Beech trees remember droughts for a decade

Walking through a lush, green forest in Germany or Switzerland, you might assume the trees have fully recovered from a dry spell as soon as the rains return. However, tree-ring chronologies across Europe reveal a biological grudge that lasts for up to a decade. When a beech tree survives a severe drought, it doesn't simply bounce back. Instead, it enters a defensive state known as a growth legacy effect, growing significantly slower for five to ten years even when water is abundant.