LAFAYETTE, INDIANA — A new study that looked at three decades worth of data on trees came to a startling discovery — the trees are migrating. <br /> <br />From 1980 to 2015, researchers from Purdue University found that 73% of trees in the eastern U.S. have been moving westward, while 62% have been migrating north, according to the study published in Science Advances. <br /> <br />As trees farther south and east die off, new ones sprout further north and east, causing the geographic center of where the trees live to gradually shift. <br /> <br />The reason for the move is unclear, but is possibly linked to climate change. Changes in rainfall patterns have reportedly led to wetter weather in the west. <br /> <br />Warming temperatures are also partly responsible for the northward shift, as trees try to get to cooler weather. <br /> <br />It’s highly unlikely that the eastern U.S. will be completely devoid of trees, but the migration could impact industries that rely on specific species.
