Not just California, but all forests in the United States are at risk of facing catastrophic effects of climate change, a new study published in journal Global Change Biology has predicted. Change in weather pattern is happening rapidly, and forests don’t have time to react, as per the study.

Researchers from over one dozen institutions said that rising instances of drought-like conditions, which were previously found affecting only Western forests, have now started impacting nearly all forests and cities across the country. Climate models created by ecologists and researchers are suggesting that drought may become more severe and prolonged in most of the states in the US.

In last about 20 years, changing weather patterns and warming temperatures have increased the severity of forest droughts in many US states, said James S. Clark, Environmental Science Professor at Duke University and lead researcher of the study.

Previously, it was found that drought conditions are affecting forests in the West, but the new study shows that nearly all forests in the US have started experiencing effects of climate change, Clark said. All of them are at high risk of decline in near future, he continued.

“Given the high degree of uncertainty in our understanding of how forest species and stands adapt to rapid change, it's going to be difficult to anticipate the type of forests that will be here in 20 to 40 years”, as per the Duke University professor.

If droughts remain for a long time, they could lead to wildfires and can impact forest biodiversity and species distribution, Clark said. Now, there is a need to understand that what’s happening to the forests and how they could be saved in future, he added.

He also said that while environmental researchers know how climate change is affecting individual trees, there is still need to know how a forest is getting affected by the change.