Tree mortality in a warming world: causes, patterns, and implications

Abstract

This ERL focus collection has published 17 papers that have advanced our understanding of different dimensions of warming-induced tree mortality. Here we summarize these focus collection papers, organized by four topics related to tree mortality: pathogens, droughts/heat waves, fire/bark beetles, and teleconnections/air pollution. This focus collection illustrates a variety of methods in measuring and modeling tree-mortality, and adds significant new research findings into the scientific literature on tree mortality from hotter droughts. Some of these results also are useful for policymakers and forest managers in addressing amplified forest stress and tree mortality as a result of increasingly severe warming-induced climate and weather extremes.