Tree migration study one of Discover’s top stories of the year

Discover magazine named a Purdue University study analyzing the movement of tree species in response to climate change as one of its top 100 scientific stories of the year.

Songlin Fei, an associate professor in the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, led the study that shows trees are shifting northward as temperatures warm, but also to the west in response to increased precipitation. (Read about the study here.)

“Precipitation has a stronger near-term impact on species shift than temperature,” Fei said of his research, published in the journal Science Advances and covered by more than 50 news outlets around the world.

Using data collected by the U.S. Forest Service from 1980 to 2015, Fei found that tree migration is species-specific, with deciduous trees such as oak and maple moving west, while evergreens are trending north. Long-term changes in precipitation patterns are affecting the composition of forests and altering entire ecosystems.

Fei and colleagues are continuing research examining the role of moisture and climate change on U.S. forests.

“We are moving forward to study changes in both above- and below-ground forest communities, and hoping to better understand the impacts of drought on forest ecosystems and their management implications,” Fei said.

Featured Stories

Alex Wassgren - Graduate Ag Research Spotlight

Alex Wassgren has a favorite core memory from growing up as a Purdue faculty kid in West...

Purdue’s soybean community reimagined

Not even a morning rainstorm could keep a crowd out of Purdue’s soybean fields on Thursday,...

Pollen & pollination: How ancient partnerships shape today's world

When you stop and smell the flowers or buy a bouquet, aroma and beauty likely drew you in....

Close up of tomatoes on a vine at Huffman and Hawbaker Farms near West Point, Indiana

Tomatoes, teamwork and transformation

When most people think of food science, they imagine chefs in test kitchens or technicians in...

Public understanding of food insecurity widely varies

The public’s familiarity with the term “food insecurity” and the Supplemental...

Harsh Pathak - Graduate Ag Research Spotlight

The city of Prayagraj, in northern India, is bustling year-round, with a population of some 10...