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Harvard Forest REU Symposium Abstract 2015

  • Title: Trees pushed to their limits: How range and climatic data can be a proxy for functional trait variability and determine species at risk.
  • Author: Harry Stone (Harvard University)
  • Abstract:

    Broadleaf temperate forests in the Northeast are an important economic and ecological

    zone facing an increasing risk due to intensifications in temperature and a shifting climate.While

    the future impact is not well understood, a latitudinal gradient in the biome could be used to

    predict temporal changes and how the forest and specific species may respond. The intended goal of this research is to determine how woody deciduous species react differently to being pushed to their climatic limits. Morphological, physiological, and chemical traits were measured of 393 individuals stemming from 38 species. Sampling occurred at the Harvard Forest and the University of Montréal Laurentides field station to create a 3.70 degree latitudinal shift to determine how a harsher climate impacts viability. GIS tools were used to compare the two field sites to the range extents of the studied species. Spatial and temperature-linked distance to end of range predicted functional trait changes and variability on a species to species basis. Trees and shrubs with a larger range were predicted to have more phenotypic plasticity and thus resistant to change across the latitudinal range. Species with a greater northern extent, such as Betula papyrifera and Populus tremuloides, are buoyed more against the climate shift and their functional trait response is more muted. Results show a decrease in specific leaf area, stem specific density, leaf dry matter content, and percent nitrogen between the Harvard Forest and Quebec highlighting a mainly conservative growth strategy.

  • Research Category: Ecological Informatics and Modelling; International Research Projects