El Niño’s hidden toll on trees emerges years later in Papua New Guinea rainforest
When the El Niño drought ended in a remote Papua New Guinea rainforest, the trees did not immediately recover. Many kept dying. That is one of the findings of a recent study of more than 21,000 trees in the Wanang Forest Dynamics Plot, a 50-hectare (124-acre) research site in northern Papua New Guinea. Researchers measured […]
A new study reveals that the effects of the 2015-17 El Niño drought in a Papua New Guinea rainforest continued to impact the trees long after the rainfall returned. Over 21,000 trees in the Wanang Forest Dynamics Plot, a 50-hectare research site, were examined, and it was found that tree mortality was significantly higher in the post-drought period than before or during the drought.
Dr. Hayden Wagia, the lead author and botanist from the Papua New Guinea University of Technology's School of Forestry, explained that the post-drought period was when tree deaths became evident. Despite the drought reducing rainfall to only 5.2% of the area's typical dry season precipitation, the study highlights how different tree locations within the forest responded uniquely.
Valley trees experienced high mortality before and during the drought but recovered quickly afterward, while ridge trees showed the opposite pattern with increased mortality after the drought and a persistent weakness. The long-term impacts of drought on trees remain unclear, but this research underscores the potential for delayed effects following severe dry periods.
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