Growth responses of subalpine fir to climatic variability in the Pacific Northwest

2002 ◽  
Vol 32 (9) ◽  
pp. 1503-1517 ◽  
Author(s):  
David W Peterson ◽  
David L Peterson ◽  
Gregory J Ettl
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Climatic Variability ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Growth Patterns ◽  
Subalpine Forest ◽  
Growth Responses ◽  
Subalpine Fir ◽  
Biogeographic Patterns ◽  
The Pacific

We studied regional variation in growth-limiting factors and responses to climatic variability in subalpine forests by analyzing growth patterns for 28 tree-ring growth chronologies from subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.) stands in the Cascade and Olympic Mountains (Washington and Oregon, U.S.A.). Factor analysis identified four distinct time series of common growth patterns; the dominant growth pattern at any site varied with annual precipitation and temperature (elevation). Throughout much of the region, growth is negatively correlated with winter precipitation and spring snowpack depth, indicating that growth is limited primarily by short growing seasons. On the driest and warmest sites, growth is negatively correlated with previous summer temperature, suggesting that low summer soil moisture limits growth. Growth patterns in two regions were sensitive to climatic variability associated with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, apparently responding to low-frequency variation in spring snowpack and summer soil moisture (one negatively, one positively). This regional-scale analysis shows that subalpine fir growth in the Cascades and Olympics is limited by different climatic factors in different subregional climates. Climate–growth relationships are similar to those for a co-occurring species, mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana (Bong.) Carrière), suggesting broad biogeographic patterns of response to climatic variability and change by subalpine forest ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest.

Twelve-year responses of planted and naturally regenerating conifers to variable-retention harvest in the Pacific Northwest, USA

2013 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren S. Urgenson ◽  
Charles B. Halpern ◽  
Paul D. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Natural Regeneration ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Pinus Monticola ◽  
Variable Retention ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Dispersed Retention ◽  
Variable Retention Harvest ◽  
Scale Experiment

We studied patterns of conifer regeneration over 12 years as part of a regional-scale experiment in variable-retention harvest in the Pacific Northwest, the DEMO Study. We compared survival and height growth of planted conifers and density and seral composition of natural regeneration among treatments with differing retention levels (15% versus 40%) and patterns (dispersed versus aggregated) replicated across a range of latitudes and forest zones. We also assessed plot-scale relationships of natural regeneration with overstory density and basal area, competing vegetation, and slash accumulations. Early (1- to 2-year) survival of planted seedlings was greater in dispersed treatments (Pinus monticola Douglas ex D. Don, Abies spp.) or unaffected by retention level or pattern (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco). Later (5- to 12-year) survival did not differ (all species), but growth was distinctly reduced in dispersed treatments and (or) at higher levels of retention. Density of natural regeneration was 1.5–2.5 times greater in dispersed treatments than in the cleared areas of aggregated treatments. Low-level dispersed retention promoted Pseudotsuga, the early-seral dominant, presumably by enhancing seed rain within a relatively high-light environment. Dispersed retention favored late-seral conifers. The ability to manipulate retention pattern and level to influence regeneration density and composition provides managers with flexibility in developing structurally complex and compositionally diverse forests.

scholarly journals Damage by the Sitka spruce weevil (Pissodes strobi) and growth patterns for 10 spruce species and hybrids over 26 years in the Pacific Northwest.

1990 ◽  
Author(s):  
Russel G. Mitchell ◽  
Kenneth H. Wright ◽  
Norman E. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Sitka Spruce ◽  
Growth Patterns ◽  
Pissodes Strobi ◽  
The Pacific

scholarly journals Topographic, soil, and climate drivers of drought sensitivity in forests and shrublands of the Pacific Northwest, USA

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer M. Cartwright ◽  
Caitlin E. Littlefield ◽  
Julia L. Michalak ◽  
Joshua J. Lawler ◽  
Solomon Z. Dobrowski
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Bulk Density ◽  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Climate Adaptation ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Soil Bulk Density ◽  
Drought Sensitivity ◽  
Climate Change Effects ◽  
The Pacific

Abstract Climate change is anticipated to increase the frequency and intensity of droughts, with major impacts to ecosystems globally. Broad-scale assessments of vegetation responses to drought are needed to anticipate, manage, and potentially mitigate climate-change effects on ecosystems. We quantified the drought sensitivity of vegetation in the Pacific Northwest, USA, as the percent reduction in vegetation greenness under droughts relative to baseline moisture conditions. At a regional scale, shrub-steppe ecosystems—with drier climates and lower biomass—showed greater drought sensitivity than conifer forests. However, variability in drought sensitivity was considerable within biomes and within ecosystems and was mediated by landscape topography, climate, and soil characteristics. Drought sensitivity was generally greater in areas with higher elevation, drier climate, and greater soil bulk density. Ecosystems with high drought sensitivity included dry forests along ecotones to shrublands, Rocky Mountain subalpine forests, and cold upland sagebrush communities. In forests, valley bottoms and areas with low soil bulk density and high soil available water capacity showed reduced drought sensitivity, suggesting their potential as drought refugia. These regional-scale drought-sensitivity patterns discerned from remote sensing can complement plot-scale studies of plant physiological responses to drought to help inform climate-adaptation planning as drought conditions intensify.

Municipal Sewage Sludge Use in Forests of the Pacific Northwest, U.S.A.: Growth Responses

1983 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.J. Zasoski ◽  
D.W. Cole ◽  
C.S. Bledsoe
Keyword(s):  
Sewage Sludge ◽  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Municipal Sewage ◽  
Municipal Sewage Sludge ◽  
Growth Responses ◽  
The Pacific

Area burned in alpine treeline ecotones reflects region-wide trends

2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (12) ◽  
pp. 1209 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Alina Cansler ◽  
Donald McKenzie ◽  
Charles B. Halpern
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Subalpine Forest ◽  
Burned Area ◽  
Alpine Vegetation ◽  
Treeline Ecotone ◽  
Northern Rocky Mountains ◽  
Alpine Treeline ◽  
Area Burned ◽  
Alpine Treeline Ecotone ◽  
The Pacific

The direct effects of climate change on alpine treeline ecotones – the transition zones between subalpine forest and non-forested alpine vegetation – have been studied extensively, but climate-induced changes in disturbance regimes have received less attention. To determine if recent increases in area burned extend to these higher-elevation landscapes, we analysed wildfires from 1984–2012 in eight mountainous ecoregions of the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rocky Mountains. We considered two components of the alpine treeline ecotone: subalpine parkland, which extends upward from subalpine forest and includes a fine-scale mosaic of forest and non-forested vegetation; and non-forested alpine vegetation. We expected these vegetation types to burn proportionally less than the entire ecoregion, reflecting higher fuel moisture and longer historical fire rotations. In four of eight ecoregions, the proportion of area burned in subalpine parkland (3%–8%) was greater than the proportion of area burned in the entire ecoregion (2%–7%). In contrast, in all but one ecoregion, a small proportion (≤4%) of the alpine vegetation burned. Area burned regionally was a significant predictor of area burned in subalpine parkland and alpine, suggesting that similar climatic drivers operate at higher and lower elevations or that fire spreads from neighbouring vegetation into the alpine treeline ecotone.

Observations on the Life-Cycle of the Balsam Woolly Aphid, Adelges piceae (Ratz.), in the Willamette Valley of Oregon

1959 ◽  
Vol 91 (4) ◽  
pp. 208-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Tunnock ◽  
J. A. Rudinsky
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Silver Fir ◽  
Willamette Valley ◽  
Subalpine Fir ◽  
Abies Grandis ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Woolly Aphid ◽  
Adelges Piceae

The balsam woolly aphid, Adelges piceae (Ratz.) (Adelgidae, Homoptera), originally introduced from Europe, was reported on grand fir, Abies grandis (Doug.) Lindl., in the Willamette Valley by Keen (5) around 1930. Serious outbreaks of this insect were first recorded on subalpine fir, A. lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt., in Oregon and Pacific silver fir, A. amabilis (Doug].) Forb., in Washington in 1954 ( 3 ) . At present about 600,000 acres of subalpine and Pacific silver firs are heavily infested in the Pacific Northwest.

scholarly journals Californian wildfire plumes over Southwestern British Columbia: <i>lidar</i>, sunphotometry, and mountaintop chemistry observations

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 21047-21075 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. McKendry ◽  
K. Strawbridge ◽  
M. L. Karumudi ◽  
N. O'Neill ◽  
A. M. Macdonald ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Forest Fire ◽  
Forest Fires ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Fire Plume ◽  
Physico Chemical ◽  
Observatory Data ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
June July

Abstract. Forest fires in Northern California and Oregon were responsible for two significant regional scale aerosol transport events observed in southern British Columbia during summer 2008. A combination of ground based (CORALNet) and satellite (CALIPSO) lidar, sunphotometry and high altitude chemistry observations permitted unprecedented characterization of forest fire plume height and mixing as well as description of optical properties and physicochemistry of the aerosol. In southwestern BC, lidar observations show the smoke to be mixed through a layer extending to 5–6 km a.g.l. where the aerosol was confined by an elevated inversion in both cases. Depolarization ratios for a trans-Pacific dust event (providing a basis for comparison) and the two smoke events were consistent with observations of dust and smoke events elsewhere and permit discrimination of aerosol events in the region. Based on sunphotometry, the Aerosol Optical Thicknesses (AOT) reached maxima of ~0.7 and ~0.4 for the two events respectively. Dubovik-retrieval values of reff,f during both the June/July and August events varied between about 0.13 and 0.15 μm and confirm the dominance of accumulation mode size particles in the forest fire plumes. Both Whistler Peak and Mount Bachelor Observatory data show that smoke events are accompanied by elevated CO and O3 concentrations as well as elevated K+/SO4 ratios. In addition to documenting the meteorology and physico-chemical characteristics of two regional scale biomass burning plumes, this study demonstrates the positive analytical synergies arising from the suite of measurements now in place in the Pacific Northwest, and complemented by satellite borne instruments.

Late-Glacial Vegetation and Climate Change in Western Oregon

1998 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 287-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurie D. Grigg ◽  
Cathy Whitlock
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Younger Dryas ◽  
Late Glacial ◽  
Warming Trend ◽  
Cascade Range ◽  
Subalpine Forest ◽  
Coast Range ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Dry Conditions ◽  
Vegetation And Climate

Pollen records from two sites in western Oregon provide information on late-glacial variations in vegetation and climate and on the extent and character of Younger Dryas cooling in the Pacific Northwest. A subalpine forest was present at Little Lake, central Coast Range, between 15,700 and 14,850 cal yr B.P. A warm period between 14,850 and 14,500 cal yr B.P. is suggested by an increase in Pseudotsuga pollen and charcoal. The recurrence of subalpine forest at 14,500 cal yr B.P. implies a return to cool conditions. Another warming trend is evidenced by the reestablishment of Pseudotsuga forest at 14,250 cal yr B.P. Increased haploxylon Pinus pollen between 12,400 and 11,000 cal yr B.P. indicates cooler winters than before. After 11,000 cal yr B.P. warm dry conditions are implied by the expansion of Pseudotsuga. A subalpine parkland occupied Gordon Lake, western Cascade Range, until 14,500 cal yr B.P., when it was replaced during a warming trend by a montane forest. A rise in Pinuspollen from 12,800 to 11,000 cal yr B.P. suggests increased summer aridity. Pseudotsuga dominated the vegetation after 11,000 cal yr B.P. Other records from the Pacific Northwest show an expansion of Pinus from ca. 13,000 to 11,000 cal yr B.P. This expansion may be a response either to submillennial climate changes of Younger Dryas age or to millennial-scale climatic variations.

Municipal sewage sludge use in forests of the Pacific Northwest, U.S.A.: Growth responses

1983 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
R ZASOSKI ◽  
D COLE ◽  
C BLEDSOE
Keyword(s):  
Sewage Sludge ◽  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Municipal Sewage ◽  
Municipal Sewage Sludge ◽  
Growth Responses ◽  
The Pacific

scholarly journals A hydrogeologic framework for characterizing summer streamflow sensitivity to climate warming in the Pacific Northwest, USA

2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 3693-3710 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Safeeq ◽  
G. E. Grant ◽  
S. L. Lewis ◽  
M. G. Kramer ◽  
B. Staab
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Climate Scenario ◽  
General Circulation Models ◽  
Hydrologic Models ◽  
Empirical Measures ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Hydrogeologic Framework

Abstract. Summer streamflows in the Pacific Northwest are largely derived from melting snow and groundwater discharge. As the climate warms, diminishing snowpack and earlier snowmelt will cause reductions in summer streamflow. Most regional-scale assessments of climate change impacts on streamflow use downscaled temperature and precipitation projections from general circulation models (GCMs) coupled with large-scale hydrologic models. Here we develop and apply an analytical hydrogeologic framework for characterizing summer streamflow sensitivity to a change in the timing and magnitude of recharge in a spatially explicit fashion. In particular, we incorporate the role of deep groundwater, which large-scale hydrologic models generally fail to capture, into streamflow sensitivity assessments. We validate our analytical streamflow sensitivities against two empirical measures of sensitivity derived using historical observations of temperature, precipitation, and streamflow from 217 watersheds. In general, empirically and analytically derived streamflow sensitivity values correspond. Although the selected watersheds cover a range of hydrologic regimes (e.g., rain-dominated, mixture of rain and snow, and snow-dominated), sensitivity validation was primarily driven by the snow-dominated watersheds, which are subjected to a wider range of change in recharge timing and magnitude as a result of increased temperature. Overall, two patterns emerge from this analysis: first, areas with high streamflow sensitivity also have higher summer streamflows as compared to low-sensitivity areas. Second, the level of sensitivity and spatial extent of highly sensitive areas diminishes over time as the summer progresses. Results of this analysis point to a robust, practical, and scalable approach that can help assess risk at the landscape scale, complement the downscaling approach, be applied to any climate scenario of interest, and provide a framework to assist land and water managers in adapting to an uncertain and potentially challenging future.

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