Surrey's beech trees could become extinct if global warming and climate change continue at the present rate.
Experts say because of their shallow root system the trees cannot tap deep into the soil for moisture.
This means if hotter, drier summers continue, they could die.
Ecologist Dr Gill Stribley, told the British Ecological Society Buckinghamshire,on Friday September: "Our studies of beech trees support the prediction that climate space for beech may disappear in southern England as the climate warms, unless greenhouse gases are stabilised."
Dr Stribley says that in 1992, 40 per cent of Surrey's large beeches were healthy but by 2002, only 10 per cent were in good shape.Surrey Online
