Population dynamics across latitudes of black spruce at its northern limit in the Brooks Range, Alaska

• Other Authors: ChristopherFastie
• Format: Dataset
• Language: unknown
• Published: Bonanza Creek LTERBoreal Ecology Cooperative Research Unit University of Alaska FairbanksP.O. Box 756780 FairbanksAK99775USA907-474-6364907-474-6251 2005
• Subjects: Picea mariana; black spruce; Brooks Range; distribution; recruitment; fires; Yukon; Yukon river; Alaska
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10255/dryad.12238; http://metacat.lternet.edu/knb/metacat/knb-lter-bnz.88.8/xml

Although black spruce is the dominant treeline species in the eastern boreal forest, its distribution stops several kilometers short of treeline in the Brooks Range in Alaska, and white spruce is the dominant treeline species. The explanation for this distribution is not known, but two hypotheses are plausible. First, black spruce may be less tolerant of climatic conditions near treeline than white spruce. Second, black spruce may be unable to regenerate successfully near treeline due to long intervals between fires. We are establishing permanently marked study plots along a transect from the Yukon River basin, where black spruce is the dominant species, to the foothills of the Brooks Range, where it reaches its distributional limit. We are reconstructing recruitment history of both black and white spruce at our study sites, and are reconstructing recent fire history from analysis of fire scars and stand age structures. These data are being used to parameterize matrix population models, with which we are describing patterns of population stability.