Assistant Professor Matt Dannenberg's recent publication, "Reduced tree growth in the semiarid United States due to asymmetric responses to intensifying precipitation extremes," examines how extreme rainfall variability may cause long-term declines in tree growth for several species of trees in the western U.S., including the ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, pinon pine, and bur oak. Prof. Dannenberg was recently interviewed by Iowa Public Radio and Radio Iowa on the findings of this research. Iowa's state tree, the bur oak, is one of the species threatened by reductions in growth due to precipitation extremes. 

Read the full article in the journal Science Advances here. 

Read the University of Arizona's press release on Matt's research by Rosemary Brandt here. 

Dannenberg, M.P., E.K. Wise, and W.K. Smith (2019), Reduced tree growth in the semiarid United States due to asymmetric responses to intensifying precipitation extremes, Science Advances 5 (10), eaaw0667. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aaw0667.