It wasn't the first time this had happened, surely, but the destruction was so complete in 1918 that it set the cultural pattern for countless disillusionments to come.

WSJ: Goodbye to All That

As the Nature piece notes, a 2010 study found that reports of drought-related forest stress and destruction had risen steadily since 1985 in varied ecosystems around the world, and suggested the pattern was tied to climate change.

FORBES: Forests and Climate Change: a Combustible Combination