Northern Pines Thrive Far from Home: Grow 4× Faster and Resist Drought Better in the Southern Hemisphere

Northern Hemisphere conifers (such as pines, spruces, firs, and cedars) planted in the Southern Hemisphere can grow up to four times faster and show greater drought resistance and resilience than the same species in their native ranges.

This finding comes from a large international study led by researchers including Alex Fajardo (University of Talca / Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity) and involving University of Mississippi biologist Stephen Brewer, among more than two dozen co- authors from multiple continents.

The team examined growth via standardized dendrochronological (tree- ring) surveys at 192 sites across four continents and published the results in Nature in 2026 (“Pines grow faster and are more drought resilient in the Southern Hemisphere”).

Key findings

• Non- native Southern Hemisphere populations grew substantially faster while also being less affected by drought and recovering better afterward. This challenges the common ecological expectation of a trade- off between rapid growth and stress tolerance.
• These trees showed higher concentrations of non- structural carbohydrates (sugars and starches), which help store energy for stressful periods, and lower δ¹³C values, consistent with fewer stomatal limitations on photosynthesis and higher net carbon assimilation.⁠
• Native Southern Hemisphere trees in the genus Nothofagus (southern beeches) also performed reasonably well in both growth and drought tolerance.

Possible contributing factors include release from co- evolved pests, pathogens, and herbivores (“enemy release”), along with other environmental or physiological differences in the new ranges. Exact mechanisms require further study.

Implications for carbon sinks

Faster growth plus drought resilience makes these non- native conifers attractive candidates for afforestation projects aimed at storing carbon and mitigating climate change. Effective carbon sinks need trees that grow quickly and survive dry periods.⁠

However, the researchers strongly caution against simply promoting large-scale non- native conifer plantations:

• These trees (e.g., pines and Douglas fir) have long been planted for timber in places such as Chile, Brazil, and South Africa, but they often escape plantations and invade native habitats.
• In Brazil’s Cerrado savanna, for example, they can outcompete and eliminate native vegetation. Similar invasion and fire- related issues occur elsewhere, including in Mississippi with certain pine species.
• Non- native plantations can carry high biodiversity and social costs.

Native species such as Nothofagus may offer more sustainable alternatives for carbon sequestration and ecosystem health in the Southern Hemisphere.

In short, the study highlights both a surprising performance advantage for certain trees far from their evolutionary homes and the complex trade- offs involved when using them for climate mitigation.

Pines grow faster and are more drought resilient in the Southern Hemisphere

Abstract (key points)

Drought- induced conifer mortality is a global concern, yet Northern Hemisphere conifers planted at massive scales in the Southern Hemisphere do not show the same magnitude of growth decline or mortality as in their native ranges.

Using a standardized dendrochronological (tree- ring) survey at 192 sites across four continents, the authors found that:

• Northern Hemisphere conifers grow up to four times faster in the Southern Hemisphere.
• They are also more resistant and resilient to drought than conspecifics in their native ranges.

Non-native populations had:

• Higher concentrations of non- structural carbohydrates (sugars and starches), which are linked to drought tolerance.
• Lower δ¹³C values, consistent with fewer stomatal limitations on photosynthesis.

These traits, combined with higher stem growth rates, point to higher net carbon assimilation in non-native ranges.

The paradoxical combination of rapid growth and drought resilience challenges standard ecological theory (which predicts a growth– stress tolerance trade-off). It highlights the importance of eco- evolutionary history and has implications for the role of afforestation as a global carbon sink.

Study overview

• Lead authors: Alex Fajardo and colleagues (including Frida I. Piper, Antonio Gazol, J. Julio Camarero, J. Stephen Brewer, Martín A. Núñez, Ragan M. Callaway, and many others from ~10 countries).
• Species: Primarily Pinaceae (pines such as Pinus radiata, P. contorta, P. ponderosa, P. elliottii, P. sylvestris, plus larch, Douglas fir, etc.).
• Comparisons: Native ranges (Northern Hemisphere natural stands and some plantations) vs. non- native ranges (Southern Hemisphere plantations and some invasions), plus some adjacent native Southern Hemisphere angiosperms (Nothofagus spp.).
• Methods: Tree- ring analysis of basal area increment, drought response metrics (resistance, recovery, resilience using SPEI indices), non- structural carbohydrate measurements, and wood carbon isotope analysis (δ¹³C). Data and code are available on Figshare.

Broader context and implications

The superior performance is likely linked in part to enemy release (escape from co- evolved herbivores, pathogens, and competitors abundant in native ranges).

While this makes non- native conifers attractive for rapid carbon sequestration, the authors caution strongly against large -scale planting of exotic species. Many (e.g., Pinus contorta) are invasive in the Southern Hemisphere and can reduce native biodiversity.

Native Nothofagus forests showed intermediate growth but comparable drought tolerance and higher wood density, offering a more sustainable alternative for carbon storage in some regions.⁠

The full article is behind a Nature paywall (institutional access, Nature+, or purchase required). Supplementary materials, data, and code are openly available via the links on the article page and Figshare.

Journal: Nature, volume 657, pages 697–702 (2026)

DOI: 10.1038/s41586-026-10969-8

Published: 2 September 2026

Provided: University of Mississippi

Authors: Alex Fajardo,
Antonio Gazol,
J. Julio Camarero,
Michael J. Gundale,
Frida I. Piper,
J. Stephen Brewer,
Rowan Buxton,
Ellen Cieraad,
Alejandro Dezzotti,
Angel Fernández-Cortés,
Florian Goedecke,
Ester González de Andrés,
Suzaan Kritzinger-Klopper,
Annamari Laurén,
Juan C. Llancabure,
Anne C. S. McIntosh,
Tomás Milani,
Jaime Moyano,
Martín A. Núñez,
Marjo Palviainen,
Duane Peltzer,
Claudia Reyes-Bahamonde,
Lina Rinne,
Anna Sala,
Robert P. Skelton,
Cristina Valeriano &
Ragan M. Callaway

Abstract

Drought-induced conifer mortality is a global concern¹, yet conifers native to the Northern Hemisphere that have been planted at massive scales in the Southern Hemisphere do not appear to show the same magnitude of growth decline or mortality as in their native ranges. Using a standardized dendrochronological survey at 192 sites across four continents, we find that Northern Hemisphere conifers grow up to four times faster in the Southern Hemisphere and are also more resistant and resilient to drought than conspecifics in native ranges, suggesting that non-native populations respond fundamentally different to abiotic stress. Conifers in non-native ranges had higher concentrations of non-structural carbohydrates, commonly associated with drought tolerance^2,3, and lower δ¹³C values, consistent with lower stomatal limitations on photosynthesis. In sum, higher concentrations of non-structural carbohydrate, lower δ¹³C values and higher stem growth rates all point towards higher net carbon assimilation by conifers in non-native ranges. This paradoxical combination of high growth rates yet resilience to drought emphasizes the importance of integrating eco-evolutionary history into ecological theory and is relevant for assessing the ultimate role of afforestation as global carbon sinks.