Canopy responses of Swedish primary and secondary forests to the 2018 drought

Abstract Boreal forest ecosystems are predicted to experience more frequent summer droughts due climate change, posing a threat future health and carbon sequestration. Forestry is regionally dominant land use where the managed secondary forests typically even-aged with low structural tree species diversity. It not well known if unmanaged primary respond drought differently in part because location of primary, unmanaged, has remained largely unknown. Here we employed unique map detailing over 300 Sweden. We studied impacts 2018 nationwide by extracting analyzing high-resolution remote sensing vegetation index buffer zones around representing forests. controlled for topographical variations linked soil moisture, which was strong determinant responses, analyzed Landsat-derived EVI2 anomalies during year from multiyear non-drought baseline. found that were less affected compared Our results indicate forestry may exacerbate impact extreme hydroclimatic events.