TY - JOUR
T1 - Widespread synchronous decline of Mediterranean-type forest driven by accelerated aridity
AU - Miranda, Alejandro
AU - Syphard, Alexandra D.
AU - Berdugo, Miguel
AU - Carrasco, Jaime
AU - Gómez-González, Susana
AU - Ovalle, Juan F.
AU - Delpiano, Cristian A.
AU - Vargas, Solange
AU - Squeo, Francisco A.
AU - Miranda, Marcelo D.
AU - Dobbs, Cynnamon
AU - Mentler, Rayen
AU - Lara, Antonio
AU - Garreaud, René
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.
PY - 2023/11
Y1 - 2023/11
N2 - Large-scale, abrupt ecosystem change in direct response to climate extremes is a critical but poorly documented phenomenon1. Yet, recent increases in climate-induced tree mortality raise concern that some forest ecosystems are on the brink of collapse across wide environmental gradients2,3. Here we assessed climatic and productivity trends across the world’s five Mediterranean forest ecosystems from 2000 to 2021 and detected a large-scale, abrupt forest browning and productivity decline in Chile (>90% of the forest in <100 days), responding to a sustained, acute drought. The extreme dry and warm conditions in Chile, unprecedented in the recent history of all Mediterranean-type ecosystems, are akin to those projected to arise in the second half of the century4. Long-term recovery of this forest is uncertain given an ongoing decline in regional water balance. This dramatic plummet of forest productivity may be a spyglass to the future for other Mediterranean ecosystems.
AB - Large-scale, abrupt ecosystem change in direct response to climate extremes is a critical but poorly documented phenomenon1. Yet, recent increases in climate-induced tree mortality raise concern that some forest ecosystems are on the brink of collapse across wide environmental gradients2,3. Here we assessed climatic and productivity trends across the world’s five Mediterranean forest ecosystems from 2000 to 2021 and detected a large-scale, abrupt forest browning and productivity decline in Chile (>90% of the forest in <100 days), responding to a sustained, acute drought. The extreme dry and warm conditions in Chile, unprecedented in the recent history of all Mediterranean-type ecosystems, are akin to those projected to arise in the second half of the century4. Long-term recovery of this forest is uncertain given an ongoing decline in regional water balance. This dramatic plummet of forest productivity may be a spyglass to the future for other Mediterranean ecosystems.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85174235263
U2 - 10.1038/s41477-023-01541-7
DO - 10.1038/s41477-023-01541-7
M3 - Article
C2 - 37845335
AN - SCOPUS:85174235263
SN - 2055-026X
VL - 9
SP - 1810
EP - 1817
JO - Nature Plants
JF - Nature Plants
IS - 11
ER -
