Open AccessCold-season freeze frequency is a pervasive driver of subcontinental forest growth
Author(s) -
Martin P. Girardin,
Xingqi Guo,
David Gervais,
Juha M. Metsaranta,
Elizabeth M. Campbell,
André Arsenault,
Miriam Isaac-Renton,
Edward H. Hogg
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.2117464119
Subject(s) - pinus contorta , growing season , taiga , biology , boreal , picea abies , dendrochronology , latitude , climate change , global warming , forest dynamics , ecology , dendroclimatology , geography , paleontology , geodesy
Significance The reduction of freeze exposure with winter warming has consequences for carbon sequestration by northern forests. Quantifying the impact of these changes on tree growth is, however, challenging because of among- and within-tree species variability in freeze tolerance and phenological cues. Here, we provide a comprehensive assessment of tree growth response to the cold-season frequency of freeze days using an extensive tree-ring dataset covering Canada’s forests. Our study shows that tree growth responses to freeze exposure vary in direction and magnitude by clade and species but also with leaf-out strategy, tree age and size, and environmental factors. Such quantification can help predict terrestrial carbon dynamics under climate change.