Forest thinning may help trees be more climate resilient

July 9, 2019

Researchers have determined that thinning forests is an effective technique for recovery and maintenance of forests dealing with climate change. The study comes from the University of Granada, the Andalusian Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, Fishing, Food and Organic Production and the Pyrenean Institute of Ecology of the Spanish National Research Council.

The thinning method, which involves decreasing the number of trees in a given area to maximize resources for the remaining trees, was tested by taking high-resolution measurements in the variations of tree trunk diameters. This allowed scientists to understand the short-term relationships between climactic changes and tree growth.

Researchers previously measured the width of the trunks’ rings, but those measurements didn’t show changes during a shorter time frame.

The Indiana Wildlife Federation warns that rising temperatures and altered precipitation in the Midwest will likely have widespread consequences for Indiana’s forests. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources has used thinning methods in the past to remove pressure from overpopulated forests, but this study presents the method as a technique to save trees from climatic pressure as well.

Forest thinning may help trees be more climate resilient

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