Frequent fires make droughts harder for young trees, even in wet eastern forests

(University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences) Forests in the eastern United States may have had it easy compared to their western counterparts, with the intense, prolonged droughts and wildfires that have become typical out west in recent years. But as the climate changes over time, eastern forests are also likely to experience longer droughts. And although wildfires are comparatively rare, prescriptive fires are increasingly used in the east. How will these forests fare in the future? A new study from the University of Illinois provides answers.
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - Category: Biology Source Type: news