Forest Density Intensifies the Importance of Snowpack to Growth in Water-Limited Pine Forests

Authors

Kelly E. Gleason, Portland State UniversityFollow
John B. Bradford, US Geological Survey
Anthony W. D'Amato, University of Vermont
Shawn Fraver, University of Maine
Brian J. Palik, USDA Forest Service
Michael A. Battaglia, USDA Forest Service

Sponsor

This research was supported through funding by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center, USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station, the U.S. Department of Interior Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center, the USGS Ecosystems Mission Area, and the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station.

Published In

Ecological Applications

Document Type

Citation

Publication Date

9-16-2020

Abstract

Warming climate and resulting declines in seasonal snowpack have been associated with drought stress and tree mortality in seasonally snow‐covered watersheds worldwide. Meanwhile, increasing forest density has further exacerbated drought stress due to intensified tree–tree competition. Using a uniquely detailed data set of population‐level forest growth (n = 2,495 sampled trees), we examined how inter‐annual variability in growth relates to snow volume across a range of forest densities (e.g., competitive environments) in sites spanning a broad aridity gradient across the United States. Forest growth was positively related to snowpack in water‐limited forests located at low latitude, and this relationship was intensified by forest density. However, forest growth was negatively related to snowpack in a higher latitude more energy‐limited forest, and this relationship did not interact with forest density. Future reductions in snowpack may have contrasting consequences, as growth may respond positively in energy‐limited forests and negatively in water‐limited forests; however, these declines may be mitigated by reducing stand density through forest thinning.

Rights

© 2020 Ecological Society of America.

Description

Data files supporting the research are available at: https://doi.org/10.15760/esm-data.2

Locate the Document

https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2211

DOI

10.1002/eap.2211

Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/34209

Citation Details

Gleason, K. E., Bradford, J. B., D’Amato, A. W., Fraver, S., Palik, B., & Battaglia, M. A. (2020). Forest density intensifies the importance of snowpack to growth in water‐limited pine forests. Ecological Applications. https://doi.org/10.1002/EAP.2211