Dendroclimatilogy and dendroecology of the dominant coniferous tree species in eastern Labrador, Canada

• Main Author: Dumaresq, A. Dean
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Memorial University of Newfoundland 2012
• Subjects: Canada; Subarctic
• Online Access: https://research.library.mun.ca/6106/; https://research.library.mun.ca/6106/1/Dumaresq_ADean.pdf; https://research.library.mun.ca/6106/3/Dumaresq_ADean.pdf

Eastern Labrador is a region in Canada relatively unexplored both ecologically and climatologically. In light of recent extensive dendroclimatic and dendroecological studies conducted in the northern and western regions of Labrador, eastern Labrador represents the last area in a contiguous sampling grid across this large forested area. This thesis fills this gap by employing similar sampling and analytical methods to other studies in adjacent regions in order to form strong analytical tools that are applicable both on a local and regional scale. -- This thesis employs a systematic sampling grid consisting of three north-south transects and four east-west transects. Two tree-ring chronologies were developed from the dominant species present at each node. In total eight chronologies of black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill) B.S.P.), nine chronologies of balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill), two chronologies of white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) and one chronology of eastern larch (Larix laricina (Du Roi) K. Koch) were developed. -- This thesis is centered on two manuscripts. The first is focused on the radial growth-climate relationship of the dominant tree species in eastern Labrador. This study identifies four distinct zones of growth response; the 'maritime zone', a continuance of a zone already identified in western Labrador; the 'subarctic zone' acontinuance of a zone identified in northern Labrador; the 'hyper-maritime zone' a previously unidentified zone in southern Labrador; and the 'upland maritime zone' also a potential zone previously unidentified zone along the southeastern coast of Labrador. -- The second manuscript is focused on spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana ) outbreaks in eastern Labrador. This study identifies three major outbreaks in eastern Labrador in 1930s, 1950s and the 1970s. These outbreaks are consistent with regional outbreaks in eastern Canada, and are found to be moving in a west-to-east dispersal pattern from eastern Quebec, through western Labrador and finally into ...