Using data from the US Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis as well as the Xylem Functional Trait Database, researchers developed trait maps based on tree species abundance and distribution in forests across the United States between 2000 and 2018, and found that shifts toward communities with increased drought-tolerant traits were associated with tree mortality, although the level of response differed based on forest type; diversity in photosynthetic and hydraulic traits also varied depending on regional climatic variables and local water availability, according to the study.
Article #19-17521: "Trait velocities reveal that mortality has driven widespread coordinated shifts in forest hydraulic trait composition," by Anna T. Trugman, Leander D.L. Anderegg, John D. Shaw, and William R. L. Anderegg.
MEDIA CONTACT: Anna Trugman, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA; tel: 505-500-6604, email: att@ucsb.edu
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences