r, particularly during the growing season, can result in short-term changes in our forests, for example, a tree will halt photosynthesis and growth until there is sufficient water. But droughts can also result in more serious consequences to forests, like lack of a viable seed crop or large die-offs of vulnerable species, locations, or age classes. Seedlings are particularly vulnerable to drought due to their shallow root systems. Further, droughts can increase the chance of forest fire -- to which many of our tree species are not adapted. Insect pest outbreaks can also be more destructive when they occur with or following drought.

natural and managed systems such as crops, ecosystems, rivers, water resources, etc. These data were summarized for the Vermont Forest Indicators Dashboard, available at uvm.edu/femc/indicators/vt.