Climatic Sensitivity of a Mixed Forest Association of White Spruce and Trembling Aspen at Their Southern Range Limit
نویسندگان
چکیده
Climatic sensitivity of white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) was examined growing in association with trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) at their southern limit of distribution in a transitional ecotone between the southern boreal forest and northern prairie region. The study was carried out in the Spruce Woods Provincial Park (SWPP) located in southwestern Manitoba, Canada. The dry regional climate restricted trembling aspen growth during the growing season via moisture deficiency and temperature induced drought stress. Warm, mild winters also negatively affected radial growth of trembling aspen. Growth of white spruce was moderated by conditions within the aspen stands as radial growth patterns showed low variability from year to year, a low common growth signal, and a stronger response to temperature than to precipitation. Nonetheless, the dry regional climate still restricted growth of white spruce during the growing season via temperature induced drought stress. The findings of the study for white spruce support the stress gradient hypothesis in which facilitative interactions between tree species are expected under harsher environmental conditions.
منابع مشابه
Regenerating Boreal Mixedwoods : Three – year results of a Group Shelterwood Silviculture System in Trembling aspen – White spruce Stands
• Extension • Research • Consulting • PHOTO 1. Boreal mixedwood stand where both aspen and white spruce are within the dominant and co-dominant crown classes. Mixed species stands provide options for creating a wide variety of future stand conditions. Forest managers are increasingly being asked to consider and apply a diversity of silviculture systems to address the variety of social, economic...
متن کاملRegeneration Dynamics of White Spruce, Trembling Aspen, and Balsam Poplar in Response to Disturbance, Climatic, and Edaphic Factors in the Cold, Dry Boreal Forests of the Southwest Yukon, Canada
متن کامل
Growth and maintenance respiration rates of aspen, black spruce and jack pine stems at northern and southern BOREAS sites.
We measured stem respiration rates during and after the 1994 growing season of three common boreal tree species at sites near the northern and southern boundaries of the closed-canopy boreal forest in central Canada. The growth respiration coefficient (r(g); carbon efflux per micro mole of carbon incorporated in structural matter) varied between 0.25 and 0.76, and was greatest for black spruce ...
متن کاملInsufficient Chilling Effects Vary among Boreal Tree Species and Chilling Duration
Insufficient chilling resulting from rising winter temperatures associated with climate warming has been an area of particular interest in boreal and temperate regions where a period of cool temperatures in fall and winter is required to break plant dormancy. In this study, we examined the budburst and growth of trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.), balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera L....
متن کاملThe microbial communities of aspen and spruce forest floors are resistant to changes in litter inputs and microclimate
Previous studies have shown that forest floors from stands dominated by trembling aspen (ASPEN; Populus tremuloides Michx.) tend to support a greater microbial biomass with a different microbial community structure than forest floors from stands dominated by white spruce (SPRUCE; Picea glauca (Moench) Voss). A reciprocal transfer experiment, in concert with coarse and fine mesh bags that allowe...
متن کامل