Mighty Old Trees Are Perishing Fast

Mighty Old Trees Are Perishing Fast

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The death rate of many of the biggest and oldest trees around the world is increasing rapidly, scientists report in a new study published in the journal Science. They warned that research to understand and stem the loss of the trees is urgently needed.

The research team found that big, old trees are dying at an alarmingly fast clip around the world at all latitudes – Yosemite National Park in California, the African savanna, the Brazilian rain forest, Europe and the boreal forests around the world. They described the cause as a combination of factors, from a hotter, drier climate in many places to logging, land clearing, changes in fire prevention and management policies, insect attacks and diseases.