[MCN] Dry times challenge sustainability of the familiar aspen

[Lance Olsen]

"Here, we examine the physiological basis of a 
recent multiyear widespread die-off of trembling 
aspen (Populus tremuloides) across much of 
western North America. Š.  We test whether 
accumulated hydraulic damage can predict the 
probability of tree survival over 2 years. We 
find that hydraulic damage persisted and 
increased in dying trees over multiple years and 
exhibited few signs of repair  Š.  Contrary to 
the expectation that surviving trees have 
weathered severe drought, the hydraulic 
deterioration demonstrated here reveals that 
surviving regions of these forests are actually 
more vulnerable to future droughts due to 
accumulated xylem damage."

WILLIAM R. L. ANDEREGG et al. Drought's legacy: 
multiyear hydraulic deterioration underlies 
widespread aspen forest die-off and portends 
increased future risk. Global Change Biology 
(2013) 19, 1188-1196, doi: 10.1111/gcb.12100


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