The Health of Our Forests Depends on the Weather

The relationship between drought and deforestation is a complicated one that impacts local ecosystems and large scale weather patterns.  For example, three of the hottest summers on record occurred in the Mid-Atlantic from 2010-2012 concurrently with a period of chronic drought.  That led to some loss of forest land in the Eastern United States.  Recent years have also seen a series of major storms, including the June 2012 Mid-Atlantic “derecho” (long lasting line of severe thunderstorms) and former Hurricane Sandy in October 2012, which contributed to loss of forest land.   

If this continues, then there may be long-term effects on weather and climate patterns.  Forests and parks are invaluable natural resources that provide a cooler oasis for city dwellers to visit.  They also perform the critical function of converting carbon dioxide to oxygen that mammals breathe.

The combination of below average rainfall and above average summer heat during the three consecutive summers through 2012 depleted some forest land across parts of the Eastern United States – including the Mid-Atlantic Region. A recent study done by NASA found that “nearly 40% of the Mid-Atlantic’s forests lost tree canopy cover, ranging from 10% to 15% between 2000 and 2010…”

Countless record highs were set during the summers of 2010 through 2012.  At National Airport, July 2012 featured 7 days of triple digit heat, breaking the previous record of 6 set in July 1930.  That was in conjunction with below average rainfall, making it especially tough on vegetation.  People living in the region will remember those summers as being particularly hot and dry.

Although the summers of 2013 and 2014 have featured less extreme heat, there have been several instances where rounds of severe weather have knocked down significant numbers of trees.  The good news is that a lot of the older trees had already been knocked down or cut down so there have been fewer widespread power outages than in recent years.  However, losing a significant portion of forest has key environmental effects including a decrease in biodiversity and the ability of the environment to cleanse and cool itself.