Wildfires and a megadrought led to a historic die-off of evergreen trees in Oregon — nearly twice as bad as the previous worst year. Some researchers have dubbed it 'firmageddon.'
Preliminary figures indicate that 1.1 million acres showed fir trees with some signs of dying — almost double the previous all-time high for the state since the survey began 75 years ago. It's led some researchers to call the season of historic die-offs as"firmageddon."
Tree mortality is not inherently concerning, but some forest landowners describe the unprecedented number of dying trees, which were largely concentrated in southwest Oregon, as a warning sign. "It is an indicator that we need to pay attention and do what we can to manage our forests to remain healthy," Mike Barsotti, the communications chair of the Oregon Tree Farms System, told NPR.Tree deaths in Oregon have been an issue over the past decade, and it's been especially prominent in recent years.
In 2019, about 470,000 acres contained dead trees, DePinte said. Last year, Oregon researchers identified at least 147,000 acres with fir tree deaths — though the survey was not complete because of summer wildfires, according to DePinte.said that Oregon's forests, which make up nearly half the state, have been"pushed to the limit due to climate change."
There is still a lot to understand about all the factors that cause high levels of tree mortality, but DePinte said it's clear that Oregon's extreme drought has been a major stressor on the state's trees, making them more vulnerable to insects and diseases.
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