Superb_Nature_2457 t1_jd4gl6h wrote
Reply to comment by sooibot in The growing period of hardwood forests in eastern North America has increased by an average of one month over the past century as temperatures have steadily risen, a new study has found. by memorialmonorail
I mean, depending on the type, oaks don’t live longer than a few centuries normally. Their normal lifespans are 100-300, with some as short as 50 and others as long as 600. Trees are like other living things: They age and die.
There are some interesting studies on the impact of longer growing seasons. The extended growing seasons may make up for slower growth during increasingly common droughts, and they might also help store more carbon.
The biggest visible impact climate change will have on forests (outside of wildfires) will be seen in forest composition as species more acclimated to warmer temps take over. It’s not like trees die and then nothing takes their place. Even coastal ghost forests see shifts in species. The great northern forests likely won’t vanish; they’ll change how they look. Funny enough, that might mean more oak and hickory in some places.
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