In an enormous display of survival of the fittest, the forests of the future are taking a new shape. Many tree species are projected to decline or die out in regions where they have been present for centuries, while others move in and replace them.
In a new report, scientists outline the impact that a changing climate will have on which trees survive where. The studysuggests many species once able to survive and even thrive are losing their competitive footholds, and opportunistic newcomers will eventually push them out.
In some cases, once-common species such as lodgepole pine will be replaced by other trees, perhaps ponderosa pine or Douglas-fir, expanding their range.
Other areas may shift completely out of forest into grass savannah or sagebrush desert. In central California, researchers concluded more than half of the species now present would not be expected to persist in the climate conditions of the future.
"Some of these changes are already happening pretty fast, and in some huge areas," said lead author Richard Waring, professor emeritus at Oregon State University. "In some cases, the mechanism of change is fire or insect attack. In others it's simply drought. Read the full report here.
Source: News Register, Corvallis.
