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Extreme heat poses extreme threat to trees and plants of Pacific Northwest

High-heat instances can pose greater risk to plant life than typical low-moisture droughts
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Douglas fir tree bark is studied by scientists to examine insect damage that led to the tree’s death following heat stress in the Willamette National Forest, Ore., Friday, Oct. 27, 2023. Scientists are investigating what they say is a new, woefully underestimated threat to the world’s plants: climate change-driven extreme heat. (AP Photo/Amanda Loman)

From June 25 to July 2, 2021, the Pacific Northwest experienced a record-breaking heat wave that sent the normally temperate region into Death Valley-like extremes that took a heavy toll on trees as well as people.

Seattle and Portland, Ore., recorded their hottest-ever temperatures, reaching 108 degrees Fahrenheit (42.2 Celsius) and 116 Fahrenheit (46.6 Celsius), respectively. In British Columbia, the small town of Lytton — ravaged by wildfire — reached 121 degrees Fahrenheit (49.6

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