Wang et al. (2025) Subsurface constraints amplify vegetation stress during extreme heat and drought in a Mediterranean forest

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Environmental Research Letters
• Year: 2025
• Date: 2025-11-11
• Authors: Huanhuan Wang, Qiaoyun Xie, Sally Thompson, Caitlin E. Moore, Gavan McGrath, Katinka X. Ruthrof
• DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/ae1e15

Research Groups

Not specified in abstract.

Short Summary

This study investigated how subsurface conditions interact with climate stress to influence forest vulnerability and die-off at landscape scales. It revealed that vegetation die-off in the Jarrah Forest during the 2023–2024 summer resulted from the interplay of heat, water stress, and subsurface factors, with shallow soils and limited subsurface water predisposing vulnerability.

Objective

• To understand how subsurface factors interact with climate stress and shape forest vulnerability and die-off at landscape scales.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Landscape scales, specifically the Jarrah Forest ecosystem in southwestern Australia.
• Temporal Scale: The 2023–2024 summer.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Not specified in abstract.
• Data sources: Airborne geophysics data, groundwater depth records, climate data, and remote sensing.

Main Results

• Vegetation die-off in the Jarrah Forest during the 2023–2024 summer emerged from the interactions of heat, water stress, and subsurface conditions.
• Shallow soils, rocky substrates, and limited access to subsurface water predisposed vegetation to experience heat and drought stress.

Contributions

• Identified the critical role and specific locations of subsurface features in determining forest vulnerability and resilience to climate extremes.
• Provides a basis for identifying vulnerable and resilient areas, guiding adaptive forest management strategies for future climate extremes.

Funding

Not specified in abstract.

Citation

@article{Wang2025Subsurface,
  author = {Wang, Huanhuan and Xie, Qiaoyun and Thompson, Sally and Moore, Caitlin E. and McGrath, Gavan and Ruthrof, Katinka X.},
  title = {Subsurface constraints amplify vegetation stress during extreme heat and drought in a Mediterranean forest},
  journal = {Environmental Research Letters},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.1088/1748-9326/ae1e15},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ae1e15}
}