Die neue Dynamik pazifischer Wälder

authored by

Hans Jürgen Böhmer, Corina Niemand

Abstract

Large-scale analyses of the effects of climate change on the Earth's biodiversity miss numerous local processes of crucial importance. This can be illustrated by using the sensitive forests of high-oceanic islands as model ecosystems. The montane rain forest on the island of Hawaii, for instance, was affected by a decline of canopy trees in the 1970s. Here, extreme climatic fluctuations, e.g. during an episodic lifting of the cloud layer in ENSO years, cause abiotic stress, thus functioning as dieback triggers, whereby synchronized senescence of the dominant tree species acts as a major predisposing cause. The extent of rapid oscillation between high precipitation and droughts increased over the last 40 years.

External Organisation(s)

University of Bonn

Type

Article

Journal

Geographische Rundschau

Volume

61

Pages

32-37

No. of pages

6

ISSN

0016-7460

Publication date

04.2009

Publication status

Published

Peer reviewed

Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Geography, Planning and Development, Water Science and Technology, General Energy, Atmospheric Science

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 13 - Climate Action