Widespread Increase of Tree Mortality Rates in the Western United States (guess what? GW)

Science ^ | Januuary 23, 2009 | Phillip J. van Mantgem,

[gusopol3]

Persistent changes in tree mortality rates can alter forest structure, composition, and ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration. Our analyses of longitudinal data from unmanaged old forests in the western United States showed that background (noncatastrophic) mortality rates have increased rapidly in recent decades, with doubling periods ranging from 17 to 29 years among regions. Increases were also pervasive across elevations, tree sizes, dominant genera, and past fire histories. Forest density and basal area declined slightly, which suggests that increasing mortality was not caused by endogenous increases in competition. Because mortality increased in small trees, the overall increase in mortality rates cannot be attributed solely to aging of large trees. Regional warming and consequent increases in water deficits are likely contributors to the increases in tree mortality rates.

[gusopol3]

only the abstract, which only speculates on regional warming and rainfall deficits that I can see, but being hyped on Weather channel and elsewhere as global warming evidence, (Particularly dumb and politicized summary on Eco Moment segment on Weather Channel, complete with AlGore pictures "Nobel Prize Winner" and hype. I believe the commentator mentioned only rising temperature , rather than decreased rainfall, being responsible for "smaller trees.") Lots of othermedia outlets picking it up, like LA Times, so expect to hear it.

[steelyourfaith]

 

Beam me to Planet Gore !

[Gorzaloon]

The trees are freezing to death, morons.

[gusopol3]

you’d certainly need to look at temperature excursions. Very little data here, at least in the abstract, to establish cause spread out over 3 decades,

[MAD-AS-HELL]

everything can be blamed on Global Warming. I am surprised that Bernie Madoff and the rest of Wall St hasn’t yet blamed GW for their behavior.

[Cyber Ninja]

Pile-0-Crap rating...........9.7

[KeyWest]

Their solution is thinning by burning, which sort of might be the actual issue- too much protection by not allowing burns. Anyone who gardens knows that plants need room to grow, otherwise they become stunted.

We are heading for a 10-30 year cooling period which started in 2001. That is much more unsettling than GW (which is actually good).

[WaterBoard]

A tree died you say? Hmmm. Judging by the calender, if it happened after 21 Jan 2009 ---

It's Bush's Obama's Fault!

[Trteamer]

A Forest Circus employee killed all these trees.....

In related news, the everglades are drying up....

[raybbr]

I thought there was a beetle infestation killing off hardwoods in the west?

[pnh102]

Yay more firewood!

[raybbr]

Here is a link to another related story...Climate change is killing Western forests, scientists say

They are not being bashful at all blaming GW.

[mikefive]

I thought they did blame GW already, it was just the other GW they blamed (GW Bush)

[MAD-AS-HELL]

haha..could probably blame both GWRB and GW for most everything that has gone wrong with the US of A.

[xtinct]

yawn... yet another publicity piece of trumped up scientific (kawf) data for a guillable public...

[hinckley buzzard]

The primary cause of premature death among trees other than disease, is shortage of water. Not temperature. Drought will weaken and eventually kill otherwise healthy trees but it can take years, so we don't even know when these trees suffered the ultimate drought stress. But a change of one or two degrees average temperature will not affect trees in the slightest.

[SampleMan]

I bet there have been 10,000 studies showing that increased temperatures and CO2 create better conditions for plants. But now because they say its GW, its killing plants.

Go figure.

[demshateGod]

Are these they same scientist I’m supposed to listen to about the origins of our planet? These the ones other freepers call me “stupid” because I don’t listen to them?

[Mom MD]

Here in Colorado it is the pine beetle, not global warming, that has decimated huge tracts of forest.

[demshateGod]

I lived in Colorado about 2 years ago and the forests just west of the tunnel was in bad shape and the rate which they were dying was very fast. Are they pretty much gone now?