Long-term smoke exposure from massive wildfires lowers the energy reserves of orchard trees and can cut their nut production by half, researchers at the University of California, Davis, found.
Long-term smoke exposure from massive wildfires lowers the energy reserves of orchard trees and can cut their nut production by half, researchers at the University of California, Davis, found. The smoke can affect trees for months after a megafire, depressing their bloom and the next season’s harvest. This finding reveals a new danger from wildfires that could affect plant health in both agricultural and natural environments.
Nature Plants published the study today (Oct. 2).
“A lot of research focuses on the impact of smoke on humans but there is less study on the effects of smoke on plant health,” said lead author Jessica Orozco, a postdoctoral researcher with the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences. “Our study suggests that trees are just as vulnerable as humans.”
Read more at University of California - Davis
Photo Credit: StockSnap via Pixabay
