Leaves across Switzerland turned brown in mid-July, well before autumn — a sign of severe climate stress, not a natural cycle
Researchers at the EPFL say a combination of prolonged drought and temperatures above 35 degrees blocked water transport in trees, causing tissues to die.
Unlike normal autumn, the trees cannot recover their nutrients.
Scientists warn these extreme summers — 2003, 2015, 2018, 2022 and now 2026 — are becoming too frequent for Swiss forests to adapt.
Beech and spruce may eventually give way to more heat-tolerant species like oak.
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