When reading this week’s article, I hope you’re scratching your head wondering where in the world I am and what I’m thinking. I’m several weeks ahead with my writing so I could take some time to enjoy being off the grid in remote areas of the Midwest. I may or may not be in the “civilized” world, that being back home, when you receive this issue. If I’m back, it’s likely tags have been notched. It’s still possible to be back even if I didn’t find the buck I was looking for. I left our state while we were still in the midst of one of the most serious droughts I have ever experienced. I hope the weather pattern has changed and we’re soaking wet when this issue arrives, and if we are, writing about drought will seem totally inappropriate. Pray for rain.
Drought is an extended period of unusually dry weather. This definition is simple enough. Lack of precipitation can cause a variety of problems including but not limited to, crop damage, shortage of drinking water, famine, and even conflict over limited water resources.
Causes of drought are very complex. Weather patterns can be altered by changes in wind patterns thus disrupting how moisture is produced and where rainfall may occur. You may be familiar with El Nino where the surface water in the Pacific Ocean along the coast of central South America increases in temperature. These warmer waters alter storm patterns and are associated with droughts in Australia, Indonesia, and parts of South America. La Nina is the counterpart to El Nino when the surface water temperature in the Pacific Ocean decreases. The cooler waters affect storm patterns by contributing to drier than normal conditions in parts of North and South America. It is generally accepted that the effects of La Nina on weather patterns are more complex than El Nino.
There is a lot of debate about the connection between drought and global warming. Typically, warmer weather leads to more humid conditions thus favoring rainfall development. Other scientists argue that extreme warmer temperatures, especially with high winds, tend to decrease the development of rainfall. Both sides have merit.
Plants have adapted through time to withstand the effects of drought. Certain species have been able to withstand longer periods without water than others. For instance, yuccas have deep root systems offering them the ability to “seek out” water with incredible efficiency. Cacti have spines, also known as a type of leaf, that limit how much water they lose to evaporation and transpiration. Certain mosses can withstand complete dehydration. Junipers can self-prune by steering water only towards the branches required for survival. Other species only grow when there is enough water to support them. In fact, some seeds will lay dormant for years until soil conditions are favorable again for germination and survival. This is a prime example of survival of the fittest, for sure.
While drought is a naturally occurring phenomenon and cannot be prevented, human activity can influence the effects that drought has on a region. By over farming in certain areas, especially where irrigation water is extremely limited, land can be made more vulnerable to drought. Additionally, over-farming and over-grazing can lead to compaction issues which may greatly limit the penetration of water into the soils thus making it difficult for root systems of plants to absorb moisture. As soils become drier, they are more vulnerable to erosion. This can lead to rich farmland becoming desert-like, a process known as desertification.
The history regarding drought is vast. It is thought that droughts brought about the decline of the Ancestral Puebloans in the Southwest during the 13th century and Lower Mississippian societies in the 14th to 16th centuries. In South America, a massive migration out of the Atacama Desert around 9,500 years ago can be attributed by the onset of extreme drought. Historical droughts are studied by scientists to put modern-day droughts into perspective. Weather data from thermometers and rain gauges only goes back from 100-150 years. Paleoclimatology must be researched to gather data from tree rings, sediments found in lakes, ice cores, and archaeological artifacts to aid in understanding weather patterns for millions of years in the past.
The dust bowl of the 1930s is probably the most well-known drought experienced here in the U.S. This drought lasted for nearly a decade and had an enormous impact on crop production in the Great Plains. Lack of rainfall accompanied with high temperatures and strong winds affected over 50 million acres of land. Massive clouds of dust and soil formed as wind lifted the dry plains into the air. These clouds blocked the sun out for days at a time hence the name “dust bowl.” Farmers and their families were forced to move in search of means of survival other than farming. By 1940, 2.5 million people had fled the Great Plains. Poverty was extreme as the drought coincided with the Great Depression. In 1950, the drought returned to the Great Plains and the Southwestern U.S. crop production dropped nearly 50%.
In the late 1980s, the U.S. experienced one of the most expensive droughts on record. The three-year long drought ruined approximately 15 billion dollars of crops in the corn belt. The total losses in energy, water, ecosystems, and agriculture were estimated at 39 billion dollars. Just think what the dollar amount would be today.
Droughts continue to plague the U.S. and other parts of the world. I recall specifically the drought of 1980. We received rainfall on June 6th and never got another drop of rain until August 31st. To put this in perspective, we haven’t had appreciable rainfall in our part of the state since July. Though you may not farm, it is still having an impact on us, and we really won’t feel the full effect until next spring. I’ll explain.
Have you noticed the dead pine trees that abound locally? They are everywhere. Drought stressed trees have made them extremely vulnerable to the southern pine beetle and Ipps species. If you have dead trees in your lawns, it will cost an enormous amount of money to have them removed. Many large oaks will not leaf out this spring. Though they still have brown foliage on their branches, many won’t survive. This past spring’s freeze stressed ornamentals and shrubs in our lawns and flower beds.
Extreme heat this summer also took its toll on plant life. Even if you watered regularly, don’t be surprised if you must replace azaleas, loropetalum, Leyland cypress, and many others. Write it down now and begin making plans. Gift cards for stocking stuffers may be warranted and greatly appreciated by next spring. I can already see the writing on the wall. Nurseries will run short on inventory and landscapers will be stretched to the max to try and get to their clients on a timely basis. Though rainfall is desperately needed, sadly, it is too late to save many plants. At this point, we’re just trying to stop the bleeding. Get your gardening tools ready, for spring will be here before you know it. I just hope the duck holes are full by the time I return.
Until next time enjoy our woods and waters and remember, let’s leave it better than we found it.
