Journal Article

Patterns and causes of observed piñon pine mortality in the southwestern United States

Meddens, Arjan J. H, Macalady, Alison K, Buotte, Polly C, Allen, Craig D, Hicke, Jeffrey A, Cowles, Travis R

2015

Overview

91 I. 91 II. 92 III. 92 IV. 92 V. 94 VI. 96 96 References 96 SUMMARY: Recently, widespread piñon pine die‐off occurred in the southwestern United States. Here we synthesize observational studies of this event and compare findings to expected relationships with biotic and abiotic factors. Agreement exists on the occurrence of drought, presence of bark beetles and increased mortality of larger trees. However, studies disagree about the influences of stem density, elevation and other factors, perhaps related to study design, location and impact of extreme drought. Detailed information about bark beetles is seldom reported and their role is poorly understood. Our analysis reveals substantial limits to our knowledge regarding the processes that produce mortality patterns across space and time, indicating a poor ability to forecast mortality in response to expected increases in future droughts.

• Publisher: Academic Press,New Phytologist Trust,Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subject: Abiotic factors / Animals / Bark / bark beetle / Bark beetles / Beetles / Climate / Coleoptera / Coleoptera - physiology / die-off / Drought / Droughts / experimental design / Extreme drought / Geography / Ips confusus / Life tables / Mortality / Mortality patterns / Observational studies / Pine trees / Pinus - physiology / piñon pine / Plant Stems / Scolytidae / Soil / Soil insects / Soil water / Southwestern United States / southwestern USA / space and time / Stress, Physiological / Tansley insights / Temperature / Topographical elevation / tree mortality / Trees