Tree Species Mixing Improves Forest Drought Resilience, Study Finds

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Scientists discovered three tree species have wildly different strategies to survive drought – and which one wins might surprise you.

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Norway spruce trees use shallow roots to grab water, making them first to suffer when soil dries out.

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European beech and Douglas fir dig deeper for water, but one consumes a shocking 123% more water than the other during wet years.

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Trees grown together develop surprising relationships – some helpful, others harmful.

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When beech grows with Douglas fir, it absorbs more water from deeper soil than when growing alone.

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But spruce trees growing with beech are forced to rely even more on surface water, increasing their drought risk.

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"Beech and Douglas fir are a better combination," says lead researcher Christina Hackmann, "but if it gets too dry overall, all tree species will have problems."

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Central European forests have suffered devastating droughts in 2003, 2015, and 2018-2020, causing massive forest die-offs.

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Forest management is now shifting from timber production to building resilience against climate change.

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1. Which trees should we plant together to create drought-resistant forests for the future?

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