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Long-term Effects of Drought: A Guest Blog Post By Arborist Brittany Bates
We have something special for you today. Our very own Brittany Bates (ISA Certified Arborist® TX-4280A), has written a guest blog post for our TrueTreeTalk blog ahead of her upcoming talk at Wabash Feed & Garden on Saturday, September 7, 2024 at 10:30 a.m. In it she discusses the long-term effects of drought, why we should be concerned, and what can be done to mitigate the effects. Enjoy this guest post from Brittany and we hope to see you on Saturday.
The Long-Term Effects of Drought
Drought can have significant long-term effects on trees impacting growth, health, and overall survival. The principal absence of water can stress trees, disrupt their physiological processes, and weaken their resistance to environmental challenges.
These can result in:
- Reduced growth and productivity. Stress can inhibit photosynthesis, which leads to decreased growth rates and stunted development, impacting the tree’s size, structure, and reproductive capacity over the long-term.
- Increased susceptibility to pests and disease. Water stressed trees may have reduced defenses against disease and pests, making them more susceptible to infestation and infection, which can further weaken a tree leading to dieback of branches and foliage and contributing to long-term decline or mortality.
- Root damage and dieback. In response to water scarcity, trees may allocate resources away from root growth leading to shallow or weakened root systems. This can affect stability, anchorage, and nutrient and water absorption.
- Structural damage and decline. Severe stress can result in canopy thinning, branch dieback, and crown decline. A tree with this stress may exhibit symptoms such as wilted leaves, premature leaf drop, and browning of foliage.
- Long-term mortality. Severe water deprivation can exceed a tree’s capacity to recover and survive resulting in gradual decline, susceptibility to secondary stress, and eventually mortality.
Why Should We Be Concerned?
Trees provide a range of ecosystem services including carbon sequestration, air and water purification, and erosion control. Prolonged drought and tree mortality can disrupt these ecosystem services affecting biodiversity, soil stability, climate regulation, and other functions that trees perform in natural and human-altered landscapes.
What Can Be Done To Mitigate the Effects of Drought?
Mitigating the long-term effects of drought on trees involves implementing measures to improve water availability, enhance tree resilience, and promote healthy growth. Check out our blog post about how to help trees recover after drought for more information.
Drought can be very stressful for our trees. It can have a number of long-term impacts that we should be concerned about. There are steps that can be taken to mitigate these impacts. Come join us at Wabash Feed & Garden on September 7, 2024 at 10:30 a.m. to discuss the strategies to assist our trees in recovering from the long-term effects of drought.
If you liked learning about the long-term effects of drought, check out the other posts on our TrueTreeTalk blog. Follow us on Facebook to keep up with these and other posts.
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ArborTrue is a science-based tree-service company in the greater Houston area. We also serve Austin and other parts of Central Texas. We provide a range of services including tree trimming, tree pruning, tree removal, tree planting, arborist consultations, and more. Call us today at 832-980-8733 (Houston) or at 512-546-3833 (Austin) or reach out to us online to schedule an appointment.
