Weather and Climate
Weather and climate are two different things, each of which can greatly influence the health of trees and forests. Weather (e.g. droughts, floods, ice storms) can have direct and immediate (or rapid) impacts on tree health and growth. Climate (long-term trends in temperature, precipitation, and more uncertain frequency of weather events) can also impact tree and forest health, and can lead to changes in forest composition. Invasive species are often greatly influenced by weather and climate as well, and these pose an additional stressor on tree and forest health.
Climate change attitudes of southern forestry professionals
University of Georgia, Southern Regional Extension Forestry, 2014Drought impacts in the southern region
U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2018Effects of drought on forests and rangelands in the United States: A comprehensive science synthesis. Executive Report.
USDA Forest Service, 2015Effects of drought on forests and rangelands: A comprehensive science synthesis.
USDA Forest Service, 2015Hurricane Florence Aftermath: Water Stress, Drought, and Mortality in Forest Trees in Eastern North Carolina
North Carolina Forest Service, 2019Assessing Storm Damaged Forest Stands
University of Georgia, 2021Climate change and the forest stewardship program
USDA Forest Service, 2016Coastal Forests as Sentinels of Climate Change and Sea Level Rise
North Carolina State University, 2024Storm resilient urban forests: the role of species selection and maintenance pruning
Virginia Tech University, 2018Weather variability and its impacts on forest health
Southern Regional Extension Forestry and USDA Forest Service, 2017PINEMAP Decision Support System
pinemap.orgSoutheast Climate Science Center
US Department of the InteriorU.S. Drought Monitor
University of Nebraska, USDA, NOAA