Air temperature, tree growth, and the northern and southern range limits to Picea mariana
Abstract. Many models that simulate the long‐term response of forests to climatic change use the assumption that northern and southern range limits are caused by the deleterious effects of cold and hot air temperatures, respectively, on individual tree growth and that growth declines symmetrically w...
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crwiley:10.2307/3235806 2024-09-15T18:38:02+00:00 Air temperature, tree growth, and the northern and southern range limits to Picea mariana Bonan, Gordon B. Sirois, Luc 1992 http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3235806 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.2307%2F3235806 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.2307/3235806 en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor Journal of Vegetation Science volume 3, issue 4, page 495-506 ISSN 1100-9233 1654-1103 journal-article 1992 crwiley https://doi.org/10.2307/3235806 2024-08-22T04:17:08Z Abstract. Many models that simulate the long‐term response of forests to climatic change use the assumption that northern and southern range limits are caused by the deleterious effects of cold and hot air temperatures, respectively, on individual tree growth and that growth declines symmetrically with air temperatures above and below some optimal value in between these extremes. To test the validity of this assumption, we combined physiological data for black spruce, Picea mariana, growing near the treeline in subarctic Quebec with a model of the biophysical and biochemical effects of temperature on photosynthesis. The physiological conditions allow black spruce to grow over a wider range of air temperatures than is reflected in its geographic distribution. In particular, the physiological data suggest that the northern range limit of black spruce is not caused by the direct effects of cold growing‐season air temperatures on tree growth and that growth is optimal, with respect to temperature, at the southern range limit. While pollen data indicate large geographic changes in spruce abundance with past climatic changes, the current analyses suggest that the direct effect of air temperature on individual tree growth has not caused these changes. Until we better understand the effects of air temperature on ecological processes, the efficacy of climatic change analyses must be evaluated in terms of model assumptions. Article in Journal/Newspaper Subarctic Wiley Online Library Journal of Vegetation Science 3 4 495 506 |
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English |
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Abstract. Many models that simulate the long‐term response of forests to climatic change use the assumption that northern and southern range limits are caused by the deleterious effects of cold and hot air temperatures, respectively, on individual tree growth and that growth declines symmetrically with air temperatures above and below some optimal value in between these extremes. To test the validity of this assumption, we combined physiological data for black spruce, Picea mariana, growing near the treeline in subarctic Quebec with a model of the biophysical and biochemical effects of temperature on photosynthesis. The physiological conditions allow black spruce to grow over a wider range of air temperatures than is reflected in its geographic distribution. In particular, the physiological data suggest that the northern range limit of black spruce is not caused by the direct effects of cold growing‐season air temperatures on tree growth and that growth is optimal, with respect to temperature, at the southern range limit. While pollen data indicate large geographic changes in spruce abundance with past climatic changes, the current analyses suggest that the direct effect of air temperature on individual tree growth has not caused these changes. Until we better understand the effects of air temperature on ecological processes, the efficacy of climatic change analyses must be evaluated in terms of model assumptions. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Bonan, Gordon B. Sirois, Luc |
spellingShingle |
Bonan, Gordon B. Sirois, Luc Air temperature, tree growth, and the northern and southern range limits to Picea mariana |
author_facet |
Bonan, Gordon B. Sirois, Luc |
author_sort |
Bonan, Gordon B. |
title |
Air temperature, tree growth, and the northern and southern range limits to Picea mariana |
title_short |
Air temperature, tree growth, and the northern and southern range limits to Picea mariana |
title_full |
Air temperature, tree growth, and the northern and southern range limits to Picea mariana |
title_fullStr |
Air temperature, tree growth, and the northern and southern range limits to Picea mariana |
title_full_unstemmed |
Air temperature, tree growth, and the northern and southern range limits to Picea mariana |
title_sort |
air temperature, tree growth, and the northern and southern range limits to picea mariana |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
1992 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3235806 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.2307%2F3235806 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.2307/3235806 |
genre |
Subarctic |
genre_facet |
Subarctic |
op_source |
Journal of Vegetation Science volume 3, issue 4, page 495-506 ISSN 1100-9233 1654-1103 |
op_rights |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.2307/3235806 |
container_title |
Journal of Vegetation Science |
container_volume |
3 |
container_issue |
4 |
container_start_page |
495 |
op_container_end_page |
506 |
_version_ |
1810482375900004352 |