PORTLAND, Ore. – A new study from researchers at Oregon State University is detailing the impacts the historic 2021 heat dome had on old growth forests in the Pacific Northwest, and how those areas could see “major” changes amid a warming climate. Over three days, the heat dome brought temperatures as high as 116 degrees Fahrenheit to Portland, 117 degrees to Salem and 121 in Lytton, British Columbia – marking the highest temperature ever recorded in Canada. Now, with help from satellite images, researchers from OSU and the United States Department of Forestry, learned that the heat dome scorched nearly 5% of forested area in western Oregon and western Washington, “turning foliage … red or orange, sometimes within a matter of hours,” the university explained. …damage to foliage can lead to … reduced photosynthesis and an increase in vulnerability to pests and disease. More frequent and severe weather events could bring changes to old growth forests, the scientists warn.