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Researchers find that extreme heat has an even greater impact on tree recovery than drought

Posted on by Vaseline

Dead or dying spruce trees covered more than a million acres of forest land in Oregon, as shown by the red needles atop their canopies in this photo taken in July 2022 during a U.S. Forest Service aerial survey.

Dead or dying spruce trees covered more than a million acres of forest land in Oregon, as shown by the red needles atop their canopies in this photo taken in July 2022 during a U.S. Forest Service aerial survey.

US Forest Service

Since the 2021 Pacific Northwest heat dome, researchers have been busy identifying all the different effects that heat has had on trees and forests. One of those researchers is Chris Still, a professor in Oregon State University’s Department of Forestry. He says a collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service is using satellite data to reveal the most damaged areas in the region. Researchers have also found that tree growth after a heat event appears to be less resilient compared to growth after a drought. Still joins us to share more about the research and what it could portend for future heat domes and other extreme heat events that are likely as the planet continues to warm.

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