Drought induces lagged tree mortality in a subalpine forest in the Rocky Mountains
نویسندگان
چکیده
Extreme climatic events are key factors in initiating gradual or sudden changes in forest ecosystems through the promotion of severe, tree-killing disturbances such as fire, blowdown, and widespread insect outbreaks. In contrast to these climatically-incited disturbances, little is known about the more direct effect of drought on tree mortality, especially in high-elevation forests. Therefore projections of drought-induced mortality under future climatic conditions remain uncertain. For a subalpine forest landscape in the Rocky Mountains of northern Colorado (USA), we quantified lag effects of drought on mortality of Engelmann spruce Picea engelmannii, subalpine fir Abies lasiocarpa, and lodgepole pine Pinus contorta. For the period 191
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