El Niño is an irregular climate cycle that affects the Pacific region. Essentially, El Niño has a big impact on the world, especially in countries where it usually occurs. This includes the Philippines, Indonesia and other tropical countries. As a climate phenomenon, El Niño is terrifying since it can affect the entire environment and the lives of many people. Thus, it is important for people around the globe to prepare for this kind of phenomenon that experts say may occur every three to five years and could last for a year.
What are the Causes of El Niño?
El Niño is caused by the warming of water in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. As wind goes into its opposite direction, the west wind pushes warm water to the east, directing it to South America. The cold water being pulled up from below is then reduced, thus making the water even warmer. The causes of El Niño in various countries may be the same, but the effect is actually different between tropical and South American countries. Apparently, El Niño brings a warm climate in tropical countries as well as heavy rainfall and even storms in South America.
How Does El Niño Affect the Trees?
Apart from the known effects of El Niño on global climate, this phenomenon also has lots of negative effects on the environment especially on trees.
Basically, El Niño can affect the growth of plants and trees. When there is drought, trees will also dry out and die. Newly planted trees won’t grow, as they need lots of water and moisture. In fact, the damages in trees are long term. When the soil remains dry, the tree will eventually die that even when the rain comes back, the tree may still not get enough water because the root mass has already been reduced.
Some trees may be able to survive; however, there are still more problems to deal with. One of these is invasion of pests. When the weather is hot, there are certain pests that would invade the trees like aphids, lace bugs and spider mites. These pests will be detrimental to trees since they intend to live in trees.
What Can People Do to Prevent Tree Damages Caused by El Niño?
Whether it’s drought or flood, you can still find ways to prevent El Niño from damaging your trees. One of these is timely pruning. This will help manage the growth of trees well and will protect the trees from possible storm damages.
Written by Robert Thompson, owner of LC Lawncare & Landscaping, where they are one of the best companies for tree service in Columbia, MO.