Scholarlink

<p>Rising sea levels have driven widespread coastal tree die-off, forming large swaths of standing dead trees known as ‘ghost forests’. While reports of coastal forest loss are accumulating, its true severity and factors determining the underlying mortality risks remain poorly understood. Here we mapped over 10 million individual dead trees across the US Atlantic region, a sea level rise hotspot, using deep learning and sub-metre aerial imagery. Our analysis reveals disproportionate and pervasive tree mortality in many previously unrecognized ghost forest hotspots, with over 6 million dead trees concentrated in low-lying (&lt;5 m) forests, primarily driven by salinization rather than flooding alone. Notably, man-made flood obstructions (roads and levees), when present, have reduced forest loss by 40% and 79% respectively, but they can only provide temporary protection against rising seas. These findings highlight the alarming decline in coastal forests and the need for strategic long-term planning to preserve the critical services that coastal ecosystems provide.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Overlooked and extensive ghost forest formation across the US Atlantic coast

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年12月3日

查看全文
  • Henry Chi Hang Yeung,
  • Tamlin M. Pavelsky,
  • Chao Wang,
  • Nate G. McDowell,
  • Ryan E. Emanuel,
  • Emily S. Bernhardt,
  • Xi Yang

摘要

Rising sea levels have driven widespread coastal tree die-off, forming large swaths of standing dead trees known as ‘ghost forests’. While reports of coastal forest loss are accumulating, its true severity and factors determining the underlying mortality risks remain poorly understood. Here we mapped over 10 million individual dead trees across the US Atlantic region, a sea level rise hotspot, using deep learning and sub-metre aerial imagery. Our analysis reveals disproportionate and pervasive tree mortality in many previously unrecognized ghost forest hotspots, with over 6 million dead trees concentrated in low-lying (<5 m) forests, primarily driven by salinization rather than flooding alone. Notably, man-made flood obstructions (roads and levees), when present, have reduced forest loss by 40% and 79% respectively, but they can only provide temporary protection against rising seas. These findings highlight the alarming decline in coastal forests and the need for strategic long-term planning to preserve the critical services that coastal ecosystems provide.