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Summary: The northern limit of Pinus banksiana Lamb.
in Canada: explaining the difference between
the eastern and western distributions
Hugo Asselin1
*, Serge Payette1
, Marie-Joseee Fortin2
and Sheila Valleee1 1
Deepartement de
biologie and Centre dÕeetudes nordiques, Universitee Laval, Sainte-Foy, Queebec and
2
Department of Zoology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Abstract
Aim Present northern distribution limit of jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) follows
the northern limit of continuous open boreal forest in western Canada, but not in eastern
Canada where it is located further south. We tested the hypothesis that fire plays a more
important role than climate in explaining the present position of the northern distri-
bution limit of jack pine.
Location An experimental jack pine plantation was set up in 1992, c. 300 km north of
the present distribution limit of the species, in the Boniface river area of northern Queebec
(57°43¢ N, 76°05¢ W).
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