What is it about?
This research presents the Forest Drought Response Index (ForDRI), a tool designed to monitor drought stress in forests across the contiguous United States. ForDRI combines 12 types of data—such as satellite observations of forest greenness, soil moisture, groundwater levels, and long-term climate patterns—to assess tree stress due to water scarcity. The effectiveness of ForDRI was validated through three methods: comparing its results with historical tree-ring data, measuring forest water usage with scientific towers, and gathering insights from over 50 forest managers and experts. The tool proved particularly effective in Western forests, where drought is a significant concern, enabling near real-time monitoring of forest drought stress.
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Why is it important?
ForDRI stands out as one of the first integrated tools that account for the complex ways forests respond to water shortages, which often involve delayed impacts on deep soil water and groundwater. The tool provides high-resolution weekly maps at a detailed 1-km scale for the entire contiguous U.S., offering forest managers a current and localized perspective that was previously unavailable. In light of the climate crisis, which intensifies the severity, frequency, and duration of droughts, the need for ForDRI has never been more critical, as it directly addresses the urgent challenge of monitoring and managing forests under escalating climate stress.
Perspectives
In short, ForDRI empowers decision-makers to move from reacting to drought emergencies to proactively managing forest risks. It provides a common, data-driven foundation for making smarter, more timely, and more effective decisions to protect our vital forest ecosystems.
Professor Tsegaye Tadesse
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Development and Evaluation of the Forest Drought Response Index (ForDRI): An Integrated Tool for Monitoring Drought Stress Across Forest Ecosystems in the Contiguous United States, Forests, July 2025, MDPI AG,
DOI: 10.3390/f16071187.
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