How Warmer and Drier Conditions Drive Forest Dieback and Tree Death: A Review and Conceptual Model for Silver Fir
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Date
2025-10-29
Authors
Gil Pelegrín, EustaquioPeguero Pina, José Javier
Sancho Knapik, Domingo
Arrechea, Enrique
Camarero Martínez, Jesús Julio
Journal Title
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MDPI
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texto , revista , artículo , artículo originalAbstract
Agricultural and ecological systems are threatened by extreme and compound climate extremes such as hotter droughts. These events are characterized by elevated maximum temperatures, leading to atmospheric drought, and reduced precipitation, leading to soil drought. Such conditions reduce plant productivity and are increasing mortality trees in forests worldwide. Some forest types are particularly vulnerable to hotter droughts such as some European mountain silver fir (Abies alba) forests. However, we still lack conceptual frameworks linking hotter droughts and rising VPD with growth decline and tree death. This review elucidates physiological responses to drought in conifers with a focus on silver fir. In silver fir declining populations, prolonged stomatal closure under elevated VPD can lead to reduced growth, and impaired xylem development, potentially triggering positive feedback that exacerbates hydraulic limitations. We also review the ecological significance of xylem vulnerability to embolism, identifying the critical water potential thresholds that determine silver fir survival and hydraulic failure risk under soil water deficit. These findings underscore the importance of both atmospheric and soil drought as physiological stressors causing forest decline, and highlight the need for further research into adaptive strategies and early warning indicators in tree species.
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Bibliographic citation
Gil-Pelegrín, E., Peguero-Pina, J. J., Sancho-Knapik, D., Arrechea, E., & Camarero, J. J. (2025). How Warmer and Drier Conditions Drive Forest Dieback and Tree Death: A Review and Conceptual Model for Silver Fir. Plants, 14(21), 3308. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14213308
AGROVOC subjects
Abies pectinataSequía
Estrés de sequia
Xilema
Cambio climático
Sponsorship
Esta investigación ha sido financiada por el Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación de España, con los números de subvención PID2021-123675OB-C43 y TED2021-129770B-C21. También agradecemos la financiación del Gobierno de Aragón, con el contrato 20244097, y del grupo de investigación S74_23R.