Drought Disturbance from Climate Change: Response of Cork Oak (Quercus Suber L.) Forests in North Africa (Tunisia)

Climate changes reflect an increase in temperature and a decrease in annual rainfall, with high variability between regions, which will generate hotter, drier environments. Under these conditions, it is projected that forest ecosystems will be severely affected, and recent studies have accumulated evidence for drought-induced tree mortality, especially in North Africa (Tunisia). Consequently, many studies have attempted to explain mechanisms of survival and mortality in forest species. However, the physiological mechanisms that underlie drought-induced mortality are not completely understood. The aim of the present study is to analyze the effect of an extremely dry year on the cause of mortality and decline of cork oak forest in the northwest of Tunisia, during the period 1988–1995. Extreme-drought years with significant effects on tree growth were registered. Cork oak mortality was recorded for up to 63,622 trees.