| Abstract: | Future drought is projected to occur under warmer temperature conditions as climate change progresses, referred to here as global-change-type drought, yet quantitative assessments of the triggers and potential extent of drought-induced vegetation die-off remain pivotal uncertainties in assessing climate-change impacts. Of particular concern is regional-scale mortality of overstory trees, which rapidly alters ecosystem type, associated ecosystem properties, and land surface conditions for decades. Here, we quantify regional-scale vegetation die-off across southwestern North American woodlands in 2002-2003 in response to drought and associated bark beetle infestations. At an intensively studied site within the region, we quantified that after 15 months of depleted soil water content, >90% of the dominant, overstory tree species (Pinus edulis, a pin??on) died. The die-off was reflected in changes in a remotely sensed index of vegetation greenness (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), not only at the intensively studied site but also across the region, extending over 12,000 km2 or more; aerial and field surveys confirmed the general extent of the die-off. Notably, the recent drought was warmer than the previous subcontinental drought of the 1950s. The limited, available observations suggest that die-off from the recent drought was more extensive than that from the previous drought, extending into wetter sites within the tree species‘ distribution. Our results quantify a trigger leading to rapid, drought-induced die-off of overstory woody plants at subcontinental scale and highlight the potential for such die-off to be more severe and extensive for future global-change-type drought under warmer conditions. ?? 2005 by The National Academy of Sciences of the USA. |
| Genre: | Article |
| ProdID: | 70027694 |
| Citation Author: | Breshears, D. D.; Cobb, N. S.; Rich, P. M.; Price, K. P.; Allen, C. D.; Balice, R. G.; Romme, W. H.; Kastens, J. H.; Floyd, M. L.; Belnap, J.; Anderson, J. J.; Myers, O. B.; Meyer, C. W. |
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| Citation End Page: | 15148 |
| Citation Issue: | 42 |
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| Citation Language: | English |
| Citation Larger Work Title: | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |
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| Citation Number Of Pages: | 5 |
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| Citation Search Results Text: | Regional vegetation die-off in response to global-change-type drought; 2005; Article; Journal; Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; Breshears, D. D.; Cobb, N. S.; Rich, P. M.; Price, K. P.; Allen, C. D.; Balice, R. G.; Romme, W. H.; Kastens, J. H.; Floyd, M. L.; Belnap, J.; Anderson, J. J.; Myers, O. B.; Meyer, C. W. |
| Citation Start Page: | 15144 |
| Citation Volume: | 102 |
| Citation Year: | 2005 |
| Type: | citation/reference |
| Text: | Regional vegetation die-off in response to global-change-type drought; 2005; Article; Journal; Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; Breshears, D. D.; Cobb, N. S.; Rich, P. M.; Price, K. P.; Allen, C. D.; Balice, R. G.; Romme, W. H.; Kastens, J. H.; Floyd, M. L.; Belnap, J.; Anderson, J. J.; Myers, O. B.; Meyer, C. W. |
| URL (THUMBNAIL): | http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/thumbnails/outside_thumb.jpg |
| URL (DIGITAL OBJECT IDENTIFIER): | http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0505734102 |
| Date Other: | Sat, 1 Jan 2005 00:00 -0600 |
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