It’s been decades since Catalan forests suffer the effects of drought in his own skin. The soils, each time drier, and the trees, which lose the color of their leaves and shed their foliage beforehand, are a clear example of how the lack of rain it is damaging to these natural ecosystems so important for the territory. According to the latest DEBOSCAT report, last year there were more than 33,000 hectares of forest affected by extreme drought. This means almost 10,500 hectares more than the previous year. Experts warn that we are facing the worst figure since records exist in Catalonia.
The latest X-ray of the Catalan forests has been led by the Ministry of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda, the body of rural agents and the Center for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications (CREAF). In this last balance, which corresponds to the year 2022, it is shown that the forests that suffered the most from the extreme drought were those in the regions of the northern half of Catalonia such as Pallars Sobirà, Osona and Berguedà. These areas correspond to the points where the most extreme temperatures, more heat waves and, in turn, less rain were recorded throughout the past year.
It is estimated that at least two thirds of the forests affected due to the drought throughout the past year they had suffered water stress in previous years. According to experts warn, forests that experience drought repeatedly are less likely to recover. The areas most affected by this phenomenon are located in La Noguera and Pallars Jussà. There is also concern about the impact registered in regions such as Vallès Oriental, Solsonès or Bages, where after years of relative recovery of the forests, a further worsening of the indicators with which the forest is monitored has been observed. impact of drought on forests.
Trees most affected
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The species most affected by drought were the planifolios (leafy trees with broad, flat leaves) as the pines and the firs. These species are the ones that have accumulated the most damage due to the chronic lack of water and the successive heat waves that took place last year, when the extreme heat triggered thermometers for months and set hundreds of temperature records throughout the territory. The study of coniferous species (with narrower, more scaled leaves) suggests that these trees show the effects of drought months or years late but, even so, after the extreme conditions experienced in recent years, they are also beginning to show signs of stress.
The analyzes indicate that there species more resilient than others. Holm oaks and oaks, for example, can accumulate wounds from drought but, when the time comes, they are also capable of regrowth if conditions improve. The pines, on the other hand, show a worse prognosis. The study of these emblematic trees indicates that as soon as they lose their characteristic green color and turn brown, it means that they have already died. And there is no going back.