soluble precipitates with the same reagent are separated based on the differences in solubility products. For example, consider the separation of Cu(II) and Fe(II) ions by precipitation as insoluble sulfides. First, copper(II) sulfide is precipitated by the addition of acidic H2S, where the dissociation of H2S is suppressed. Adding H2S...
2.7K
01:50Threats to Biodiversity
23.4K
There have been five major extinction events throughout geological history, resulting in the elimination of biodiversity, followed by a rebound of species that adapted to the new conditions. In the current geological epoch, the Holocene, there is a sixth extinction event in progress. This mass extinction has been attributed to human activities and is thus provisionally called the Anthropocene. In 2019 the human population reached 7.7 billion people and is projected to comprise 10 billion by...
23.4K