Topoclimate effects on growing season length and montane conifer growth in complex terrain

Barnard, David M.; Barnard, H. R.; Molotch, N. P.

doi:10.1088/1748-9326/aa6da8

Topoclimate effects on growing season length and montane conifer growth in complex terrain

Journal Article · Tue May 23 00:00:00 EDT 2017 · Environmental Research Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aa6da8· OSTI ID:1393498

Barnard, David M. ^[1]; Barnard, H. R. ^[2]; Molotch, N. P. ^[3]

Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States); Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, 4001 Discovery Drive, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, United States of America
Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States)
Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States); California Inst. of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States)

Spatial variability in the topoclimate-driven linkage between forest phenology and tree growth in complex terrain is poorly understood, limiting our understanding of how ecosystems function as a whole. To characterize the influence of topoclimate on phenology and growth, we determined the start, end, and length of the growing season (GS_start, GS_end, and GSL, respectively) using the correlation between transpiration and evaporative demand, measured with sapflow. We then compared these metrics with stem relative basal area increment (relative BAI) at seven sites among elevation and aspects in a Colorado montane forest. As elevation increased, we found shorter GSL (–50 d km^–1) due to later GSstart (40 d km^–1) and earlier GSend (–10 d km^–1). North-facing sites had a 21 d shorter GSL than south-facing sites at similar elevations (i.e. equal to 200 m elevation difference on a given aspect). Growing season length was positively correlated with relative BAI, explaining 83% of the variance. This study shows that topography exerts strong environmental controls on GSL and thus forest growth. Here, given the climate-related dependencies of these controls, the results presented here have important implications for ecosystem responses to changes in climate and highlight the need for improved phenology representation in complex terrain.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0006968

OSTI ID:: 1393498

Journal Information:: Environmental Research Letters, Journal Name: Environmental Research Letters Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 12; ISSN 1748-9326

Publisher:: IOP PublishingCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
complex terrain
forest growth
growing season length
montane ecosystem
sapflow
topoclimate

Topoclimate effects on growing season length and montane conifer growth in complex terrain

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