DROUGHT STRESS IN TREES: WHAT TO EXPECT AND WHAT TO DO

DURHAM, N.C., Aug. 19 -- North Carolina State University issued the following press release:

Recurring and prolonged periods of drought are worsening worldwide, triggering a dangerous chain reaction for trees, according to a forest health expert at North Carolina State University.

Trees rely on soil moisture to transport nutrients, cool their leaves and create food through photosynthesis - all vital processes for survival. Drought removes that moisture.

"As soils dry out, trees can no longer take up water fast enough to meet the demands of the canopy ," said Kelly Oten, an assistant professor and Extension specialist in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources at NC State.

This shortage of water, Oten added, can "severely ...