Frontiers | Science News

Science News post list

31 news posts in Sustainability

Environment

08 Apr 2019

Floodplain forests under threat

A floodplain forest dominated by oaks. Credit: Albert Reif. — by University of Freiberg, Germany A team from the Institute of Forest Sciences at the University of Freiburg shows that the extraction of groundwater for industry and households is increasingly damaging floodplain forests in Europe given the increasing intensity and length of drought periods in the summer. The scientists have published their results in the journal Frontiers in Forests and Global Change. Floodplain forests dominated by oaks are among the most at risk in Europe. Through conversion to arable land and pastures, as well as settlements, they have lost most of their original distribution. River regulation and drainage have also changed the natural hydrologic balance. The introduction of pests and diseases decimates native tree species such as elm and ash. At the same time, these forests play an important part in the control of flooding and protection of biodiversity. Groundwater Extraction in Floodplain Forests Reduces Radial Growth and Increases Summer Drought Sensitivity of Pedunculate Oak Trees (Quercus robur L.)► Read original article► Download original article (pdf) The root of the study by the Freiburg team was the observation that the vitality of old trees in the oak forests of the Rhine valley had […]