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Hanging by a thread? Forests and drought

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-21, 09:43 authored by Timothy BrodribbTimothy Brodribb, Powers, J, Herve, C, Choat, B
Trees are the living foundations on which most terrestrial biodiversity is built. Central to the success of trees are their woody bodies, which connect their elevated photosynthetic canopies with the essential belowground activities of water and nutrient acquisition. The slow construction of these carbon-dense, woody skeletons leads to a slow generation time, leaving trees and forests highly susceptible to rapid changes in climate. Other long-lived, sessile organisms such as corals appear to be poorly equipped to survive rapid changes, which raises questions about the vulnerability of contemporary forests to future climate change. The emerging view that, similar to corals, tree species have rather inflexible damage thresholds, particularly in terms of water stress, is especially concerning. This Review examines recent progress in our understanding of how the future looks for forests growing in a hotter and drier atmosphere.

Funding

Australian Research Council

History

Publication title

Science

Volume

368

Issue

6488

Pagination

261-266

ISSN

0036-8075

Department/School

School of Natural Sciences

Publisher

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Place of publication

United States

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Effects of climate change on Australia (excl. social impacts); Understanding the impact of natural hazards caused by climate change

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