Widespread mortality and defoliation of pinyon pine in central Nevada mountains

Abstract

Droughts in the western United States are predicted to become hotter, drier, and more frequent. These severe droughts will have dramatic effects on forests and woodlands, especially in semi-arid regions. We documented widespread die-off of pinyon pine throughout central Nevada, associated with severe drought from 2013 to 2015. Even as land management agencies seek to reduce pinyon-juniper woodland cover and extent through aggressive tree removal treatments, severe droughts are causing Great Basin woodlands to decline in density and area. They are on a trajectory toward increased dominance of the drought-tolerant Utah juniper and range shifts to higher elevations and less xeric microsites. Photo credit: Sam Flake. Photo credit: Peter Weisberg. Photo credits: Sam Flake (a, c, f, g) and Peter Weisberg (b, d, e). Photo credit: Peter Weisberg. These photographs illustrate the article “Fine-scale stand structure mediates drought-induced tree mortality in pinyon-juniper woodlands” by Samuel W. Flake and Peter J. Weisberg published in Ecological Applications. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.1831