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- Title
Forests of the future: the importance of tree seedling research in understanding forest response to anthropogenic climate change.
- Authors
Lee, Benjamin R; Schaffer-Morrison, Samuel
- Abstract
This scientific commentary discusses the importance of tree seedling research in understanding how forests will respond to climate change. The study focuses on the American southwest and examines the survival of seedlings from five conifer species under drought and extreme heat conditions. The results show that xeric species, which inhabit warmer and drier regions, are better able to tolerate hotter and drier conditions compared to mesic species. However, when considering future climate change projections, mesic species are likely to maintain their current performance better due to the cooler and wetter regions they inhabit. The study highlights the need to prioritize the conservation of landscapes and consider the impacts of climate change on both nature and human populations, particularly indigenous peoples who rely on ecosystem services provided by forests. The study acknowledges the limitations of controlled experiments and calls for future research to include field-based observational studies to contextualize findings. Overall, this research provides valuable insights into the composition and structure of future forests in the American southwest and informs land managers and conservation practitioners on how to best manage forests in the face of climate change.
- Subjects
EFFECT of human beings on climate change; TREE seedlings; SEEDLINGS; NATIVE Americans; CLIMATE change forecasts; HEAT waves (Meteorology); PLANT phenology
- Publication
Tree Physiology, 2024, Vol 44, Issue 5, p1
- ISSN
0829-318X
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1093/treephys/tpae039