Journal
EURO-MEDITERRANEAN JOURNAL FOR ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRATION
Volume 6, Issue 2, Pages -Publisher
SPRINGER HEIDELBERG
DOI: 10.1007/s41207-021-00250-x
Keywords
Cork oak forest; Climate change; Drought effects; Tree mortality; Forest die-off; Mediterranean ecosystems
Categories
Funding
- project: HYDROMED [PID-2019-111332RB-C21]
- project Integrated restoration of forest ecosystems and their adaptations to climate change
- National Research Institute for Rural Engineering, Waters, and Forestry, Tunisia
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The study analyzed the impact of extreme drought years on cork oak forests in northwest Tunisia during the period of 1988-1995, revealing that extreme drought years can cause tree mortality and decline, especially in areas with frequent prolonged drought periods.
In the climate change context, the severity and duration of drought periods are expected to increase. Forests are known to be extremely sensitive to climate change, especially in the Mediterranean Basin, and particularly in Tunisia, where climate is characterized by dry hot summers which will intensify and prolong due to climate change effects. A better understanding of the mechanisms allowing plants to survive during prolonged drought would help to anticipate expected changes. The present study aimed to analyze the effect of extremely dry years on the mortality and decline of cork oak forests in northwest Tunisia during the 1988-1995 period. Extreme drought years with significant effects on tree growth were registered. Cork oak mortality was recorded for up to 63,622 trees. The study area was largely influenced by the frequency of prolonged drought periods, especially from 1988 to 1995.
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