Lack of water slows the growth of trees, but does not affect their greenness or reproduction.
Madrid, Sep 17 (EFE).- Lack of water affects tree growth, but not their greenness or ability to produce seeds and fruit, according to a study by the Pyrenean Institute of Ecology, the Polytechnic University of Madrid, and the Public University of Navarra, published in the scientific journal Forest Ecosystems.
The research, which seeks to understand how droughts impact tree vigor, focused on studying the three most important variables in the functioning of Spanish forests, according to forestry experts: growth rate, the number of green leaves they have, and the number of seeds they produce.
Most previous studies focus on just one of these factors, according to these scientists, who this time were able to study them together, focusing on five species representative of the different climatic conditions in Spain: spruce, Scots pine, beech, holm oak, and stone pine.
Drought restricts growthThe team examined tree radial growth, canopy greenness, and seed and fruit production, and the results showed that drought primarily restricts the first of these variables.
They also found that a lack of water can stimulate seed and pine cone production in trees that grow in wetter locations, such as spruce, beech, and Scots pine, while having the opposite effect on species that thrive in more arid locations, such as holm oak and stone pine.
In general, none of the points analyzed determined the behavior of the others, although it did confirm a certain relationship between them, as well as the influence of temperatures and precipitation on all of them.
The study asserts that the data obtained are essential for understanding how Spanish forests can adapt to an increasingly dry climate and help decide how to best manage their protection. It also points to the need for more comprehensive assessments.
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