What happens to trees in drought?

Blog What happens to trees in drought?

by Wilson Tree Surgery | 8th Sep 2022

 

The U.K. has experienced a lot of sunshine this summer. Many parts of the country, particularly the south of England are currently in a drought. Drought’s are more prevalent in America, Africa and Asia; however, with global warming becoming a worldwide issue many parts of Europe will now become prone to droughts in drier periods.

With this in mind, we think it’s important to explain what happens to trees in drought, as decaying trees can become a risk to people and infrastructures.

 

Trees in drought 

All trees are different, some can survive long periods without water, whereas others will be more prone to death without sufficient nutrients. However, trees in the U.K. rely on water as they are used to receiving rainfall all year round.

Trees stay alive by transporting water from their roots to their leaves, known as vascular water transport. During droughts, water transportation is reduced, meaning less water is available for the tree to get nutrients to the leaves. If a tree cannot get water to its leaves, it ultimately won’t survive. In addition, trees are weakened without water, making them more susceptible to disease.

 

Forest fires 

The other issue of droughts on trees is forest fires. Hot temperatures cause trees and vegetation to dry, making it easier to catch fire in hot temperatures. Forest fires have broken out across Europe, Australia and America in recent years and will also impact the life of trees. For example, if a fire damages a tree, that can affect how water is transported through the tree in the future. Moreover, forest fires are a significant risk to life and are killing species of animals and insects.

The more drought occurs, the higher the risk of forest fires; fire departments and foresters worldwide are now keeping an eye on forests each year before drought seasons are due.

 

Final thoughts 

Droughts are going to happen more often around the world with the increase in the global temperature. With this in mind, it will take a collective effort to ensure new trees are planted, forests are monitored closely and dying or diseased trees are being cared for.