Droughts Responsible For , 1.1 Million Acres of Dead Trees, in Oregon.
NBC reports that Oregon experienced
a historic die-off of fir trees in 2022
following widespread and recurrent droughts. .
According to researchers, damage to fir trees
was so significant that blighted areas
were referred to as "firmageddon.".
Researchers estimated that about 1.1 million acres
of firs had been damaged following aerial surveys. .
It is the most damage recorded in a single
season in the 75 years that surveys
have been taken of the area. .
NBC reports the widespread die-off of firs
illustrates how drought is reshaping Western
landscapes amid extreme heat conditions.
According to researchers, more drought-hardy
species of firs could be used to repopulate
dead areas, reshaping the local the ecosystem.
When I looked at it and crunched
the numbers, it was almost twice as bad
as far as acres impacted than anything
we had previously documented.
Nature is selecting which trees get
to be where during the drought, Danny DePinte, Aerial survey program manager
for the U.S. Forest Service, via NBC.
According to scientists, a number of factors are
contributing to widespread die-offs in Oregon,
but many view droughts as the primary cause. .
There are multiple factors at play here.
One of the things most of us agree on:
The primary factor we have
going on here is hot drought, Danny DePinte, Aerial survey program manager
for the U.S. Forest Service, via NBC.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, almost half of
Oregon is experiencing severe, extreme or exceptional
droughts, with eastern Oregon the most impacted.