Forest Dieback of Abies Balsamea in Eastern North America

An increased shift in climate change contributes to accelerated forest dieback around the world. Forest dieback is the process of a forest ecosystem suffering from disease, with mortality rates increasing among trees, potentially leading to the death of the ecosystem. Dieback can be caused through a variety of biotic and abiotic factors such as climate change, land use change, pests, pathogens, and invasive species. Balsam fir trees (Abies balsamea) in eastern North America are particularly vulnerable to dieback. Increased temperatures associated with climate change hinder their tree germination, growth, and competitiveness in an ecosystem. It has been determined that limiting forest dieback damage can be performed by monitoring forest conditions and identifying symptoms such as yellowing of leaves, delayed growth, and reduced stem and twig growth. Diversification was determined to be one of the primary methods of reducing the damage caused by forest dieback. Other methods that were found included decreasing deforestation and limiting the effects of climate change within an ecosystem. These strategies can be applied to balsam fir trees, although the efficacy of mitigation strategies would need to be explored long term.