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Reduced growth of Alaskan white spruce in the twentieth century from temperature-induced drought stress

Author

Listed:
  • Valerie A. Barber

    (Institute of Marine Science
    University of Alaska Fairbanks)

  • Glenn Patrick Juday

    (University of Alaska Fairbanks)

  • Bruce P. Finney

    (Institute of Marine Science)

Abstract

The extension of growing season at high northern latitudes seems increasingly clear from satellite observations of vegetation extent and duration1,2. This extension is also thought to explain the observed increase in amplitude of seasonal variations in atmospheric CO2 concentration. Increased plant respiration and photosynthesis both correlate well with increases in temperature this century and are therefore the most probable link between the vegetation and CO2 observations3. From these observations1,2, it has been suggested that increases in temperature have stimulated carbon uptake in high latitudes1,2 and for the boreal forest system as a whole4. Here we present multi-proxy tree-ring data (ring width, maximum late-wood density and carbon-isotope composition) from 20 productive stands of white spruce in the interior of Alaska. The tree-ring records show a strong and consistent relationship over the past 90 years and indicate that, in contrast with earlier predictions, radial growth has decreased with increasing temperature. Our data show that temperature-induced drought stress has disproportionately affected the most rapidly growing white spruce, suggesting that, under recent climate warming, drought may have been an important factor limiting carbon uptake in a large portion of the North American boreal forest. If this limitation in growth due to drought stress is sustained, the future capacity of northern latitudes to sequester carbon may be less than currently expected.

Suggested Citation

  • Valerie A. Barber & Glenn Patrick Juday & Bruce P. Finney, 2000. "Reduced growth of Alaskan white spruce in the twentieth century from temperature-induced drought stress," Nature, Nature, vol. 405(6787), pages 668-673, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:405:y:2000:i:6787:d:10.1038_35015049
    DOI: 10.1038/35015049
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    Cited by:

    1. Xiuchen Wu & Hongyan Liu & Dali Guo & Oleg A Anenkhonov & Natalya K Badmaeva & Denis V Sandanov, 2012. "Growth Decline Linked to Warming-Induced Water Limitation in Hemi-Boreal Forests," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(8), pages 1-12, August.
    2. Kruse, Stefan & Wieczorek, Mareike & Jeltsch, Florian & Herzschuh, Ulrike, 2016. "Treeline dynamics in Siberia under changing climates as inferred from an individual-based model for Larix," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 338(C), pages 101-121.
    3. Raphaël Chavardès & Lori Daniels & Patrick Waeber & John Innes & Craig Nitschke, 2013. "Unstable climate−growth relations for white spruce in southwest Yukon, Canada," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 116(3), pages 593-611, February.
    4. Dymond, Caren Christine & Giles-Hansen, Krysta & Asante, Patrick, 2020. "The forest mitigation-adaptation nexus: Economic benefits of novel planting regimes," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    5. Eryuan Liang & Christoph Leuschner & Choimaa Dulamsuren & Bettina Wagner & Markus Hauck, 2016. "Global warming-related tree growth decline and mortality on the north-eastern Tibetan plateau," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 134(1), pages 163-176, January.
    6. Liang, Jingjing & Zhou, Mo, 2010. "A geospatial model of forest dynamics with controlled trend surface," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 221(19), pages 2339-2352.
    7. Willie Soon & Sallie Baliunas & Craig Idso & Sherwood Idso & David R. Legates, 2003. "Reconstructing Climatic and Environmental Changes of the Past 1000 Years: A Reappraisal," Energy & Environment, , vol. 14(2-3), pages 233-296, May.
    8. Lucash, Melissa S. & Marshall, Adrienne M. & Weiss, Shelby A. & McNabb, John W. & Nicolsky, Dmitry J. & Flerchinger, Gerald N. & Link, Timothy E. & Vogel, Jason G. & Scheller, Robert M. & Abramoff, Ro, 2023. "Burning trees in frozen soil: Simulating fire, vegetation, soil, and hydrology in the boreal forests of Alaska," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 481(C).
    9. Huber, Nica & Bugmann, Harald & Lafond, Valentine, 2018. "Global sensitivity analysis of a dynamic vegetation model: Model sensitivity depends on successional time, climate and competitive interactions," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 368(C), pages 377-390.
    10. Justin T. Maxwell & Grant L. Harley & Scott M. Robeson, 2016. "On the declining relationship between tree growth and climate in the Midwest United States: the fading drought signal," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 138(1), pages 127-142, September.
    11. Zhenju Chen & Xianliang Zhang & Xingyuan He & Nicole Davi & Lulu Li & Xueping Bai, 2015. "Response of radial growth to warming and CO 2 enrichment in southern Northeast China: a case of Pinus tabulaeformis," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 130(4), pages 559-571, June.
    12. Eryuan Liang & Christoph Leuschner & Choimaa Dulamsuren & Bettina Wagner & Markus Hauck, 2016. "Global warming-related tree growth decline and mortality on the north-eastern Tibetan plateau," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 134(1), pages 163-176, January.
    13. Xiongqing Zhang & Yuancai Lei & Yong Pang & Xianzhao Liu & Jinzeng Wang, 2014. "Tree mortality in response to climate change induced drought across Beijing, China," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 124(1), pages 179-190, May.
    14. Koichi Takahashi & Isao Okuhara, 2013. "Forecasting the effects of global warming on radial growth of subalpine trees at the upper and lower distribution limits in central Japan," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 117(1), pages 273-287, March.
    15. Brecka, Aaron F.J. & Shahi, Chander & Chen, Han Y.H., 2018. "Climate change impacts on boreal forest timber supply," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 11-21.
    16. Wang, Z. & Grant, R.F. & Arain, M.A. & Bernier, P.Y. & Chen, B. & Chen, J.M. & Govind, A. & Guindon, L. & Kurz, W.A. & Peng, C. & Price, D.T. & Stinson, G. & Sun, J. & Trofymowe, J.A. & Yeluripati, J., 2013. "Incorporating weather sensitivity in inventory-based estimates of boreal forest productivity: A meta-analysis of process model results," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 260(C), pages 25-35.
    17. Foster, Adrianna C. & Armstrong, Amanda H. & Shuman, Jacquelyn K. & Shugart, Herman H. & Rogers, Brendan M. & Mack, Michelle C. & Goetz, Scott J. & Ranson, K. Jon, 2019. "Importance of tree- and species-level interactions with wildfire, climate, and soils in interior Alaska: Implications for forest change under a warming climate," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 409(C), pages 1-1.
    18. Laura Gray & Andreas Hamann, 2013. "Tracking suitable habitat for tree populations under climate change in western North America," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 117(1), pages 289-303, March.
    19. Wang, Z. & Grant, R.F. & Arain, M.A. & Chen, B.N. & Coops, N. & Hember, R. & Kurz, W.A. & Price, D.T. & Stinson, G. & Trofymow, J.A. & Yeluripati, J. & Chen, Z., 2011. "Evaluating weather effects on interannual variation in net ecosystem productivity of a coastal temperate forest landscape: A model intercomparison," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 222(17), pages 3236-3249.
    20. C. Thompson & A. McGuire & J. Clein & F. Chapin & J. Beringer, 2006. "Net Carbon Exchange Across the Arctic Tundra-Boreal Forest Transition in Alaska 1981–2000," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 11(4), pages 805-827, July.
    21. J. Kimball & M. Zhao & K. McDonald & S. Running, 2006. "Satellite Remote Sensing of Terrestrial Net Primary Production for the Pan-Arctic Basin and Alaska," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 11(4), pages 783-804, July.
    22. Chunyang Liu & Chao Liu & Qianqian Sun & Tianyang Chen & Ya Fan, 2022. "Vegetation Dynamics and Climate from A Perspective of Lag-Effect: A Study Case in Loess Plateau, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-15, September.

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