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Unstable climate−growth relations for white spruce in southwest Yukon, Canada

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Abstract

We used dendroclimatology to quantify inter-annual to multi-decadal climatic variation effects on white spruce radial growth in southwest Yukon, Canada. Local climate is dry and cold, such that tree growth was primarily moisture- rather than temperature-limited, although the mechanisms varied temporally. During the 20th century, significant increases in precipitation countered warming temperatures, so that heat−moisture indices have not changed significantly. Directional climatic change, superimposed on variation due to the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), resulted in unstable climate−growth relations. Prior to 1977, ring widths were positively correlated with previous growing season precipitation and warm temperatures had a negative impact, exacerbating moisture limitations in dry years especially during the cool, dry negative PDO phase (1946−1976). After 1977, correlations with previous growing season precipitation became negative and correlations with previous fall and winter precipitation and current year July and August temperatures became positive, although not statistically significant. These changes suggest precipitation and temperature increases over recent decades benefitted white spruce growth. Climate projections for this region include further temperature and precipitation increases, which may promote white spruce growth depending on the seasonality and interactions between temperature and precipitation. This study demonstrated the complexity of potential responses of white spruce to climate variation and change.

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Abbreviations

PDO:

Pacific Decadal Oscillation

CATT:

Champagne Aishihik Traditional Territory

MS:

mean sensitivity

AC1:

first order autocorrelation

r:

mean series intercorrelation

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Acknowledgements

Funding for this project was from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Strategic Grants program. Permission to work in the area was granted by the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forest Sciences, University of British Columbia, 2424 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada

    Raphaël D. Chavardès & Lori D. Daniels

  2. Department of Forest Resources Management, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

    Raphaël D. Chavardès, Patrick O. Waeber, John L. Innes & Craig R. Nitschke

  3. Department of Forest and Ecosystem Science, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

    Craig R. Nitschke

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  1. Raphaël D. Chavardès
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  2. Lori D. Daniels
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Correspondence to Raphaël D. Chavardès.

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Chavardès, R.D., Daniels, L.D., Waeber, P.O. et al. Unstable climate−growth relations for white spruce in southwest Yukon, Canada. Climatic Change 116, 593–611 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-012-0503-8

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