There must be something to this climate changing stuff. First the bees began disappearing due to Colony Collapse Disorder, and now the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) warns that trees are dying because of climate stress.
Global Tree Death Patterns Reveal Emerging Climate Change Risks for Forests explains that many of the world's forests are sensitive to climate-induced drought and heat stress. One of the discoveries is that trees can die much more quickly than they grow. In the study, the USGS documents 88 cases of significant tree mortality around the world related to drought and and heat stress. The increased mortality appears to be a broad range of forests from northern pine to topical savannas and rainforests.
Remember the the people that left those lines in the desert plain of Peru? The lines that look like glyphs when viewed from space? Peru's Nazca culture was brought down with its trees explains the ancient civilization brought about its ruin because they destroyed their ecosystem. The Ica Valley which is barren desert today, once was a linear oasis, capable of supporting the Nazca. But they cut down this grove of mesquite-like trees which had roots as deep as 180 feet. Those roots were needed to protect the plain from 100 year floods due to El Nino. But the Nazca cut all the trees down, most likely for wood. As the LA Times article explains, when the floods came, it swept away everything, leading to the rapid demise of their civilization.
Perhaps opportunely, Climate Change will Be Its Highest Priority, Says U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service tells that the government agency is going to begin a multi-organizational campaign to address the multiple manifestations of global climate change.
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