Trees are losing leaves earlier due to drought stress
Several tree species in Belgium are losing their leaves weeks ahead of schedule due to ongoing drought, nature organisation Natuurpunt said on Tuesday. The stress caused by the dry conditions is prompting leaves to change colour and fall prematurely, even though autumn has yet to begin.
Persistent drought over the past months has put trees under strain, forcing them to halt evaporation through their leaves as a survival mechanism. Some may have died, though Natuurpunt stresses that multiple factors can play a role. Beech, lime, pedunculate oak and silver birch are among the species most affected.
“Trees can generally recover once a stressful period ends,” Natuurpunt said. “But repeated stress without enough recovery time can prove fatal. Trees that have already endured several droughts may not survive the next one.”
Forests, however, are proving more resilient. Thanks to their naturally cooler and more humid microclimate, they offer trees a better chance of surviving long dry spells.
Calls to plant more southern tree species in Belgium are premature, Natuurpunt said. Instead, native species that withstand repeated stress could gradually become more dominant.
According to the Research Institute for Nature and Forest, young beech trees are showing surprising resilience, even as older beeches continue to struggle with water shortages.
Belgium has faced several consecutive dry months this year, in both spring and summer. A majority of monitored sites are facing low or very low groundwater levels, the Royal Meteorological Institute said last month.
#Fland ersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO JAMES ARTHUR GEKIERE
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