New Mexico Pinion Tree Die-Offs Could Be Linked to Global Warming

 

Pinon forests in New Mexico survived a drought in the 1950s that was drier than the drought of 2002 that killed off nearly 90 percent of the pinon population.

The massive die-offs of high elevation pinon forests in New Mexico during 2002 and 2003, are being linked to global warming by researchers from the University of Arizona.

The forests had survived droughts in the past, but suffered up to a 90 percent mortality rate in 2002. The pinon forest went relatively unscathed during a drier drought during the 1950s.

?EUR??,,????'??Across a whole landscape, this system got whacked,?EUR??,,????'?? said University of Arizona ecologist Dave Breshears. ?EUR??,,????'??This is a different kind of response than we saw following the 1950s drought. This drought was hotter.?EUR??,,????'??

Breshears, who has been studying pinon woodlands since the 1980s does not blame the 2002 die-off on human-caused global warming saying that no single event can be directly linked to the earth?EUR??,,????'???s rising temperature trend.

However, he said that dramatic drought-induced changes in the Southwest landscape since the 21st century are consistent with global climate change projection.

“We’re more likely to get more frequent, more intense droughts,” Breshears said.

U.S. Geological Survey ecologist Julio Betancourt disagreed with conclusions reached by Breshears’ team. Betancourt questioned whether scientists know enough about what happened 50 years ago to be sure the recent drought was worse.

However, he praised the scientists for trying to quantify effects of warming temperatures.

Source: Associated Press