Werner et al. (2025) Impact of emerging compound droughts on forests: A water supply and demand perspective

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Identification

• Journal: Plant Biology
• Year: 2025
• Date: 2025-08-11
• Authors: Christiane Werner, Michael Bahn, Thorsten E. E. Grams, Charlotte Grossiord, Simon Haberstroh, Gaston Lenczner, Devis Tuia, Helena Vallicrosa
• DOI: 10.1111/plb.70080

Research Groups

Not specified

Short Summary

This review examines the physiological and ecological mechanisms of tree and forest responses to compound droughts—characterized by co-occurring soil drought, high temperatures, and elevated vapour pressure deficit—to understand the drivers of global forest die-offs.

Objective

• To analyze the mechanisms underlying tree water and carbon regulation during compound drought events and determine their consequences for ecosystem-level functions.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Global; ranging from organ-level to ecosystem-scale.
• Temporal Scale: Prolonged periods and increasing frequency associated with climate change.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Literature review and synthesis of physiological/ecological mechanisms.
• Data sources: Existing scientific literature on compound droughts and forest responses.

Main Results

• Compound droughts, involving the synergy of soil moisture deficits, high temperatures, and high vapour pressure deficit, are primary drivers of unprecedented global tree and forest die-offs.
• Tree survival and function depend on the balance between water demand and supply, as well as the capacity for physiological acclimation.
• The response of forests to these stressors is integrated across multiple scales, from individual organ regulation to overall ecosystem stability.

Contributions

• Provides a comprehensive synthesis of the impacts of compound droughts on forests, bridging the gap between organ-level physiological responses and ecosystem-scale consequences in the context of an unpredictable climate.

Funding

Not specified

Citation

@article{Werner2025Impact,
  author = {Werner, Christiane and Bahn, Michael and Grams, Thorsten E. E. and Grossiord, Charlotte and Haberstroh, Simon and Lenczner, Gaston and Tuia, Devis and Vallicrosa, Helena},
  title = {Impact of emerging compound droughts on forests: A water supply and demand perspective},
  journal = {Plant Biology},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.1111/plb.70080},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1111/plb.70080}
}