Surviving drought.
by Chris, 28 November, 2018, 0 comments
Climate change means that we are likely to experience more extreme weather events from intense and prolonged rainfall to severe drought and heat. The plants and trees of woodlands may experience periods of flooding, during which their roots may be deprived of oxygen (as the soil is waterlogged) and consequently - die. Similarly trees and other plants may be subject to drought - resulting in the stunting of growth or even death. It had been thought that most trees had roots that penetrated deep into the soil (in search of water and minerals) but the aftermath of the Great Storm of 1987 revealed that this was not the case for many types of tree. The root systems of many trees are, in fact, relatively shallow - the root plate may only reach down some five to six feet. Read more...