Eastern US forests more vulnerable to drought than before 1800s

Since the 1930s, the composition of forests in the region has changed markedly. Drought-sensitive, fire-intolerant tree species, such as maple, birch and hemlock, have become more prominent, and drought-resistant, fire-adapted species, such as oak, hickory and pine, have declined.

Over thousands of years, most forests in the eastern United States evolved with frequent fire, which promoted tree species and ecosystems that were both fire and drought resistant. In little more than a century, humans upset that balance, suggest researchers, who blame the change, in part, on the well-meaning efforts of Smokey Bear.

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Taxonomy

• Drought
• Forest Ecosystems
• Forest Conservation
• Forest Inventory Managment