Article
Agronomy
Ben R. Lockwood, Justin T. Maxwell, Sander O. Denham, Scott M. Robeson, David C. LeBlanc, Neil Pederson, Kimberly A. Novick, Tsun Fung Au
Summary: Quercus is undergoing a decrease in abundance and dominance in North American forests. Eastern white oak has experienced a greater decline in dominance compared to northern red oak. Understanding the growth-climate relationships of these species is important for comprehending the changes in Quercus demographics under shifting climatic regimes.
AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST METEOROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Marit H. Lie, Johan Asplund, Matthias Goehl, Mikael Ohlson, Line Nybakken
Summary: In southeast Norway, beech reaches its northern distribution limit and competes with spruce for the same type of sites. Climate change is expected to shift this area into the temperate zone, allowing beech to expand northwards at the expense of spruce. However, there is limited knowledge about the climate adaptability and competitive potential of these two species in this region.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF FOREST RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Piotr Owczarek, Magdalena Opala-Owczarek, Krzysztof Migala
Summary: Tundra vegetation dynamics, as indicated by changes in annual growth ring widths of the polar willow on Bear Island, have shown increased growth rate in the mid-1980s followed by rapid decline since 2005. Temperature had a strong positive influence on radial growth from 1955 to 2005, while the importance of summer precipitation has increased significantly since 2005, indicating a complex and time-dependent relationship.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Michael C. Stambaugh, Seth W. Bigelow, Erin R. Abadir
Summary: Through a five-century long tree-ring chronology, correlations were found between latewood growth and summer-fall drought index, providing a potential proxy for linking agricultural yields to climate change over multiple centuries.
Article
Plant Sciences
Tom Levanic, Hana Straus
Summary: Douglas-fir, a non-native tree species, has the potential to replace Norway spruce in Slovenian forests due to its better volume growth, wood quality, and tolerance to drought. It shows a higher radial growth response to climatic conditions and is more resistant to extreme drought events.
Article
Forestry
Maria Royo-Navascues, Edurne Martinez del Castillo, Ernesto Tejedor, Roberto Serrano-Notivoli, Luis Alberto Longares, Miguel Angel Saz, Klemen Novak, Martin de Luis
Summary: This study analyzed the effects of drought on tree growth in the Mediterranean Basin. The results showed that different pine species had varying responses to drought intensity, duration, and seasonality. Understanding these responses is crucial, especially as droughts are increasing in frequency and intensity due to climate change.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Melanie Vines, Glenn Tootle, Leigh Terry, Emily Elliott, Joni Corbin, Grant L. Harley, Jonghun Kam, Sahar Sadeghi, Matthew Therrell
Summary: Seasonal reconstructions of streamflow using streamflow data and tree-ring chronologies were successfully created for several rivers, with validation through correlation and regression analysis. The study also identified the significant impact of the recent (2000s) prolonged drought on the rivers.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Bethany L. Coulthard, Kevin J. Anchukaitis, Gregory T. Pederson, Edward Cook, Jeremy Littell, Dan J. Smith
Summary: Climate change has led to recent declines in mountain snowpack and earlier runoff, intensifying hydrological droughts in western North America. Current understanding of trends and variability in mountain snowpack is limited, highlighting the need for further research in this area.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Charlotte Wiman, Brynnydd Hamilton, Sylvia G. Dee, Samuel E. Munoz
Summary: Research indicates that discharge decreased in the lower Mississippi River during the Medieval era, and there is consistency between reconstructed and simulated discharge over the last millennium, supporting projections of decreased discharge in the 21st century under moderate greenhouse forcing scenarios.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Shaul Hurwitz, John C. King, Gregory T. Pederson, Mara H. Reed, Lauren N. Harrison, Jefferson D. G. Hungerford, R. Greg Vaughan, Michael Manga
Summary: Most eruptions of Steamboat Geyser in the Norris Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park occurred in three episodes in the past century. These eruptions had a significant impact on the surrounding trees. Through the analysis of aerial and ground images, changes in tree coverage were documented since 1954 to understand the geyser's response to climate variability.
GEOCHEMISTRY GEOPHYSICS GEOSYSTEMS
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Arjun Adhikari, Ronald E. Masters, Henry Adams, Kumar P. Mainali, Chris B. Zou, Omkar Joshi, Rodney E. Will
Summary: The study found that shortleaf pine trees growing at the western margin of its range are sensitive to variations in precipitation, summer temperatures, and previous year's October minimum temperature. Management strategies involving frequent fires can reduce the sensitivity of tree growth to annual variations in precipitation.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Joao Campoa, Teresa Calvao, Paulo N. Firmino, Carla S. Pimentel
Summary: This study found that long-term defoliation resulted in trees not being able to take advantage of favorable climatic conditions, leading to reduced radial and height growth. Severe droughts also contributed to growth reduction, although the impacts of both disturbances did not act synergistically. Additionally, models showed that previous year climatic conditions have a significant effect on annual growth, highlighting the importance of water availability for tree development in Mediterranean climates.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Francisco de Assis Souza Filho, Ticiana Marinho de Carvalho Studart, Joao Dehon Pontes Filho, Eduardo Savio Passos Rodrigues Martins, Sergio Rodrigues Ayrimoraes, Carlos Alberto Perdigao Pessoa, Larissa Zaira Rafael Rolim, Luiz Martins de Araujo Junior, Samiria Maria Oliveira da Silva, Tais Maria Nunes Carvalho, Sandra Helena Silva de Aquino
Summary: This study proposes a step-by-step methodology for implementing participatory drought preparedness plans and applies it to a drought-prone area in Brazil. The findings suggest that modeling is important for assessing vulnerability scenarios and strategies, but even a simplified version can achieve satisfactory results with limited data and resources.
Article
Geography, Physical
Justin T. Martin, Gregory T. Pederson
Summary: The Milk and St. Mary Rivers are international waterways that face challenges in water resource management due to stakeholder interests and limited understanding of long-term streamflow variability. The study found that winter temperatures have a significant impact on streamflow variability in the lower reaches of the Milk River, leading to severe drought conditions in the prairies in the 2000s. Tree-ring chronologies also revealed sub-basin specific drought risks and the potential for future water supply management challenges caused by prolonged droughts and warmer temperatures.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Aristeidis Kastridis, Vasiliki Kamperidou, Dimitrios Stathis
Summary: The study found that precipitation is the key factor influencing the growth of A. borisii-regis trees under Mediterranean climate conditions, while temperature has a relatively small impact on tree growth. Precipitation in June, May, and July shows a high correlation with tree-ring width, while snow does not significantly affect tree growth.
Article
Ecology
Daniele Castagneri, Giorgio Vacchiano, Andrew Hacket-Pain, R. Justin DeRose, Tamir Klein, Alessandra Bottero
Summary: The study found that competition at stand level does influence tree growth response to drought, as it strengthens the association between water availability and growth rates. Competition reduces resistance but improves recovery in trees, with inconsistent effects on resilience to drought.
Article
Plant Sciences
Jaclyn Guz, Nathan S. Gill, Dominik Kulakowski
Summary: This study examines the regeneration of lodgepole pine forests in high-elevation areas following high-severity fires, revealing the significant impact of pre-fire stand structure and post-fire climate conditions on regeneration. Factors such as stocking density and minimum temperature play crucial roles in the regeneration process and radial growth, while increasing patchiness in regeneration may have cascading effects on future ecological dynamics.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Margaret E. K. Evans, Justin Derose, Stefan Klesse, Martin P. Girardin, Kelly A. Heilman, M. Ross Alexander, Andre Arsenault, Flurin Babst, Mathieu Bouchard, Sean M. P. Cahoon, Elizabeth M. Campbell, Michael Dietze, Louis Duchesne, David C. Frank, Courtney L. Giebink, Armando Gomez-Guerrero, Genaro Gutierrez Garcia, Edward H. Hogg, Juha Metsaranta, Clementine Ols, Shelly A. Rayback, Anya Reid, Martin Ricker, Paul G. Schaberg, John D. Shaw, Patrick F. Sullivan, Sergio Armando Villela Gaytan
Summary: Tree-ring time series offer valuable information on tree growth, which can be scaled to estimate forest carbon dynamics globally. Systematic sampling of tree rings in national forest inventories can provide unprecedented temporal and spatial resolution, helping to address key scientific uncertainties surrounding forest growth patterns.
Article
Biology
Nathan S. Gill, Monica G. Turner, Carissa D. Brown, Sydney Glassman, Sandra L. Haire, Winslow D. Hansen, Elizabeth R. Pansing, Samuel B. St Clair, Diana F. Tomback
Summary: This article discusses the effects of fire regime change on the dispersal of propagules in forest communities and their interactions with other factors, highlighting the importance of dispersal limitation in forest recovery.
Article
Ecology
Emily L. Schultz, Lisa Huelsmann, Michiel D. Pillet, Florian Hartig, David D. Breshears, Sydne Record, John D. Shaw, R. Justin DeRose, Pieter A. Zuidema, Margaret E. K. Evans
Summary: Estimates show that climate change can lead to the extinction of a significant percentage of species, but the predictive models for range changes need to include factors beyond just climate. Research on the distribution of Pinus edulis suggests that climate and competition alone do not fully explain the species' distribution, with climate influencing other range-limiting processes as well. The complex effects of climate on species distributions, including indirect effects and interactions, may result in unforeseen changes in abundance and distribution.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Kelly A. Heilman, Michael C. Dietze, Alexis A. Arizpe, Jacob Aragon, Andrew Gray, John D. Shaw, Andrew O. Finley, Stefan Klesse, R. Justin DeRose, Margaret E. K. Evans
Summary: This study applies a Bayesian state-space model to analyze the ecological complexity of Pinus ponderosa var. brachyptera in the southwestern US using a fusion of tree-ring and forest inventory data. The study quantifies the effects of climate, tree size, stand density, site quality, and their interactions on tree growth and identifies the uncertainties associated with these effects. Results show negative effects of fall-spring maximum temperature and positive effects of water-year precipitation on tree growth. The study also reveals that tree vulnerability to climate stress increases with competition, tree size, and poor site conditions. Future climate scenarios are projected to cause significant declines in tree growth.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
R. Justin DeRose, Richard S. Gardner, Richard L. Lindroth, Karen E. Mock
Summary: Polyploidy has an influence on the growth and defense tradeoff in natural populations of quaking aspen. This study shows that there is substantial genotype and cytotype variability in growth and leaf chemistry, with phenolic glycosides negatively related to growth. Triploid clones exhibit higher levels of phenolic glycosides compared to diploids.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Courtney L. Giebink, Grant M. Domke, Rosie A. Fisher, Kelly A. Heilman, David J. P. Moore, R. Justin DeRose, Margaret E. K. Evans
Summary: There is great hope for forest ecosystems to contribute to greenhouse gas emission reduction targets and limit global warming. However, the current policy and ecology surrounding forest-based natural climate solutions (NCS), particularly in temperate forests of the United States, have gaps in carbon accounting and a lack of understanding between ambitions and forest ecology. Improved use of data models can help in better assessing and anticipating forest-based climate mitigation.
Article
Ecology
Rebecca Lee Molinari, Matthew F. Bekker, Benjamin D. St Clair, Jason Bartholomew, R. Justin DeRose, Stanley G. Kitchen, Samuel B. St. Clair
Summary: This study investigates the effects of shifts in forest composition and proximity between tree species on stand development in mixed forest systems. The results show that as conifer abundance increases, growth rates of aspen decrease, while growth rates of subalpine fir increase when growing near aspen in aspen-dominated stands.
Article
Plant Sciences
Kyle C. Rodman, Robert A. Andrus, Amanda R. Carlson, Trevor A. Carter, Teresa B. Chapman, Jonathan D. Coop, Paula J. Fornwalt, Nathan S. Gill, Brian J. Harvey, Ashley E. Hoffman, Katharine C. Kelsey, Dominik Kulakowski, Daniel C. Laughlin, Jenna E. Morris, Jose F. Negron, Katherine M. Nigro, Gregory S. Pappas, Miranda D. Redmond, Charles C. Rhoades, Monique E. Rocca, Zoe H. Schapira, Jason S. Sibold, Camille S. Stevens-Rumann, Thomas T. Veblen, Jianmin Wang, Xiaoyang Zhang, Sarah J. Hart
Summary: Recent outbreaks of native bark beetles have significantly impacted tree mortality in subalpine forests of the US Rocky Mountains. Although most areas are likely to recover to pre-outbreak tree densities, changes in species composition may persist due to regional variability.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Joseph D. Birch, Yoshimitsu Chikamoto, R. J. DeRose, Vinicius Manvailer, E. H. Hogg, Justine Karst, David M. Love, James A. Lutz
Summary: Climate change is causing earlier spring budburst in deciduous temperate trees, increasing their vulnerability to damage from growing season frosts. The study found that over the past 150 years, the occurrence of 'white rings' associated with frost damage accounted for 5-6% of all years, leading to nearly a 40% decline in radial growth of Populus tremuloides.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Nathan S. Gill, Jeffery K. Stallman, Linda Pratt, Jennifer Lewicki, Tamar Elias, Patricia A. Nadeau, Stephanie Yelenik
Summary: Loss of local biodiversity caused by abrupt environmental change is a global issue. The extinction of plants is often overlooked but essential. This study focuses on an endangered plant ('Ihi makole or Portulaca sclerocarpa) in Hawai'i to determine the management priorities in the face of rapid environmental change. By integrating outplanting and collecting geological and ecological data, the study reveals that high soil temperatures are the main contributor to the decline in P. sclerocarpa population.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Tara D. Durboraw, Clint W. Boal, Mary S. Fleck, Nathan S. Gill
Summary: Dry mixed-conifer forests in the southwestern United States are experiencing rapid fire regime change, which poses uncertainties for the nesting habitat of the Mexican spotted owl. High-severity fires have the strongest negative impact on forest structure vital for owl nesting, and it takes around 80-100 years to recover the desired structural conditions after such fires.
Review
Forestry
R. Justin DeRose, James N. Long, Kristen M. Waring, Marcella A. Windmuller-Campione, Andrew S. Nelson, Mark R. Nabel
Summary: Silviculture is a dynamic discipline that has been practiced in North America for over a century. It has evolved with changing societal trends and continues to play a crucial role in contemporary resource management. The definition of silviculture has shifted from an art to a combination of art and science, and it is argued that silviculturists need to embrace their artistic skills in order to adapt to the rapidly changing conditions.
JOURNAL OF FORESTRY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
Natalia P. Hamilton, Stephanie G. Yelenik, Tara D. Durboraw, Robert D. Cox, Nathan S. Gill
Summary: The study showed that pre-fire grass cover can be relatively accurately estimated from oblique aerial photos, and in montane woodlands with low tree densities, increased fire severity promotes Acacia koa regeneration densities, but this trend reverses in high tree density areas. Pre-fire grass cover and its interaction with fire severity had no effect on Acacia koa regeneration density.