Drought occurence
| Authors: | John W. Coulston |
| Year: | 2007 |
| Type: | General Technical Report |
| Station: | Southern Research Station |
| Source: | In: Forest health monitoring: 2005 national technical report. General Technical Report SRS-104. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. |
Abstract
Why Is Drought Important? Drought is an important forest disturbance that occurs regularly in the Western United States and irregularly in the Eastern United States (Dale and others 2001). Moderate drought stress tends to slow plant growth while severedrought stress can also reduce photosynthesis (Kareiva and others 1993). Drought can also interact with other disturbances, such as fire, insects, and diseases, that may lead to tree mortality and can exacerbate ecosystem stress.