Knowra Forest dieback Forest dieback Forest dieback is widespread decline or mortality of trees, often involving canopy loss and reduced growth, caused by environmental stress or disturbance.
Drought stress : A condition in which water supply falls below an organism’s needs, impairing growth and physiological function. Prolonged water shortage can disrupt tree water transport and trigger widespread mortality.
Mountain pine beetle : A bark beetle native to western North America that breeds beneath the bark of pine trees. Its outbreaks have caused extensive pine mortality across western North American forests.
Forest health monitoring : The repeated assessment of forest condition using field observations, measurements, and remote sensing. Monitoring detects canopy changes and mortality patterns that signal emerging dieback.
Forest succession : The gradual change in a forest community’s species composition and structure over time. After dieback, surviving trees and new recruits determine the forest’s next composition.
Climate change : Long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns, driven in recent decades mainly by human activities. Warming and changing precipitation can intensify stresses linked to forest dieback.
Xylem cavitation : The formation of air bubbles in water-conducting xylem that interrupts the flow of water through a plant. Drought-induced cavitation can disable the water transport system of dying trees.
Sudden oak death : A plant disease caused by the oomycete Phytophthora ramorum, which kills several tree species. This disease demonstrates how a pathogen can drive rapid, geographically broad tree decline.
Remote sensing : The collection of information about places or objects without direct physical contact, often using aircraft or satellites. Satellite imagery can reveal changes in canopy cover and vegetation condition across large areas.
Carbon cycle : The movement of carbon among the atmosphere, living organisms, soils, oceans, and rocks. Dead trees and reduced growth alter carbon storage and emissions from forests.
Ecological resilience : The capacity of an ecosystem to absorb disturbance and reorganize while retaining its core functions and structure. Resilience helps explain why some forests recover after stress while others shift into new states.
Show all 26 Linked from 10 pages Climate change and forests Broader topic : Persistent heat, drought, and disturbance can turn local stress into regional forest decline.
Cupressaceae Related : Drought, heat, and disease threaten some Cupressaceae populations and forests.
Fagus sylvatica Narrower topic : Repeated drought and other pressures can contribute to beech decline and mortality.
Deforestation and climate change Compared with : Climate change can cause dieback without deliberate land clearing, though both reduce forest carbon.
Taiga Related : Heat, drought, insects, and fire can cause abrupt losses in taiga forests.
Woody plant Related : Dieback raises questions about how heat, drought, and other stresses affect woody plants.
Forest carbon cycle Related : Dieback can shift forests from carbon storage toward emissions through decomposition and fire.
Temperate forest Related : Heat, drought, pests, and disease can combine to cause severe canopy loss.
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