Articles | Volume 23, issue 9
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-2985-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-2985-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
05 May 2026
Research article |
| 05 May 2026
| 05 May 2026
Drivers of drought-induced canopy mortality in conifer and broadleaf forests across Luxembourg
Selina Schwarz
KIT-Campus Alpin, Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research – Atmospheric Environmental Research (IMK-IFU), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Garmisch-Partenkirchen, 82467, Germany
Fabian Ewald Fassnacht
Remote Sensing and Geoinformation, Freie Universität Berlin (FUB), Berlin, 12249, Germany
Lisa Hülsmann
Ecosystem Analysis and Simulation, EASI Lab, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, 95448, Germany
Bayreuth Center for Ecology and Environmental Research BayCEER, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, 95448, Germany
Nadine K. Ruehr
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
KIT-Campus Alpin, Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research – Atmospheric Environmental Research (IMK-IFU), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Garmisch-Partenkirchen, 82467, Germany
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute of Geography and Geoecology (IFGG), 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
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Daniel Nadal-Sala, Rüdiger Grote, David Kraus, Uri Hochberg, Tamir Klein, Yael Wagner, Fedor Tatarinov, Dan Yakir, and Nadine K. Ruehr
Biogeosciences, 21, 2973–2994, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2973-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2973-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
A hydraulic model approach is presented that can be added to any physiologically based ecosystem model. Simulated plant water potential triggers stomatal closure, photosynthesis decline, root–soil resistance increases, and sapwood and foliage senescence. The model has been evaluated at an extremely dry site stocked with Aleppo pine and was able to represent gas exchange, soil water content, and plant water potential. The model also responded realistically regarding leaf senescence.
Hannah Weiser, Jannika Schäfer, Lukas Winiwarter, Nina Krašovec, Fabian E. Fassnacht, and Bernhard Höfle
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 2989–3012, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-2989-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-2989-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
3D point clouds, acquired by laser scanning, allow us to retrieve information about forest structure and individual tree properties. We conducted airborne, UAV-borne and terrestrial laser scanning in German mixed forests, resulting in overlapping point clouds with different characteristics. From these, we generated a comprehensive database of individual tree point clouds and corresponding tree metrics. Our dataset may serve as a benchmark dataset for algorithms in forestry research.
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Short summary
Climate change has increased droughts in recent years, damaging forests worldwide. To better understand which forests are most at risk, we analysed data of dead trees across Luxembourg during the 2018-2020 droughts. We found that tree death was strongly linked to nearby dying trees, especially in conifer forests, suggesting the spread of bark beetles, and that taller forests were more vulnerable. These findings can help guide forest management and make forests more resilient to a drier future.
Climate change has increased droughts in recent years, damaging forests worldwide. To better...
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