Climate Responses of Red Spruce (Picea Rubens Sarg.) and Its Associated Forest Community Along Elevational Gradients in the Northeastern United States PDF Download
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Author: Brittany Verrico
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Red spruce
Languages : en
Pages : 326
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Book Description
The composition of forest communities and the distributions of individual tree species are both strongly tied to climatic conditions through species-specific physiological tolerances to the abiotic environment. As a result, spatial and temporal variation in climate, both natural and anthropogenically induced, exert strong influence on tree species distributions and their adaptations to local conditions. In order for trees, which are sessile, to persist in a rapidly changing environment, genetic variation and/or phenotypic plasticity must be maintained to facilitate adaptive evolution. While strong local adaptation to current climate has been reported for trees sampled across broad spatial landscapes (e.g., latitude), few studies have investigated microgeographic adaptation, or adaptation occurring within the dispersal neighborhood, despite the common occurrence of tree populations distributed across steep fine-scale environmental gradients (e.g., elevation). Understanding the spatial scale of local adaptation and the capacity for adaptive evolution is a key issue under ongoing climate change, as many forest tree species become exposed to climate conditions outside of their current adaptive optima. In this dissertation, I used multidisciplinary approaches to investigate how climate shapes biodiversity across and within forest tree species. I utilized a long-term forest tree inventory dataset to examine how species composition along an elevational climate gradient in the northeastern United States has responded to anthropogenic environmental change. I found that complex species-specific responses have led to an overall reduction in beta diversity in recent years, yielding a more homogeneous community, with the combined effects of sulphate deposition and warming temperatures being the two main drivers of this change. To assess how intraspecific diversity responds to this elevational climate gradient, I focused on red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.), a coniferous tree abundant in high elevation spruce-fir forests of Vermont and other cool, mountainous locales throughout eastern North America. Utilizing population genetic techniques, I found limited genetic structure in red spruce populations along elevational gradients, pointing to extensive gene flow. However, divergent selection between elevations has been strong enough to overcome high gene flow, allowing for local climatic adaptation in quantitative traits such as bud phenology and cold tolerance. Finally, I established a common garden study replicated along an elevational gradient of planting sites to test the spatial scale at which local adaptation to climate and phenotypic plasticity occurs and quantified genetic variation for these processes. Significant heritable genetic variation was found for both local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity in families collected from fine- and broad-spatial scales for bud phenology and growth-related traits. Using the transfer distance between family source and planting site climates to predict the response of functional traits, I found strong evidence of local adaptation to source climate shaping bud phenology traits among broad-scale families yet impacts of transfer distance on overall early-life fitness were weak at both spatial scales. The magnitude of performance and bud phenology plasticity was similar between spatial scales, and plasticity in phenology traits (from either scale) did not confer a performance advantage. Altogether, this work advances our understanding of how climate influences both the forest and the trees, at timescales spanning decades, and at spatial scales from hundreds of kilometers to the bottom versus the top of the same mountain. Understanding the drivers of forest community structure and the evolutionary mechanisms that trees can implement to counter the effects of a rapidly changing environment are imperative to help predict species responses to future climatic and environmental change.
Author: Brittany Verrico
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Red spruce
Languages : en
Pages : 326
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Book Description
The composition of forest communities and the distributions of individual tree species are both strongly tied to climatic conditions through species-specific physiological tolerances to the abiotic environment. As a result, spatial and temporal variation in climate, both natural and anthropogenically induced, exert strong influence on tree species distributions and their adaptations to local conditions. In order for trees, which are sessile, to persist in a rapidly changing environment, genetic variation and/or phenotypic plasticity must be maintained to facilitate adaptive evolution. While strong local adaptation to current climate has been reported for trees sampled across broad spatial landscapes (e.g., latitude), few studies have investigated microgeographic adaptation, or adaptation occurring within the dispersal neighborhood, despite the common occurrence of tree populations distributed across steep fine-scale environmental gradients (e.g., elevation). Understanding the spatial scale of local adaptation and the capacity for adaptive evolution is a key issue under ongoing climate change, as many forest tree species become exposed to climate conditions outside of their current adaptive optima. In this dissertation, I used multidisciplinary approaches to investigate how climate shapes biodiversity across and within forest tree species. I utilized a long-term forest tree inventory dataset to examine how species composition along an elevational climate gradient in the northeastern United States has responded to anthropogenic environmental change. I found that complex species-specific responses have led to an overall reduction in beta diversity in recent years, yielding a more homogeneous community, with the combined effects of sulphate deposition and warming temperatures being the two main drivers of this change. To assess how intraspecific diversity responds to this elevational climate gradient, I focused on red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.), a coniferous tree abundant in high elevation spruce-fir forests of Vermont and other cool, mountainous locales throughout eastern North America. Utilizing population genetic techniques, I found limited genetic structure in red spruce populations along elevational gradients, pointing to extensive gene flow. However, divergent selection between elevations has been strong enough to overcome high gene flow, allowing for local climatic adaptation in quantitative traits such as bud phenology and cold tolerance. Finally, I established a common garden study replicated along an elevational gradient of planting sites to test the spatial scale at which local adaptation to climate and phenotypic plasticity occurs and quantified genetic variation for these processes. Significant heritable genetic variation was found for both local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity in families collected from fine- and broad-spatial scales for bud phenology and growth-related traits. Using the transfer distance between family source and planting site climates to predict the response of functional traits, I found strong evidence of local adaptation to source climate shaping bud phenology traits among broad-scale families yet impacts of transfer distance on overall early-life fitness were weak at both spatial scales. The magnitude of performance and bud phenology plasticity was similar between spatial scales, and plasticity in phenology traits (from either scale) did not confer a performance advantage. Altogether, this work advances our understanding of how climate influences both the forest and the trees, at timescales spanning decades, and at spatial scales from hundreds of kilometers to the bottom versus the top of the same mountain. Understanding the drivers of forest community structure and the evolutionary mechanisms that trees can implement to counter the effects of a rapidly changing environment are imperative to help predict species responses to future climatic and environmental change.
Author: Relena Rose Ribbons
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Dendrochronology
Languages : en
Pages : 46
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Book Description
Picea rubens(red spruce) populations experienced a synchronous rangewide decline in growth and vigor starting in the 1960's, which was likely caused by climate change or environmental disturbances (e.g., acid deposition); However, it is yet unknown if populations continue to decline or have recovered. In the context of global warming, red spruce is a species of concern because it is at its southern continuous range margin in Massachusetts. This study uses tree-ring data coupled with population data from permanent plots to quantify the status of red spruce in Massachusetts. Tree cores were extracted from red spruce and used to examine radial growth rates, determine a growth-climate relationship, and document disturbance events. Red spruce at these plots ranged from 90 to 184 years old, and comprised 15 to 29 m2/ha-1 basal area. Over the past 50 years, red spruce has decreased in density, basal area, and relative importance while red maple, yellow birch, and American beech have increased. Red spruce saplings persisted in some plots, but the sapling layer was comprised mostly of American beech or red maple. However, red spruce seedlings were common at red spruce dominant plots indicating that if favorable conditions occur, it could return to its more dominant position in the canopy. Dendroclimatological analyses show that red spruce is sensitive to both temperature and precipitation. Most sites are correlated with temperature, while only two forests were correlated to precipitation. The general temperature response of the red spruce studied was positively correlated with winter temperatures while the general precipitation response was negatively correlated with precipitation. Temporal analysis of the climate-growth response indicates that red spruce here have not had a temporally-stable, climate-growth relationship. Prior to 1960, radial growth was positively correlated with temperatures from November of the previous growing season to January of the current year. After 1960, all sites showed a shift in growth responses consistent with increased summer temperature stress; narrowed tree rings were formed during warm temperatures in July and August. Precipitation remained relatively constant over the past century, while temperatures have increased up to 2°C across the study area. Of the two precipitation-sensitive forests, one forest shifted from being positively correlated with current January precipitation to negatively correlated with previous October precipitation while the second forest showed a strong positive relationship with August precipitation. Because the radial growth of red spruce here are mostly constrained by temperatures, there has been negative growth response to regional warming and precipitation has been stable, I suggest the change in climate response is potentially due to warming and a physiological threshold response to increasing temperatures. Interestingly, disturbance frequency and intensity have increased over the same time period, which could be either a trigger or a response to the shift in the growth-climate relationship.
Author: Wushuang Li
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0
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Book Description
Red spruce (Picea rubens) is an important species in northeastern North America. Climate change impacts on this species are expected to vary regionally. We use two historic provenance trials to evaluate red spruce's capacity to persist under climate change by analyzing measurements of tree height and diameter in relation to differences between provenance origin climate and test site climate. Within the range of climate differentials, warming did not appear to negatively impact red spruce performance, but cooling did affect performance by reducing height and diameter. Warmer temperatures increased tree size, especially for northern provenances, suggesting red spruce at the northern extent of its range is cold suppressed. Furthermore, changes in frost free period and mean annual temperature significantly impacted tree size. Temperature-related climatic factors had stronger effects than moisture-related factors. Our tests of climatic effects on more southerly provenances were limited by lack of sites south of red spruce's range
Author: Robert K. Shepard
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Red spruce
Languages : en
Pages : 12
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Author: Robert K. Shepard
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Red spruce
Languages : en
Pages : 14
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Author: Paul Andrew Schwarz
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 90
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Author: Mary B. Adams
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1461229065
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 427
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Book Description
In the early 1980s there were several published reports of recent, unexplained increases in mortality of red spruce in the Adirondack Mountains and the northern Appalachian Mountains of the eastern United States. These reports coincided with documentation of reductions in radial growth of several species of pine in the southeastern United States, and with the severe, rapid, and widespread decline of Norway spruce, silver fir, and some hardwoods in central Europe. In all of these instances, atmospheric deposition was hypothesized as the cause of the decline. (Throughout this volume, we use the term "decline" to refer to a loosely synchronized regional-scale deterioration of tree health which is brought about by a combination of stress factors. These may be biotic or abiotic in nature, and the combinations may differ from site to site. ) Heated public debate about the causes and possible cures for these forest declines ensued. Through the course of this debate, it became clear that information about forest health and air pollution effects on forests was inadequate to meet policymakers' needs. Ecology and Decline of Red Spruce in the Eastern United States addresses that gap for eastern spruce fir forests and represents the culmination of a great deal of research conducted in recent years. The focus is on red spruce because the decline of red spruce was both dramatic and inexplicable and because of the great amount of information gathered on red spruce.
Author: Robert K. Shepard
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Red spruce
Languages : en
Pages : 20
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Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0
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Global climate change threatens many species across the planet. High-elevation species, such as red spruce (Picea rubens), face significant and immediate threats from climate change. Red spruce has faced anthropogenic disturbances for over a century and is only recently beginning to regenerate across its range, making it an ideal restoration candidate. Ecological niche modeling has become a common method of identifying the suitable habitat of a species, providing vital information to land managers carrying out restoration efforts. In this study ecological niche models were used in a novel way, predicting distribution and habitat suitability separately to determine the spatial extent to which red spruce can be restored. In addition to models, surveys were conducted to elucidate the current regeneration trends of red spruce. Furthermore, climate projections were used to determine how restoration potential may change over the course of the 21st century. Comparisons between distribution and habitat suitability models indicate that there is additional habitat available for red spruce to expand into. Regeneration surveys show that there is positive regeneration both within and beyond red spruce canopies, validating model comparisons. Climate change projections indicate total elimination of suitable habitat in Virginia by 2100. However, these projections likely predict increased competition for red spruce from low elevation competitors as opposed to physiological limitations imposed by climate change. It is therefore prudent to protect established populations and encourage further regeneration by planting in higher elevations where competition is more limited.
Author: Stanley J. Zarnoch
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Forests and forestry
Languages : en
Pages : 24
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S2Stand basal area change and individual surviving red spruce d.b.h. growth from 1960 to 1980 were analyzed for red spruce-fir stands in Maine. Regression modeling was used to relate these measures of growth to stand and tree conditions and to compare growth throughout the period. Results indicate a decline in growth. The regression models helped identify trends and relationships but were not useful for predicting growth due to the tremendous amount of variability in the growth of red spruce-fir stands. S3.