Wetter Summers Mitigated Temperature Stress on Rocky Mountain Forests During the Last Interglacial Warm Period

Berkelhammer, M.; Insel, N.; Stefanescu, I.

doi:10.1029/2021gl093678

Title: Wetter Summers Mitigated Temperature Stress on Rocky Mountain Forests During the Last Interglacial Warm Period

Journal Article · 28 August 2021 · Geophysical Research Letters

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2021gl093678 · OSTI ID:1826746

^[1]; Insel, N. ^[2];

^[3]

Univ. of Illinois, Chicago, IL (United States); University of Illinois at Chicago
Northeastern Illinois Univ., Chicago, IL (United States)
Univ. of Wyoming, Laramie, WY (United States)

Recent droughts have highlighted concerns of how rising summer temperatures will increase tree mortality rates across the western United States. We analyzed subfossil wood samples from Colorado dating to the last interglacial to assess the response of two common conifers to a previous warm period. The trees experienced comparable growth rates and water use efficiency during the interglacial relative to modern despite evidence from model simulations of a ~30% increase in evaporative demand during the peak of the growing season. High-resolution isotopic analysis of the wood samples show an enrichment in the late season cellulosic δ¹⁸O relative to modern samples, which we find was associated with increased reliance on summer rain. The data are consistent with model simulations showing the interglacial was associated with wetter summers across the western US. Here, we propose enhanced summer rain during this period compensated for drought stress imposed by higher evaporative demand.

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Research Organization:: Univ. of Illinois, Chicago, IL (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0019210

OSTI ID:: 1826746

Journal Information:: Geophysical Research Letters, Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters Journal Issue: 18 Vol. 48; ISSN 0094-8276

Publisher:: American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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