Large trees with cavities provide critical ecological functions in forests worldwide, including vital nesting and denning resources for many species. However, many ecosystems are experiencing increasingly rapid loss of large trees or a failure to recruit new large trees or both. We quantify this problem in a globally iconic ecosystem in southeastern Australia--forests dominated by the world's t...

Last decades increase in reported events of drought-induced tree mortality evidences how climate-change is transforming forest ecosystems all over the world. The parallel human pressure land also causing major changes functioning but it remains unclear these two driving forces interact between them. We combined tree-ring data with aboveground cover, leaf area index (LAI), soil variables, and st...

Dead standing trees (DSTs) generally decompose slower than wood in contact with the forest floor. In many regions, DSTs are being created at an increasing rate due to accelerating tree mortality caused by climate change. Therefore, factors determining DST fall crucial for predicting dead turnover time but remain poorly constrained. Here, we conduct a re-analysis of published data provide standa...

True fir stands in California (3.5 million acres) were surveyed during 1979-1980 to estimate the prevalence of infection by Heterobasidion annosum, and to determine stand and tree characteristics associated with the occurrence of annosus root disease. Approximately 4 percent (1.46 billion board-feet) of the live true firs were estimated to be infected by H. annosum; dead firs associated with th...

High tree mortality due to drought and insects often is assumed to increase fire severity once ignition occurs. In 2002-2003, coniferous forests in the San Bernardino Mountains, California experienced a significant tree mortality event due to drought and an outbreak of western pine beetles (Dendroctonus brevicomis). In October 2003, fire burned approximately 5,860 ha of conifer forest types in ...

Abstract The global rise in temperature and associated changes climate have led to decline of forests around the globe, across multiple species ecosystems. A particularly severe example this is yellow-cedar ( Callitropsis nootkatensis ) along coast British Columbia Alaska, where anthropogenic change has reduced insulating snowpack, leaving roots vulnerable thaw-freeze events, resulting freezing...

The forest floor is the forest’s graveyard. There, broken branches and fallen trunks are laid to rest. However, this deadwood still has an important role play. New covered in bark—a tissue that protects a living tree’s insides from outside world. bark makes it difficult for water enter dead tree. It repels rain dew, as if tree needs protection. Since cannot rebuild its bark, slowly breaks down ...

Current regulations require that all dead trees over  m tall are felled when an area is being logged (Workers’ Compensation Board regulation .). This clearly protects workers because tree-falling, especially handfalling, is more dangerous when other trees, live or dead, could interfere with the falling tree. Snags must also be removed within . tree heights of work areas. This buffer is i...