Skip to content
Tech News
← Back to articles

Pines grow faster and are more drought resilient in the Southern Hemisphere

read original more articles
Why This Matters

The research highlights how pine trees in the Southern Hemisphere are growing faster and exhibiting greater drought resilience, which has significant implications for forest management and climate adaptation strategies. These findings can influence reforestation efforts, invasive species control, and ecosystem resilience planning amid changing climate conditions.

Key Takeaways

Allen, C. D. et al. A global overview of drought and heat-induced tree mortality reveals emerging climate risks for forests. For. Ecol. Manag. 259, 660–684 (2010).

Piper, F. I. & Paula, S. The role of nonstructural carbohydrates storage in forest resilience under climate change. Curr. For. Rep. 6, 1–13 (2020).

McDowell, N. G. et al. Mechanisms of woody-plant mortality under rising drought, CO 2 and vapour pressure deficit. Nat. Rev. Earth Environ. 3, 294–308 (2022).

Running, S. W. A measurable planetary boundary for the biosphere. Science 337, 1458–1459 (2012).

McLeod, M. L. et al. Exotic invasive plants increase productivity, abundance of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and nitrogen availability in intermountain grasslands. J. Ecol. 104, 994–1002 (2016).

Callaway, R. M. et al. Exotic invasive plant species increase primary productivity, but not in their native ranges. Ecol. Lett. 28, e70187 (2025).

Simberloff, D. et al. Spread and impact of introduced conifers in South America: lessons from other southern hemisphere regions. Austral Ecol. 35, 489–504 (2010).

Brewer, J. S., Souza, F. M., Callaway, R. M. & Durigan, G. Impact of invasive slash pine (Pinus elliottii) on groundcover vegetation at home and abroad. Biol. Invasions 20, 2807–2820 (2018).

Gundale, M. J. et al. Can model species be used to advance the field of invasion ecology? Biol. Invasions 16, 591–607 (2014).

Moyano, J. et al. Unintended consequences of planting native and non-native trees in treeless ecosystems to mitigate climate change. J. Ecol. 112, 2480–2491 (2024).

... continue reading