Abstract
As an extension of the West Gulf Coastal Plain, East Texas frequently experiences large-scale disturbances such as disease and insect outbreaks, wildfires, droughts, and wind events. These disturbances have significant environmental impact on forest ecosystem and economic impacts on forest industry. To address gaps in understanding forest mortality trends, this study conducts a comprehensive spatial and economic assessment of mortality associated with different mortality causes. It focuses on both softwood and hardwood species, covering aboveground and belowground across two regions and 43 counties in East Texas, based on nearly two decades of Forest Inventory and Analysis Program data. From 2006 to 2024, total mortality biomass was 188.11 million short dry tons, including 33% softwood and 67% hardwood. Of this, 85% were aboveground, while 15% were belowground. Among all causes, weather accounted for the greatest mortality, followed by types of disease and vegetation. Spatially, most counties experienced an annual increase in forest mortality over time. However, the patterns varied by cause type and region. Weather generally showed a declining trend in annual mortality across most counties, whereas disease resulted in a significant annual increase. Cumulative economic losses reached $2.64 billion over the study period. The findings offer insights to support industry recovery, guide forest stakeholders in disaster preparedness, and align with U.S. policy priorities.