Response of Forest Trees to Drought

Dear Colleagues,

Ongoing global warming has boosted the occurrence of severe droughts around the world, creating new risks for forest ecosystems that are already threatened by deforestation and fragmentation. In particular, short- and long-lasting droughts induced by climate change have detrimental effects on forest trees, triggering the decline in vigor and growth, which leads to losses in forest productivity and drives dieback processes worldwide. The negative effects of droughts on tree performance can last for years, leading to so-called “legacy effects”, which ultimately determine changes in forest structure and functioning, and drive large-scale shifts in forest composition and species distribution. Therefore, studies that detect the impact of droughts on tree health are crucial for understanding the extent to which forest systems are threatened and for quantifying what ecosystem services will be lost through drought-induced dieback and mortality. This topic has emerged as one of the major challenges for forest communities, and is the main focus of this Special Issue, “Response of Forest Trees to Drought”. Original research and reviews aimed at understanding the triggers of drought-induced dieback, characterization of factors involved in growth decline, tipping points, tree growth response across a geographical range, and early warnings that help to predict tree dieback are welcome.

Dr. Maria Laura Suarez
Dr. Ester González-de-Andrés
Guest Editors

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• tree dieback
• drought: growth trends
• vulnerability
• early warning metrics