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image/svg+xml Jakob Voss, based on art designer at PLoS, modified by Wikipedia users Nina and Beao Closed Access logo, derived from PLoS Open Access logo. This version with transparent background. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Closed_Access_logo_transparent.svg Jakob Voss, based on art designer at PLoS, modified by Wikipedia users Nina and Beao Plant Biologyarrow_drop_down
image/svg+xml Jakob Voss, based on art designer at PLoS, modified by Wikipedia users Nina and Beao Closed Access logo, derived from PLoS Open Access logo. This version with transparent background. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Closed_Access_logo_transparent.svg Jakob Voss, based on art designer at PLoS, modified by Wikipedia users Nina and Beao
Plant Biology
Article . 2022 . Peer-reviewed
License: Wiley Online Library User Agreement
Data sources: Crossref
Plant Biology
Article . 2022
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Long‐term forest monitoring reveals constant mortality rise in European forests

Authors: George J. -P.; Burkner P. -C.; Sanders T. G. M.; Neumann M.; Cammalleri C.; Vogt J. V.; Lang M.;

Long‐term forest monitoring reveals constant mortality rise in European forests

Abstract

Abstract European forests are an important source for timber production, human welfare, income, protection and biodiversity. During the last two decades, Europe has experienced a number of droughts which have been exceptional within the last 500 years, both in terms of duration and intensity. These droughts seem to leave remarkable imprints on the mortality dynamics of European forests. However, systematic observations on tree decline, with emphasis on a single species, has been scarce so far so that our understanding of mortality dynamics and drought occurrence is still limited at a continental scale. Here, we make use of the ICP Forest crown defoliation dataset, permitting us to retrospectively monitor tree mortality for all major conifers, major broadleaves, as well as a pooled dataset of minor tree species in Europe. In total, we analysed more than three million observations gathered during the last 25 years and employed a high‐resolution drought index which can assess soil moisture anomaly based on a hydrological water‐balance and runoff model. We found overall and species‐specific increasing trends in mortality rates, accompanied by decreasing soil moisture. A generalized linear mixed model identified a previous‐year soil moisture anomaly as the most important driver of mortality patterns in conifers, but the response was not uniform across the numerous analysed plots. We conclude that mortality patterns in European forests are currently reaching a concerning upward trend which could be further accelerated by global change‐type droughts in the near future.

Country
Italy
Keywords

ICP Forests, Drought, Climate Change, Forests, Trees, Droughts, Europe, Soil, forest mortality, Humans, soil moisture anomaly, Retrospective Studies

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    Top 10%
    influence
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citations
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
43
Top 10%
Top 10%
Top 1%