Drought effects on carbon cycling

Forest Ecology![Figure][1] Forest trees “remember” droughts for several years PHOTO: © ASHLEY COOPER PICS/ALAMY The response of forest ecosystems to drought is increasingly important in the context of a warming climate. Anderegg et al. studied a tree-ring database of 1338 forest sites from around the globe. They found that forests exhibit a drought “legacy effect” with 3 to 4 years' reduced growth following drought. During this postdrought delay, forests will be less able to act as a sink for carbon. Incorporating forest legacy effects into Earth system models will provide more accurate predictions of the effects of drought on the global carbon cycle. Science , this issue p. [528][2] [1]: pending:yes [2]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.aab1833