Forest composition influences how seasonal climate variables affect white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) growth

Variation in annual white spruce growth (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) has been shown to be dependent on weather conditions such as air temperature and moisture availability. However, questions remain about how intra-annual variation in climate variables influence annual growth, and whether stand comp...

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Main Authors: Jéssica Chaves Cardoso, Lorne Bedford, Richard Kabzems, Robert M. Sagar, Che M. Elkin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Canadian Institute of Forestry 2023-08-01
Series:The Forestry Chronicle
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Online Access:https://pubs.cif-ifc.org/doi/10.5558/tfc2023-020
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author Jéssica Chaves Cardoso
Lorne Bedford
Richard Kabzems
Robert M. Sagar
Che M. Elkin
author_facet Jéssica Chaves Cardoso
Lorne Bedford
Richard Kabzems
Robert M. Sagar
Che M. Elkin
author_sort Jéssica Chaves Cardoso
collection DOAJ
description Variation in annual white spruce growth (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) has been shown to be dependent on weather conditions such as air temperature and moisture availability. However, questions remain about how intra-annual variation in climate variables influence annual growth, and whether stand composition and structure can influence climate conditions and the trees’ responses to weather stress. We evaluated the importance and influence of seasonal climate on growth (annual ring width increment) of 32-year-old white spruce trees in pure and mixedwood stands in northeastern British Columbia. The importance of climate variables, and their ranked order, differed between pure and mixedwood stands. Soil water potential (SWP) during spring and summer were the main factors influencing spruce growing in both pure and mixedwood stands. However, the relative importance of each variable, their direct effects, and their interactions differed between stand types. Warm springs increased spruce growth in both stands, while warm summers increased spruce growth in the pure spruce stand but decreased growth in the mixedwood stand. Spruce growth in the pure stand was positively correlated with soil water potential during spring and summer, while spruce growth in the mixedwood stand was negatively correlated. In both stand types, there was an interplay between the amount of water available in the soil and air temperature to influence annual growth. Our findings suggest stand composition influences the resilience of spruce to drought.
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spelling doaj-art-8327491a106741f88ece69e96fd3ff002025-08-20T03:39:00ZengCanadian Institute of ForestryThe Forestry Chronicle0015-75461499-93152023-08-0199219520410.5558/tfc2023-020Forest composition influences how seasonal climate variables affect white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) growthJéssica Chaves Cardoso0Lorne Bedford1Richard Kabzems2Robert M. Sagar3Che M. Elkin4Renewable Resources Department, University of Alberta, 116 St & 85 Ave, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3Resource Practices Branch, BC Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, Victoria, BC. (retired)Adjunct Professor, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9Biometeorology Consultant, Whitehorse, YukonUniversity of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9Variation in annual white spruce growth (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) has been shown to be dependent on weather conditions such as air temperature and moisture availability. However, questions remain about how intra-annual variation in climate variables influence annual growth, and whether stand composition and structure can influence climate conditions and the trees’ responses to weather stress. We evaluated the importance and influence of seasonal climate on growth (annual ring width increment) of 32-year-old white spruce trees in pure and mixedwood stands in northeastern British Columbia. The importance of climate variables, and their ranked order, differed between pure and mixedwood stands. Soil water potential (SWP) during spring and summer were the main factors influencing spruce growing in both pure and mixedwood stands. However, the relative importance of each variable, their direct effects, and their interactions differed between stand types. Warm springs increased spruce growth in both stands, while warm summers increased spruce growth in the pure spruce stand but decreased growth in the mixedwood stand. Spruce growth in the pure stand was positively correlated with soil water potential during spring and summer, while spruce growth in the mixedwood stand was negatively correlated. In both stand types, there was an interplay between the amount of water available in the soil and air temperature to influence annual growth. Our findings suggest stand composition influences the resilience of spruce to drought.https://pubs.cif-ifc.org/doi/10.5558/tfc2023-020tree growthdendrochronologyclimate variabilitywhite sprucedroughtpure stand
spellingShingle Jéssica Chaves Cardoso
Lorne Bedford
Richard Kabzems
Robert M. Sagar
Che M. Elkin
Forest composition influences how seasonal climate variables affect white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) growth
The Forestry Chronicle
tree growth
dendrochronology
climate variability
white spruce
drought
pure stand
title Forest composition influences how seasonal climate variables affect white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) growth
title_full Forest composition influences how seasonal climate variables affect white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) growth
title_fullStr Forest composition influences how seasonal climate variables affect white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) growth
title_full_unstemmed Forest composition influences how seasonal climate variables affect white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) growth
title_short Forest composition influences how seasonal climate variables affect white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) growth
title_sort forest composition influences how seasonal climate variables affect white spruce picea glauca moench voss growth
topic tree growth
dendrochronology
climate variability
white spruce
drought
pure stand
url https://pubs.cif-ifc.org/doi/10.5558/tfc2023-020
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