Restoration treatments enhance tree growth and alter climatic constraints during extreme drought

Ecological Applications, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Dec. 3, 2024

Abstract The frequency and severity of drought events are predicted to increase due anthropogenic climate change, with cascading effects across forested ecosystems. Management activities such as forest thinning prescribed burning, which often intended mitigate fire hazard restore ecosystem processes, may also help promote tree resistance drought. However, it is unclear whether these treatments remain effective during the most severe conditions or their impacts differ environmental gradients. We used tree‐ring data from a system replicated, long‐term (>20 years) experiments in southwestern United States evaluate restoration (i.e., evidence‐based burning) on annual growth rates basal area increment; BAI) ponderosa pine ( Pinus ), broadly distributed heavily managed species western North America. study sites were established at onset extreme event least 1200 years span much climatic niche Rocky Mountain pine. Across sites, tree‐level BAI increased treatment, where trees treated units grew 133.1% faster than paired, untreated units. Likewise, an average 85.6% pre‐treatment baseline levels (1985 ca. 2000), despite warm, dry post‐treatment period (ca. 2000–2018). Variation local competitive environment promoted variation BAI, larger fastest‐growing individuals, irrespective treatment. Tree altered constraints growth, decreasing belowground moisture availability increasing atmospheric evaporative demand over multi‐year timescales. Our results illustrate that can enhance spanning pine's niche, even recent, events. shifting constraints, combined increases States, suggest beneficial wane upcoming decades.

Language: Английский

Changing climate and disturbance effects on southwestern US forests

Forest Ecology and Management, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 575, P. 122388 - 122388

Published: Nov. 14, 2024

Language: Английский