Journal ArticleComplex trajectories of tree growth in the southwestern United States after severe droughtZenes, Nicole [School of Biological Sciences University of Utah Salt Lake City Utah USA] (ORCID:0000000241267794); Anderegg, Leander_D L [Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology University of California, Santa Barbara Santa Barbara California USA]; Ogle, Kiona [School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems Northern Arizona University Flagstaff Arizona USA] (ORCID:0000000206528397); Peltier, Drew_M P [School of Life Sciences University of Nevada‐Las Vegas Las Vegas Nevada USA]; Anderegg, William_R L [School of Biological Sciences University of Utah Salt Lake City Utah USA]<title>Abstract</title> <p>Climate change driven extreme droughts have major impacts on forest ecosystems, including large‐scale mortality and reduced primary production, which feedback to affect the global carbon cycle. The long‐term impacts of extreme drought events on forest mortality, ecosystem responses, and recovery/post‐drought trajectories are poorly understood. In this study, we combine annual tree ring widths of five major species occurring in the southwestern United States and data obtained from long‐term forest inventory and monitoring plots to study the effect of an extreme drought event in 2002 on subsequent tree growth. We quantified the extent to which trees that survived the drought had increased growth due to potential increases in resources from reduced stand density or reduced growth due to lingering impacts of drought stress. We found diverse patterns of post‐drought growth trajectories across species, with drastic increases in growth in some species such as trembling aspen (<italic>Populus tremuloides</italic>) and clear growth suppression in other species such as ponderosa pine (<italic>Pinus ponderosa</italic>), reflecting notable drought legacy effects. Total basal area was the best predictor of post‐drought growth responses, though the regression effect (positive or negative) varied by species; for example, ponderosa pine showed less growth than predicted in higher density stands while spruce had greater growth than expected in the higher density stands. Climatic water deficit and stand age also emerged as important drivers of post‐drought growth trajectories for multiple species. The results of this study can help to elucidate how different forest types in the southwestern United States will respond to future drought events and the ramifications for carbon cycling in this region.</p>Ecosphere2026-03-0110677180Ecosphere1732150-8925https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.705142044937; 2325700National Science Foundation