Topography and Climate Influence on Radial Growth and Climate Sensitivity of Conifer Tree Species in Kananaskis, Alberta
High elevation temperate forest at its upper limit are delimited by temperature. Climate warming would impose changes by altering growth conditions in these previously constrained environments. Growth response to climate will vary depending on topography and tree species. A dendroclimatological appr...
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ftunivcalgary:oai:prism.ucalgary.ca:1880/112652 2023-08-27T04:12:24+02:00 Topography and Climate Influence on Radial Growth and Climate Sensitivity of Conifer Tree Species in Kananaskis, Alberta Lira, Selina Akhter Goldblum, David Bender, Darren J. Reid, Mary L. 2020-09-28 application/pdf http://hdl.handle.net/1880/112652 https://doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/38311 eng eng Arts University of Calgary Lira, S. A. (2020). Topography and Climate Influence on Radial Growth and Climate Sensitivity of Conifer Tree Species in Kananaskis, Alberta (Unpublished master's thesis). University of Calgary, Calgary, AB. http://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/38311 http://hdl.handle.net/1880/112652 University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission. subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii) subalpine larch (Larix lyallii) growth-climate basal area increment (BAI) dendroclimatology lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) Geography master thesis 2020 ftunivcalgary https://doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/38311 2023-08-06T06:35:48Z High elevation temperate forest at its upper limit are delimited by temperature. Climate warming would impose changes by altering growth conditions in these previously constrained environments. Growth response to climate will vary depending on topography and tree species. A dendroclimatological approach was employed to investigate spatial (tundra, treeline and forest along with north and south aspect) and temporal (1900-2017) variations in climate-growth sensitivity of four tree species: subalpine fir, subalpine larch, Engelmann spruce, and lodgepole pine in Kananaskis, Alberta. Correlation analyses showed similar climate-growth sensitivity for subalpine fir and Engelmann spruce at forest and treeline sites. Lodgepole pine only found on south-facing forest sites was not comparable with other species, but subalpine larch growth sensitivity was different from subalpine fir and Engelmann spruce. Treeline and tundra sites were only responsive to temperature; while precipitation was negatively significant at forest sites. Moving interval analysis revealed increased sensitivity to summer and winter temperatures in recent years, which is attributable to the climate change induced temperature increase in the study area. Tree growth was determined by calculating basal area increment for the studied tree species at all sites. Overall, south-facing sites had higher growth rates across elevations. Engelmann spruce had the highest growth rate at treeline and forest sites. Given projected climate change induced temperature and precipitation in the study area, the greatest growth increase will likely be at treeline, specifically for Engelmann spruce. Forest sites wouldn’t likely change as much as treeline sites as the precipitation increase that would offset temperature induced growth increases. To conclude, topography will continue to be the determinant of climate-growth response in future. The interaction between topography with regional climate parameters makes for complex patterns of vegetation response in this region. Master Thesis Tundra PRISM - University of Calgary Digital Repository |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
PRISM - University of Calgary Digital Repository |
op_collection_id |
ftunivcalgary |
language |
English |
topic |
subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii) subalpine larch (Larix lyallii) growth-climate basal area increment (BAI) dendroclimatology lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) Geography |
spellingShingle |
subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii) subalpine larch (Larix lyallii) growth-climate basal area increment (BAI) dendroclimatology lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) Geography Lira, Selina Akhter Topography and Climate Influence on Radial Growth and Climate Sensitivity of Conifer Tree Species in Kananaskis, Alberta |
topic_facet |
subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii) subalpine larch (Larix lyallii) growth-climate basal area increment (BAI) dendroclimatology lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) Geography |
description |
High elevation temperate forest at its upper limit are delimited by temperature. Climate warming would impose changes by altering growth conditions in these previously constrained environments. Growth response to climate will vary depending on topography and tree species. A dendroclimatological approach was employed to investigate spatial (tundra, treeline and forest along with north and south aspect) and temporal (1900-2017) variations in climate-growth sensitivity of four tree species: subalpine fir, subalpine larch, Engelmann spruce, and lodgepole pine in Kananaskis, Alberta. Correlation analyses showed similar climate-growth sensitivity for subalpine fir and Engelmann spruce at forest and treeline sites. Lodgepole pine only found on south-facing forest sites was not comparable with other species, but subalpine larch growth sensitivity was different from subalpine fir and Engelmann spruce. Treeline and tundra sites were only responsive to temperature; while precipitation was negatively significant at forest sites. Moving interval analysis revealed increased sensitivity to summer and winter temperatures in recent years, which is attributable to the climate change induced temperature increase in the study area. Tree growth was determined by calculating basal area increment for the studied tree species at all sites. Overall, south-facing sites had higher growth rates across elevations. Engelmann spruce had the highest growth rate at treeline and forest sites. Given projected climate change induced temperature and precipitation in the study area, the greatest growth increase will likely be at treeline, specifically for Engelmann spruce. Forest sites wouldn’t likely change as much as treeline sites as the precipitation increase that would offset temperature induced growth increases. To conclude, topography will continue to be the determinant of climate-growth response in future. The interaction between topography with regional climate parameters makes for complex patterns of vegetation response in this region. |
author2 |
Goldblum, David Bender, Darren J. Reid, Mary L. |
format |
Master Thesis |
author |
Lira, Selina Akhter |
author_facet |
Lira, Selina Akhter |
author_sort |
Lira, Selina Akhter |
title |
Topography and Climate Influence on Radial Growth and Climate Sensitivity of Conifer Tree Species in Kananaskis, Alberta |
title_short |
Topography and Climate Influence on Radial Growth and Climate Sensitivity of Conifer Tree Species in Kananaskis, Alberta |
title_full |
Topography and Climate Influence on Radial Growth and Climate Sensitivity of Conifer Tree Species in Kananaskis, Alberta |
title_fullStr |
Topography and Climate Influence on Radial Growth and Climate Sensitivity of Conifer Tree Species in Kananaskis, Alberta |
title_full_unstemmed |
Topography and Climate Influence on Radial Growth and Climate Sensitivity of Conifer Tree Species in Kananaskis, Alberta |
title_sort |
topography and climate influence on radial growth and climate sensitivity of conifer tree species in kananaskis, alberta |
publisher |
Arts |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/1880/112652 https://doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/38311 |
genre |
Tundra |
genre_facet |
Tundra |
op_relation |
Lira, S. A. (2020). Topography and Climate Influence on Radial Growth and Climate Sensitivity of Conifer Tree Species in Kananaskis, Alberta (Unpublished master's thesis). University of Calgary, Calgary, AB. http://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/38311 http://hdl.handle.net/1880/112652 |
op_rights |
University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission. |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/38311 |
_version_ |
1775356509747675136 |