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Predicting Forest Response to Climate Change:Using Tree Ring Growth to Understand the PastImproved understanding of past responses of tree growth to climatic variability is needed to predict how forests will respond to future climatic variability and change. This data set contains time series of radial growth for two dominant subalpine species in the Pacific Northwest, mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana) and subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa). Tree-ring data were gathered on 11 sites for mountain hemlock and 9 sites for subalpine fir. One site for mountain hemlock, Wizard Island, was sampled in only one location, whereas for subalpine fir, the Hart's Pass site contained 6 locations. Sampling locations were chosen to represent the range of climatic conditions under which subalpine fir and mountain hemlock occur in this area. At most locations, three sites were selected for tree-ring chronology development that spanned the local elevational range of subalpine fir and mountain hemlock: one near upper treeline, one near the lower limit, and one near the middle. For site characteristics, please see Site Information At each site, increment cores were collected from 9-30 dominant or codominant subalpine fir trees, or 10-20 dominant or codominant mountain hemlocks. Trees were selected to be at least 80 years old with little or no visible damage to crowns or stems. Two increment cores were extracted from opposite cross-slope sides of each tree. Cores were stored in paper straws for transport, air-dried in the lab, and mounted on grooved boards. Mounted cores were sanded with progressively finer grades of sandpaper to produce a flat, polished surface on which tree-ring boundaries were clearly visible under magnification. Tree-rings were dated using standard crossdating procedures. One core per tree was selected for measurement based on the length and quality of the ring-width record. Rings were measured to the nearest 0.01 mm using a moving-stage measuring device to produce a ring-width time series for each tree. Following measurement, crossdating accuracy was rechecked using the program, COFECHA. Peterson, David W and Peterson, David L. 2001. Mountain hemlock growth responds to climatic variability at annual and decadal time scales. Ecology 82(12):3330-3345.
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| The data were collected and analyzed by David L. Peterson and David
W. Peterson. Contact David
L. Peterson regarding data and content.
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